The good news for Europe is the second day of the Solheim Cup was better than the first. The bad is that the third will require the kind of golfing miracle not seen since Medinah in 2012 if Suzann Pettersen’s side is to the retain the trophy.
At 10-6 down going into 12 singles matches, all evidence and logic are loaded on the red of the United States. But there is still the feint pulse of possibility after the last two points of the evening favoured blue in the at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.
For an hour or more of the fourballs the score had read 10-4 and any further damage would surely have been terminal. But first came a 2&1 win for Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen against Lexi Thompson and Ally Ewing, and then the all-English pairing of Charlie Hull and Georgia Hall edged a great tussle with Allisen Corpuz and Lilia Vu. It meant both sessions had been halved 2-2 after Friday’s 6-2 hiding and a sliver of momentum had been achieved.
It was certainly better day for Hull, Europe’s mercurial, cigarette-puffing veteran. She had been crushed twice on Friday, but after taking a point in the morning foursomes she had worked her way to two by the close of Saturday.
‘We still have a chance for sure,’ said Ciganda, who led Europe’s comeback in last year’s tied match. ‘There are 12 points to play for.’
Europe require a golfing miracle to retain the Solheim Cup despite a second day recovery
USA are closing in on victory, leading 10-6 going into the 12 singles matches of the event
That would certainly be the optimist’s view and Pettersen might choose to evoke memories of Europe’s Ryder Cup win at Medinah 12 years ago when she tries to rouse her players – they fought back from the very same deficit.
But given how one-sided so many of these matches have been, not to mention the American habit of blitzing the back nines in three of the four sessions played, catching Stacy Lewis’s side is an incredibly big ask.
The US have been significantly better and their mood far brighter, as shown earlier in the fourballs, when Alison Lee, partnering Megan Khang against Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom, holed out from 86 yards and their caddies stripped off their t-shirts and bounded across the fairway. With that pair joining Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee in recording big wins, the Americans were cantering before the late rally that levelled the session at 2-2.
That score mimicked the alternate shot format from the morning. Hull had finally got on the board when her playing partner, Esther Henseleit, wedged to 12 inches to beat Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho at the last. There was also a point for Nordqvist and Celine Boutier against Vu and Sarah Schmelzel.
The disappointment came from Pedersen and Ciganda losing from the comfort of a two-hole lead against world No 1 Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz. Korda remains unbeaten on three points from three.
Thompson and Lauren Coughlin crushed Maja Stark and Hall prior to the evening fourballs, for which Leona Maguire, a star of the past two Cups, was again benched by Pettersen. The Irish golfer, with 7.5 points from 10 in her Cup career before this edition, has surprisingly featured in just one session ahead of the Sunday singles.
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Irish Open
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Irish Open. At the tail end of a tricky season, it would seem he is finding comfort at home.
At six under par, secured via an impressive 69 in the fiendish winds at Royal County Down, the world No 3 is a stroke clear of Matteo Manassero, with Robert MacIntyre two further back in a cluster tied for third.
‘It would be amazing (to win), I’m excited to give myself a chance. The last couple times I’ve played in Northern Ireland, it hasn’t really panned out the way I wanted. I can’t get too far ahead of myself, but I’m excited to go out there and give it my all.’
