1 week ago
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Europe won Saturday's last 2 points to support live their hopes of lifting a grounds 4th successive Solheim Cup connected a time erstwhile American caddies ripped disconnected their shirts to observe winning a hole.
England's Charley Hull and Georgia Hall shredded nerves but won connected the 18th hole, portion Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen were besides triumphant arsenic Europe ended the time 10-6 down.
It represented a coagulated instrumentality for the Europeans, who were wholly outplayed connected Friday erstwhile they trailed 6-2.
But they volition request to lucifer the Solheim Cup grounds of coming from 4 points down successful Sunday's 12 singles to clasp the trophy.
"We person a chance, the occurrence of Medinah is coming," said Ciganda, referring to the European's 2012 Ryder Cup triumph erstwhile they excessively overturned a four-point shortage successful the US.
As holders, Europe necessitate 8 points from the 12 disposable connected Sunday to support the cup, portion the US request to scope 14½ points to triumph the trophy for the archetypal clip since 2017.
Europe tin instrumentality inspriation from the US squad coming from 10-6 down successful Germany successful 2015 to look victorious aft a ascendant 8½-3½ show successful the singles.
But this American juggenaut volition instrumentality immoderate stopping successful beforehand of expectant fans astatine the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club successful Virginia.
While Friday greeting felt mostly subdued aft proscription issues meant thousands of spectators missed the opening foursomes session, since then, this exclusive people 40 miles westbound of Washington DC has been a riot of colour and noise.
And nary celebratory roar has been louder than the 1 for Alison Lee's eagle 2 connected the 2nd successful Saturday's fourballs.
But successful bonzer scenes, the caddies of Lee and Megan Khang removed their tops aft Lee holed an 86-yard wedge from the fairway.
Their actions served to further whip-up already frenzied American fans, revelling successful a ascendant show that looks acceptable to spot them triumph the trophy for the archetypal clip since 2017.
According to American television, Khang's caddie, Jack Fulghum, had suggested connected the tee that if immoderate subordinate holed retired the caddies would wage them $500. Lee, whose caddie is Taylor 'Shota' Takada, responded by saying the caddies had to instrumentality disconnected their shirts.
And lo, it came to pass.
"It was wholly surreal but we celebrated conscionable the mode we wanted to," said Lee.
A bemused Madelene Sagstrom looked connected successful bewilderment arsenic she tried to hole to deed her changeable to the green.
Sagstrom, who on with chap Swede Anna Nordqvist, were Europe's solitary fourball winners connected Friday, ne'er recovered and were 3 down astatine the crook and mislaid 4&3.
That made the people 10-4 due to the fact that it came moments aft Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang completed a ascendant 6&4 triumph implicit Linn Grant and Celine Boutier.
Zhang, the erstwhile satellite amateur fig one, holed a bunker changeable connected the 13th to enactment the US 5 up with 5 to play and they closed retired the triumph astatine the pursuing hole.
But, successful scenes reminiscent of Medinah, Europe won the last 2 points.
Ciganda, who past twelvemonth secured the constituent successful her Spanish homeland to gain a 14-14 necktie and support the trophy successful European hands, teamed up with Pedersen for a 2&1 triumph implicit Ally Ewing and the retiring Lexi Thompson.
And Hull and Hall kept their nervus down the past to unafraid a captious sixth point, seeing disconnected Allisen Corpuz and satellite fig 2 Lilia Vu.
Europe possibly could and should beryllium a constituent amended disconnected aft Ciganda and Pedersen started rapidly against Nelly Korda and Corpuz successful the greeting alternate changeable foursomes.
The Europeans raced into a two-hole pb aft 3 but, erstwhile fixed the accidental to hammer location their advantage, Denmark's Pedersen crucially missed abbreviated putts connected the 5th and sixth holes that would person enactment them astir retired of sight.
They would beryllium made to wage arsenic satellite fig 1 Korda birdied the 10th and the US brace were level connected the 13th aft Pedersen missed different abbreviated putt.
The momentum was with the Americans and they besides had an outstanding portion of bully luck connected the par-five 14th, erstwhile Corpuz mis-hit a 2nd changeable towards the green. The shot did not got much than 5 feet disconnected the crushed but bounded done the unsmooth to decorativeness 20 feet from the hole.
"I told her that could beryllium the apical 3 champion shots I've ever seen successful my full life," laughed Korda, who knocked successful the eagle putt to springiness the US a pb they would not lose.
Behind them, Hull and Esther Henseleit won 3 connected the trot from the sixth to instrumentality power of lucifer two, portion Nordqvist and Boutier were six up aft a sensational opening 9 holes.
The lone reddish connected the committee was successful lucifer 3 wherever Thompson and Lauren Coughlin were ever up of Hall and Maja Stark arsenic they cantered to a 4&3 triumph to enactment the US 7-2 ahead.
Shortly after, Nordqvist and Boutier, who had been helped by US rookie Sarah Schmelzel missing 3 abbreviated putts connected the opening 4 holes, closed retired their ain 4&3 win.
That near Hull and Henseleit scrapping for a constituent against Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho.
The Americans gnawed distant astatine the European pb connected the backmost 9 with Ewing holing a immense putt connected 15 to get wrong 1 and, erstwhile Hull cleared the greenish by 20 yards with her 2nd to the par-four 17th, the lucifer was backmost each square.
But the Europeans snatched a crucual constituent aft Henseleit's delightful attack went adjacent capable to beryllium conceded for a birdie and Kupcho was incapable to spread from a bunker.
English (US)