Two holes from home, the scoreboard flipped
Two holes from home, Europe were heading for another tie. Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit had other ideas.
The pair won the 16th and the 18th against Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho at Bernardus Golf this morning, turning what looked like a 6-6 deadlock into a 7-5 lead going into Saturday afternoon’s fourballs. Three split sessions in a row would have been a first in Solheim Cup history. It stays unwritten.
Henseleit did the close-range work. A deft chip at the par-5 16th set up birdie, and at the last, Zhang’s approach from a fairway bunker caught the lip. Par was enough.
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Korda beaten in foursomes for the first time
Europe took the morning 3-1, and the heaviest blow landed on the American pairing nobody expected to lose. Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz went down 3 and 2 to Maja Stark and Linn Grant, the world number one losing a foursomes match alongside a partner for the first time in six attempts.
Stark chipped in for eagle at the par-4 eighth to push the Swedes three up, and a bogey from the Americans made it four through nine holes. Stark and Grant have now played three bogey-free foursomes together, including both of their matches this week.
“Alternate shot’s hard enough,” Korda said afterwards, “but when you’re playing against a group of girls that are playing really, really well, it’s even harder.”
Zhang’s week keeps getting heavier. She is 0-4-1 in away Solheim matches. Kupcho has won one of her last ten.
Two rookies deliver, one American pair runs riot
Anna Nordqvist benched Celine Boutier and Nanna Koerstz Madsen after their 0-2 start and sent out Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud on instinct. They beat Andrea Lee and Auston Kim 4 and 3 to move to 2-0 for the week, Nadaud holing from 25 feet at the first and Rhodes closing it out with a 10-footer at the 15th.
“We didn’t really expect to play this morning foursomes,” Nadaud said. “It was a great surprise yesterday.”
The single American point was emphatic. Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin took apart Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 6 and 5, equalling the record margin for a Solheim Cup foursomes match. Lee is the only player on either side at 3-0. Coughlin is 5-0-2 across her Solheim career. Europe’s marquee pairing of Hull and Woad, moved to the anchor match to spark something, are still without a win.
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