Two sessions, two ties, and no precedent for it
Morning foursomes: 2-2. Afternoon four-balls: 2-2. The United States and Europe walked off Bernardus Golf in ‘s-Hertogenbosch dead level at 4-4, and in the whole history of the Solheim Cup, nobody had seen both opening sessions finish all square before Friday.
Which is not how this event usually behaves. It tends to run away from somebody by Friday evening. The Americans arrive defending the trophy they took 15.5 to 12.5 at Gainesville in 2024, and 14 points over the weekend keeps it in their hands.
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Alison Lee beat the same opponent twice in one day
Celine Boutier will want Friday back. Paired with Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen, she ran into Alison Lee in both sessions and lost both: 3&2 in the morning, when Lee had Lauren Coughlin alongside her, then 4&3 after lunch with Megan Khang. “Once we saw two or three putts drop, I think nobody could stop us,” Lee said.
Nastasia Nadaud had the better afternoon. The Frenchwoman and England’s Mimi Rhodes saw off Allisen Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1 in four-ball.
The morning’s headline, though, belonged to Nelly Korda. The world number one and Corpuz put away Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 4&3 for a fifth consecutive win as a pairing, a Solheim Cup record, and it was that result that got the American session moving.
Ciganda, the 18th green, and half a point that mattered
Europe had to grind for the level scoreline twice over. Hull and Woad were three down with five to play against Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin, and somehow dragged the match back to a half.
Then came Carlota Ciganda. Playing with Julia Lopez Ramirez in the last match out, the Spaniard rolled in the putt on 18 that pulled a half from Korda and Coughlin and made the day 4-4. “We played a tough match against Nelly and Lauren, who were very steady, but we kept fighting and at least got half a point, which I think is really important,” she said. Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Ireland’s Leona Maguire had set the tone earlier, never once trailing Andrea Lee and Lindy Duncan.
No American team has won this thing on European soil since Germany in 2015. Saturday tells us whether 4-4 was Europe’s ceiling or their launchpad.
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