SOLHEIM CUP THRILLER
Europe prove the pessimists wrong: It's an
8-8 tie with last-day singles to come
The pessimists said the United States would slaughter their "poor relations" from Europe in the Solheim Cup.
How wrong could they be. Going into Sunday's final singles, the scoreline could not be closer: USA 8, Europe 8 at Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Illoinois.
OK, so the Americans will still probably win in the end but surely not by the rout proportions that had been predicted.
The doom merchants should have known better. Never make predictions about golf ... and certainly not women's golf of any description.
The United States last lost the singles finale in 2003 which was the last time Europe won the Solheim Cup. Europe has never won the match at an American venue.
"I'm just really proud of them the way they came back. It was not looking too good for us for a while, and they really rallied in those last couple of matches there in the afternoon," U.S. captain Beth Daniel said.
"That was huge. Also, it should be a huge momentum swing for us to come back that way. They feel like they're ahead, and they should feel that way."
For the Europeans, it was an opportunity lost.
They managed to erase the one-point lead the Americans had after the first day, and looked midway through the afternoon as if they might go into Sunday ahead. But with the U.S. history in singles, they couldn't afford to give anything away - especially with points there for the taking down the stretch.
"After being one point down yesterday and bringing it back to all square, I'm happy with that," captain Alison Nicholas said. "Singles is always difficult. We haven't been that good over the years, but we have won that series. We've got nothing to lose and hopefully we'll just do a bit better than we have in the past."
When Wie and Christina Kim easily beat Helen Alfredsson and Tania Elosegui 5 and4 in the opening four-ball match, it looked as if it might be the start of a big day for the Americans. Kerr was holing out from the fairway two holes back about the same time, and the Americans had a lead in another match, too.
As Wie and Kim bumped hips and hugged it out on the green, the raucous crowd chanted "The Cup stays here."
It was way too early for that.
Europe rallied to win the Saturday four-balls 2 1/2-1 1/2 and tie tournament up, then took an early lead in the Saturday foursomes with two easy wins.
"It looked like we were going to go in down a point or two, and to be even is big," Daniel said. "It's really big."
Pretty, however, it was not.
Morgan Pressel missed an 18-footer on 17 that would have won her and Kristy McPherson's foursomes match against Alfredsson and Suzann Pettersen. With Pettersen making a long putt for birdie, the Europeans had a chance to halve the match. But Pettersen missed a 25-footer, and Pressel made her putt to give the Americans a 2-hole victory.
"We knew just how important our match was," Pressel said.
So did Wie and Kerr.
Kerr is one of the steadiest players on the U.S. team, which made her decision on 17 all the more shocking. Wie's tee shot found rough on the right side, and there was a big pond between Kerr and the green. The Americans were two up, and Hjorth had gone in the sand off the tee.
Instead of playing it safe, Kerr decided to go for it. Sure enough, the ball skipped through the water, nearly hitting one of the fake swans in the middle. Wie mishit the next shot and flew the green, landing in deep rough. Kerr's flop shot for a bogey skirted the hole, but didn't drop.
Advantage Europeans? Nope. Hjorth missed a 6-footer for bogey and the hole, and Wie rolled in a 3-footer for the half.
"That halve on that hole was ridiculous," Kerr said.
The Americans caught more breaks on 18. Kerr's drive kicked out into the fairway after hitting a tree, Wie found her own way through a tree. Kerr's approach flew the green, leaving Wie with a long putt. She got it close, curving the ball around the edge of the cup and bringing her team-mates to their feet.
But the ball wouldn't drop. Neither, though, would a short putt by Hjorth.
"We did lose some ground today, but we're still tied going into singles," Pressel said. "We've got 12 points available and we have a very, very, very strong team."
And no one is stronger than Wie at this point.
Expectations for the big-hitting Hawaiian have been huge since she was in grade school, but injuries and other mishaps have cost her and she's yet to have that breakthrough performance. This week might be it.
