Europe cannot stop America

– The United States won the Solheim Cup on Sunday, thwarting Europe’s comeback bid to triumph 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 in the women’s match-play showdown.

The Americans took a commanding five-point lead into the day’s 12 singles matches at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa. The scoreboard showed the 14 1/2 points needed for an outright victory when Lizette Salas (above) sank a par putt at the 18th for a 1-up win over Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England.

“My hands are still shaking just thinking about it,” said Salas, who was draped in a US flag on the green in a low-key celebration.

Indeed the moment was little more than a formality, with the Americans already assured of the win thanks to the number of matches on course in which they were leading.

They had been hurtling toward victory ever since Lexi Thompson’s remarkable rally to halve the opening singles match with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.

“It was probably fitting that they both got half a point, they both played amazing,” US captain Juli Inkster said.

When 18-year-old Angel Yin halved her match with France’s Karine Icher, with Salas and Gerina Piller assured of at least halving theirs, the Americans were home and dry.

“We just got outplayed, there’s no doubt about it,” said European captain Annika Sorenstam.

“They were out there fighting for every single point,” she said after her players grabbed six of the 12 points on offer on the final day. – AFP