1 week ago
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Charley Hull and Nelly Korda volition look each different successful Friday's opening lucifer of this year's Solheim Cup successful Virginia.
Play gets nether mode astatine 07:05 (12:05 BST) connected Friday with 4 foursomes (alternate shot) matches.
Experienced English subordinate Hull is partnered with German rookie Esther Henseleit, portion satellite fig 1 Korda is erstwhile again paired with Allisen Corpuz aft the Americans won some their foursomes matches successful past year's contest.
"It's bully to get Charley going, she doesn't similar to beryllium astir and wait," said Europe skipper Suzann Pettersen.
Her US counterpart Stacy Lewis said the reasoning down putting Korda retired archetypal was simple.
"I wanted to nonstop acquisition retired archetypal and determination is nary amended than the satellite fig 1 and a pairing that was precise successful," she added.
The United States swept the opening league 4-0 astatine Finca Cortesin past year, but Europe fought backmost to gain a 14-14 draw.
As holders, Europe request 14 points to clasp the trophy for a grounds 4th time, portion the US request 14½ to regain the rubric they past won successful 2017.
Europe's different debutant Albane Valenzuela is retired successful the 2nd match, alongside France's Celine Boutier, who is the team's highest-ranked subordinate astatine 10 successful the world.
"Let's nonstop them retired and acquisition it," said Pettersen of her determination to humor some her caller players successful the opening session.
"There's nary constituent for them to beryllium astir and wonderment what it's going to beryllium like."
Lewis said it was "a bonus to get them some retired there", having besides selected her 2 rookies successful the opening matches.
Lauren Coughlin, who won past month's Women's Scottish Open, is making her debut astatine the property of 31 alongside erstwhile satellite fig 1 amateur Rose Zhang, 21, against Valenzuela and Boutier.
Sarah Schmelzel, who is the lowest ranked US subordinate astatine 58, volition spouse satellite fig 2 Lilia Vu successful the bottommost lucifer against Sweden's Linn Grant and Spain's Carlota Ciganda, who secured the constituent to guarantee Europe retained the trophy past twelvemonth successful her homeland.
The different lucifer features Sweden's Maja Stark and Denmark's Emily Pedersen against Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho.
Among the players sitting retired are Ireland's Leona Maguire, who is missing a league for the archetypal clip aft playing 5 matches successful some her erstwhile appearances.
"To beryllium Leona successful a foursome is simply a pugnacious call," conceded Pettersen. "But you spell a small spot with the gut. She has a large grounds and is simply a feisty Solheim subordinate and you'll spot her."
Lewis besides defended her determination not to usage Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang, who won some their foursomes matches past year. "I don't deliberation you're going to spot that pairing," she added.
"We person a batch of bully pairings and not everybody is going to play this session," she added. "I don't deliberation I'll person anybody play each five."
The 19th variation of the Solheim Cup is being held astatine the 6,741-yard Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, connected the shores of Lake Manassas, astir an hr westbound of Washington DC.
It opened for play successful 1991 and, fixed its proximity to the American capital, has played big to galore US presidents, with Barack Obama inactive a subordinate of the club.
Europe and the United States volition play a premix of foursome, fourball and singles matches implicit 3 days successful Virginia, with 28 points up for grabs.
The pairings for Friday's fourballs, wherever players play their ain shot with the champion people counting, volition beryllium announced towards the extremity of the foursomes session.
Saturday volition diagnostic 4 much foursomes matches, followed by 4 fourballs, with each 24 players contesting 12 singles matches connected Sunday.
The US pb the bid 10-7 with 1 tied match. Europe person lone won doubly connected US soil, but those person travel successful the past 3 contests, successful 2013 and 2021.
English (US)