Solheim Cup
Team USA just accomplished something it has never done before at a Solheim Cup
David Cannon
The U.S. has had a rough run of late at the Solheim Cup, having lost the 2019 contest to Europe when Suzann Pettersen made an unbelievably clutch putt on the 18th hole, in the final match, to win it. Then in 2021, though the favorite, Team USA lost 15-13 at Inverness to Europe.
As it headed into the 2023 playing of the biennial matches, there were questions and doubts: Could this team, with five rookies and a star not seeming to be at the peak of her powers, reverse the trend and win?
Team USA appeared ready to answer that question in the first round of matches: In Friday morning foursomes, the Americans won all four matches. It is the first time in the history of the Solheim Cup that Team USA has swept foursomes.
Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang defeated Maja Stark and Linn Grant, 2&1. The Americans won the first three holes and never trailed in the match, winning it with a par on 17.
Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee defeated Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall, 1 up. Boutier and Hall have made for a fearsome duo in the Solheim Cup. They won three matches together at Gleneagles in 2019 and both went 4-0-0 that week. But Kang and Lee delivered, going one up with a birdie on 17 and halving the 18th.
David Cannon
Allisen Corpuz and Nelly Korda defeated Leona Maguire and Anna Nordqvist 1 up. It was a tough start for Team USA in this match, as Korda’s first tee ball found the water on the short par 5. The match went back and forth throughout the front nine, but Team USA went up on the back nine and never lost the lead.
Ally Ewing and Cheyenne Knight defeated Charley Hull and Emily Kristine Pedersen 5&4. In the most decisive match of the morning, Team USA was six up after 9 holes. Hull, who has been having a strong season, finishing runner-up four times on the LPGA Tour thus far in 2023, is playing with a neck injury at the Solheim Cup.