Solheim Cup 2024: Team USA lead Team Europe 6-2 as Nelly Korda stars on record day in Virginia

Team USA made the dream start in their bid to end Team Europe’s unbeaten streak after grabbing the biggest first-day lead in Solheim Cup history.

Stacy Lewis’ side won three of their four matches in the morning foursomes at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, before extending their advantage in the fourballs to grab a commanding 6-2 advantage over the current holders.

Nelly Korda led from the front to win both her matches on Friday, partnering Allisen Corpuz to victory in the foursomes before playing alongside Megan Khang in a dominant 6&4 fourballs success over Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire.

Rookies Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel joined forces to see off Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark 3&2, the only European pairing to have won in the morning foursomes, while Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang saw off Charley Hull and Linn Grant 5&4.

Madelene Sagstrom and Anna Nordqvist provided the only positive for Europe in the afternoon session, thrashing Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee 6&5, although Suzann Pettersen’s side face a monumental task if they’re to successfully defend the trophy and complete a historic ‘four-peat’.

A four-point cushion is the highest advantage after the opening day of the Solheim Cup and the biggest after eight matches since the inaugural edition in 1990, with Team USA now needing 8.5 points over the final two days to claim their first victory in the event since 2017.

“It has been a really good day,” Lewis said. “I saw a ton of good golf, and really things played out the way we were hoping. So just really happy with the pairings I was able to put out, and the players produced some great shots and some great scores and got us a ton of points.”

How Team USA built record-breaking lead

Korda made three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the third and Khang made back-to-back birdies from the seventh to move the USA pair five ahead, while they cancelled out losing the next hole by winning the 10th.

The world No 1 had an eagle putt conceded at the par-five 12th after a stunning approach, leaving the American pair threatening a record-breaking winning margin, before Korda signed off victory by holing an eagle putt at the par-five 14th.

“Honestly, we’ve been asking for this pairing for quite a while and as soon as we got it, we were pumped,” Khang said. “We had so much fun out there!”

Nordqvist and Sagstrom grabbed the early advantage in their match with a birdie at the first but saw the USA level when they took advantage of the par-five fifth, before a Nordqvist birdie at the par-five eighth sparked a big run of holes won.

Sagstrom secured back-to-back birdies around the turn and Nordqvist added another at the par-three 11th, with the European duo also winning both the next two holes to wrap up victory with five holes to spare.

“Anna [Nordqvist] played super well,” Sagstrom said. “In the beginning I was a little bit everywhere, but that works in four ball. Then I scrapped it out on the back nine and helped her out a bit.”

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Schmelzel edged ahead in match three with a birdie at the seventh and Coughlin birdied the next to double the American lead, with Pedersen’s birdie at the 10th cancelled out by Schmelzel winning the 11th and 13th holes.

The two sides exchanged birdies at the par-five 14th before a birdie from Coughlin at the par-three 16th secured a third point of the session for Team USA and earned a second point of the day for two rookies.

“Sarah [Schmelzel] played unbelievable,” Coughlin said. “I was just trying to hang in there and make some pars so she could be free. She rolled in so many good putts. It was awesome.”

Europe remained hopeful of securing something in the bottom match when Grant and Hull were tied after eight holes against Lee and Zhang, only for the American duo to take control of the match by claiming four consecutive holes from the ninth and wrapping up the point with a birdie at the par-five 14th.

“We have a massive job ahead of us,” European captain Pettersen admitted. “We faced quite a big challenge last year. We’ve done it before. We can do it again. It’s going to take a massive effort, but I know we can do it.

“Today’s play, it’s kind of all history now. So all I would say, I think we gave it a good effort. I think the Americans played great. They really did. I feel like they kind of had all the putts rolling their way.”

Who will win the 2024 Solheim Cup? Watch live throughout the weekend on Sky Sports! Live coverage continues on Saturday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the Solheim Cup and more with NOW.

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