She put an approach shot within 18 inches from 149 yards out on the sixth hole of her four-ball match with Kim, starting a run that gave the Americans four straight holes. She didn't flinch when she needed to make big shots with Kerr. Her drives were impressive, as always, and she showed a deftness with her short game.
Perhaps most impressive was how animated she was. Oh, she's given fist pumps before, even yelled a few times. But this was Michelle Unplugged. She sprinted along the side of the green after making a nice chip. She played to the crowd, waving her arms and cupping her hand to her ear to urge them to cheer louder. She and Kim even had a special handshake.
"She was so pumped up, I was worried about it," Daniel said.
She needn't have been.
"We just had a ball out there," Wie said. "It was just fun."
For the Europeans, it was an opportunity lost.
They managed to erase the one-point lead the Americans had after the first day, and looked midway through the afternoon as if they might go into Sunday ahead. But with the U.S. history in singles, they couldn't afford to give anything away - especially with points there for the taking down the stretch.
"After being one point down yesterday and bringing it back to all square, I'm happy with that," captain Alison Nicholas said. "Singles is always difficult. We haven't been that good over the years, but we have won that series. We've got nothing to lose and hopefully we'll just do a bit better than we have in the past."
When Wie and Christina Kim easily beat Helen Alfredsson and Tania Elosegui 5 and4 in the opening four-ball match, it looked as if it might be the start of a big day for the Americans. Kerr was holing out from the fairway two holes back about the same time, and the Americans had a lead in another match, too.
As Wie and Kim bumped hips and hugged it out on the green, the raucous crowd chanted "The Cup stays here."
It was way too early for that.
Europe rallied to win the Saturday four-balls 2 1/2-1 1/2 and tie tournament up, then took an early lead in the Saturday foursomes with two easy wins.
"It looked like we were going to go in down a point or two, and to be even is big," Daniel said. "It's really big."
Pretty, however, it was not.
Morgan Pressel missed an 18-footer on 17 that would have won her and Kristy McPherson's foursomes match against Alfredsson and Suzann Pettersen. With Pettersen making a long putt for birdie, the Europeans had a chance to halve the match. But Pettersen missed a 25-footer, and Pressel made her putt to give the Americans a 2-hole victory.
"We knew just how important our match was," Pressel said.
So did Wie and Kerr.
Kerr is one of the steadiest players on the U.S. team, which made her decision on 17 all the more shocking. Wie's tee shot found rough on the right side, and there was a big pond between Kerr and the green. The Americans were two up, and Hjorth had gone in the sand off the tee.
Instead of playing it safe, Kerr decided to go for it. Sure enough, the ball skipped through the water, nearly hitting one of the fake swans in the middle. Wie mishit the next shot and flew the green, landing in deep rough. Kerr's flop shot for a bogey skirted the hole, but didn't drop.
Advantage Europeans? Nope. Hjorth missed a 6-footer for bogey and the hole, and Wie rolled in a 3-footer for the half.
"That halve on that hole was ridiculous," Kerr said.
The Americans caught more breaks on 18. Kerr's drive kicked out into the fairway after hitting a tree, Wie found her own way through a tree. Kerr's approach flew the green, leaving Wie with a long putt. She got it close, curving the ball around the edge of the cup and bringing her team-mates to their feet.
But the ball wouldn't drop. Neither, though, would a short putt by Hjorth.
"We did lose some ground today, but we're still tied going into singles," Pressel said. "We've got 12 points available and we have a very, very, very strong team."
And no one is stronger than Wie at this point.
Expectations for the big-hitting Hawaiian have been huge since she was in grade school, but injuries and other mishaps have cost her and she's yet to have that breakthrough performance. This week might be it.
She put an approach shot within 18 inches from 149 yards out on the sixth hole of her four-ball match with Kim, starting a run that gave the Americans four straight holes. She didn't flinch when she needed to make big shots with Kerr. Her drives were impressive, as always, and she showed a deftness with her short game.
