After a comeback by the United States in Sunday’s foursomes, Europe has a slim lead in the Solheim Cup 2021.
After the United States recovered to win three of Sunday’s foursomes on day two in Ohio, Europe now leads the Solheim Cup by a narrow 612-512 margin.
Mel Reid and Leona Maguire of Europe beat Ally Ewing and Nelly Korda of the United States 5&4.
Danielle Kang and Austin Ernst defeated Georgia Hall and Madelene Sagstrom by a hole, while Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altamore defeated Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen 2&1 thanks to a long birdie on 17.
Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho won four straight games to end with 17 points.
While Reid and Maguire overcame a rare moment of Korda brilliance on the 13th hole, when she sunk a stunning putt for eagle, the tide in the other matches went in favour of the hosts.
Kang and Ernst edged past Hall and Sagstrom on the 18th hole after the English golfer missed a 20-foot birdie putt.
Following birdies on the opening two holes, the European pair went two up, then dropped the fourth, sixth, and seventh holes to fall behind, regaining the lead, and then losing it again in a rollercoaster match.
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Thompson and Altomare’s win was as exciting, with the lead changing hands twice before the Americans
finally triumphed.
Thompson has a history of missing short putts, and she missed one from inside six feet again on Sunday,
but she sank a 35-footer for a winning birdie on the 18th.
The world number one had been off her game all morning, thinning a fairway bunker shot into a stream,
chunking a wedge shot only 15 yards, under-hitting a chip from greenside rough, and missing several
putts, so it’s no surprise that US captain Pat Hurst chose to rest her star player for Sunday’s fourballs.
But that’s no reflection on Reid and her rookie partner Maguire, who has already won two foursomes
matches with Reid and one fourball match with Hall on Saturday.
And it was only fitting that Maguire sank the winning putt from six feet on the 14th hole.
“We played well all day and it was great to finish it off in style,” the first Irishwoman to compete in the
Solheim Cup told Sky Sports.
“I couldn’t have asked for a finer partner or a better start to my Solheim career.”
“Beating Nelly twice is a big ask,” Reid said of their foursomes win against Nelly and Jessica Korda, who
had previously gone unbeaten.
source:
Solheim Cup 2021: Europe hold slender lead after US fight back in Sunday’s foursomes
