EUROPE SEIZED A narrow 2 1/2 to 1 1/2 lead over the United States on Friday after the opening foursomes matches in the Solheim Cup women’s golf matches.
France’s Karine Icher and Scotland’s Catriona Matthew grabbed the final point of the morning for Europe with a 1 up win over Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and England’s Georgia Hall never trailed en route to a 3 & 1 victory over Paula Creamer and Austin Ernst.
The English duo of Mel Reid and Charley Hull halved their match with Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson, and Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas gave the US their only win of the morning when Kang sank a birdie putt at the final hole for a 1 up win over Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Germany’s Caroline Masson.
Opening day action in the Ryder Cup-style contest continued with fourball matches in the afternoon at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa.
The United States, captained by Juli Inkster, are defending the title they won with a thrilling final-day charge in 2015.
They recovered from 10-6 down to triumph 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 in Germany.
Europe’s slim early edge owed a lot to Icher’s hot putter.
She drained a 40-footer for birdie at the 13th that cut the US lead in that match to 1 up and her birdie at the 14th squared the match.
She and Matthew took their first lead at the 16th hole, Icher sinking the short par putt to take the hole.
On 18, Lewis rolled a 30-foot birdie attempt eight feet past the hole, and Piller’s comeback attempt came up just short.
“It was a tough game at the beginning,” Icher said. “They gave nothing. But the door opened on the 13 and 14, and we took it, yeah. It’s a great feeling now.”
Kerr and Thompson seized the lead at the opening hole against Reid and Hull, but the Europeans battled back to go 1 up at the fifth. Hull’s chip-in for birdie at the 16th put the European duo 2 up, but the Americans won the 17th with a par and Kerr drained a birdie putt at the 18th to halve the match.
“We made a huge par on 17, and sometimes all you need in this format is just a little bit of momentum,” Kerr said.
Kang and Salas never trailed after an opening birdie, although Ciganda and Masson managed to square their match at the 14th.
The Europeans were in trouble off the tee at 15, where the Americans regained a 1 up lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
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