Perhaps most impressive was how animated she was. Oh, she's given fist pumps before, even yelled a few times. But this was Michelle Unplugged. She sprinted along the side of the green after making a nice chip. She played to the crowd, waving her arms and cupping her hand to her ear to urge them to cheer louder. She and Kim even had a special handshake.
"She was so pumped up, I was worried about it," Daniel said.
She needn't have been.
"We just had a ball out there," Wie said. "It was just fun."
Catriona and Diana halve their match by
winning last two holes
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
The destination of the Solheim Cup is delicately poised ahead of the decisive singles round after Europe edged the day to draw level with the USA at 8-8 at Rich Harvest Farm.
Alison Nicholas' side carried a one-point deficit into the second day but had restored parity by the end of the morning four-balls.
Another strong showing in the afternoon foursomes, which saw both sides take two wins, kept Europe on track for a final-day tilt at a first ever win on US soil.
Christina Kim and Michelle Wie got the hosts off to a dream start with a 5&4 drubbing of Helen Alfredsson and Tania Elosegui 5&4.
==================================
Alison Nicholas' side carried a one-point deficit into the second day but had restored parity by the end of the morning four-balls.
Another strong showing in the afternoon foursomes, which saw both sides take two wins, kept Europe on track for a final-day tilt at a first ever win on US soil.
Christina Kim and Michelle Wie got the hosts off to a dream start with a 5&4 drubbing of Helen Alfredsson and Tania Elosegui 5&4.
==================================
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==================================
But the tide began to shift in match two, with Scotland's Catriona Matthew and Italy's Diana Luna - in her first outing of the weekend - fighting back from two down at the 16th to halve their match with Angela Stanford and Brittany Lang - a result which left the holders 6-4 up with two matches of the morning remaining.
The fightback continued as the final two European pairings each prevailed by one hole.
Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist saw off Nicole Castrale and Cristie Kerr, while Gwladys Nocera and Maria Hjorth got the better of Brittany Lincicome and Kristy McPherson.
The afternoon session began with the momentum still with the Europeans, as Swede Sophie Gustafson and Scot Janice Moodie beat big-name US pairing Paula Creamer and Juli Inkster 4 and 3.
Morgan Pressel and Kristy McPherson led from the off against Scandinavian duo Suzann Pettersen and Alfredsson to secure a point for home team, before Becky Brewerton, of Wales, and Frenchwoman Nocera dominated Kim and Natalie Gulbis with a 5 and 4 triumph.
That put the underdogs a point ahead as the final game approached the 18th green but Kerr and Wie held on against Swedish duo Horth and Nordqvist to take the point by a one-hole margin.
But the tide began to shift in match two, with Scotland's Catriona Matthew and Italy's Diana Luna - in her first outing of the weekend - fighting back from two down at the 16th to halve their match with Angela Stanford and Brittany Lang - a result which left the holders 6-4 up with two matches of the morning remaining.
The fightback continued as the final two European pairings each prevailed by one hole.
Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist saw off Nicole Castrale and Cristie Kerr, while Gwladys Nocera and Maria Hjorth got the better of Brittany Lincicome and Kristy McPherson.
The afternoon session began with the momentum still with the Europeans, as Swede Sophie Gustafson and Scot Janice Moodie beat big-name US pairing Paula Creamer and Juli Inkster 4 and 3.
Morgan Pressel and Kristy McPherson led from the off against Scandinavian duo Suzann Pettersen and Alfredsson to secure a point for home team, before Becky Brewerton, of Wales, and Frenchwoman Nocera dominated Kim and Natalie Gulbis with a 5 and 4 triumph.
That put the underdogs a point ahead as the final game approached the 18th green but Kerr and Wie held on against Swedish duo Horth and Nordqvist to take the point by a one-hole margin.
Labels: Pro Ladies
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See story on its own page | 7:56:00 AM
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