Team USA tried to fight back from their slow morning-foursomes start but could only grab two points in the afternoon fourball matches at the 17th Solheim Cup.
The European team leads, 5 1/2 – 2 1/2, after Day 1 at Inverness Club, which featured seven of eight matches going to No. 18.
History is not on the Americans’ side, either, as the U.S. has never won a cup trailing by more than two points after the opening day.
Match scoring for the Solheim Cup
Match 5: N. Korda/Ewing (USA) def. Koerstz Madsen/Sagstrom (EUR), 1 up
Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing earned Team USA’s first full point against Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Madelene Sagstrom. Madsen and Sagstrom started birdie-eagle to take the lead early.
“We changed our order and switched our ball,” said Ewing with a laugh. Their strategy seemed to work because by the 10th hole the match was tied.
A controversial win on the 13th hole for Korda and and Ewing. Korda’s ball hung on the end of the cup and Sagstrom scooped up the ball before the 10 second wait was up.
“Nobody wants to win a hole like that,” said Korda.
Sagstrom had a chance to birdie No. 18 to tie the match, but she left her putt short allowing Team USA to take the lead early in the afternoon.
Match 6: Kupcho/Salas (USA) def. Ciganda/Popov (EUR), 1 up
Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas put up a fight in their afternoon match against Carlota Ciganda and Sophia Popov. Salas chipped in for birdie on the 8th hole to go 1 down and Kupcho had an off the green bomb on the par-4 14th to take the lead in the match and go 1 up.
Salas knocked in her birdie putt on the 18th hole to officially grab another point for Team USA.
Match 7: Nordqvist/Castren (EUR) def. Thompson/Harigae (USA), 4 and 3
This winning pair in the morning – Anna Nordqvist and Matilda Castren – partnered up again this afternoon and remained in the driver’s seat for the entire match. Nordqvist and Castren only lost one hole – No. 3 – but never let USA’s Lexi Thompson and Mina Harigae take the lead.
Thompson missed her 20 foot birdie putt on the par-4 14th to extend the match, and the Scandinavian pair remains undefeated going into day two.
Solheim HLs: Thompson/Harigae vs Nordqvist/Castren
Match 8: Hall/Maguire (EUR) def. Noh/Altomare (USA), 1 up
Yealimi Noh and Brittany Altomare won three holes in a row on Nos. 6 through 8 to battle back from a 2 down start against Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire and eventually took the match to the 18th hole. Altomare had a 15 foot birdie putt to tie the match and left it dead in the heart. Hall and Maguire’s win secured Team Europe’s fifth full point for the day.
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