Matthew and Hall help keep Europe in mix
GEORGIA HALL and Catriona Matthew could hardly be at more opposite ends of their careers. The former is the fresh-faced revelation of European women’s golf, the latter the composed veteran who has been Britain’s best female player of the last 20 years.
On another vibrant, noisy morning at the Solheim Cup, the 21-year-old from Bournemouth and the 47year-old from North Berwick were handed a formidable, joint task.
Under the most intense pressure, they found themselves charged alongside their foursomes partners with the awesome responsibility of maintaining any hope Europe had of winning back the trophy.
The first two foursomes matches quickly went south.
Europe desperately needed a fast start, so it seemed a strange decision to begin with the low-key pairing of German Caroline Masson and England’s Jodie Ewart Shadoff. They were under pressure from the moment the latter hooked her opening tee shot into the water.
That set the tone for a comfortable 5&3 victory for the classy American pair of Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson.
Soon afterwards, that was also the margin of victory enjoyed by home duo Paula Creamer and Austin Ernst against Melissa Reid and Emily Pedersen.
Now Europe had fallen a startling five points in arrears. Nothing less than two points were required, therefore, and thrillingly, Hall and Matthew delivered.
Despite her tender years and the hostile environment, Hall was comfortably Europe’s best player over the first three series of matches.
If her senior partner Anna Nordqvist deserved a lot of credit for the way she shepherded her to a foursomes victory on day one, it was Hall who holed all the gutsy putts yesterday to deliver a second point for the pair.
At the 16th, when two up, Nordqvist inexplicably knocked her birdie attempt 10ft past but Hall rescued her. It was the same at the 17th. The Swede, who had a horrendous case of the chipping yips, elected to putt from fairly thick rough beside the green and duly knocked it 15ft past.
No worries. Hall’s nerveless putt found the centre of the hole once more to deliver a 3&1 victory and a precious point. Nordqvist’s relief was obvious as she embraced her partner.
‘I didn’t know Georgia at all until we got here but she’s been a superstar these past two days,’ said Nordqvist, the world’s 13th-ranked player.
‘What an amazing future she’s got in front of her.’
Matthew, of course, came here not knowing she was even going to play, let alone deliver two points out of two. Alongside the reliable Karine Icher from France, they have proved an inspired partnership, as they took care of Michelle Wie and the exciting rookie Danielle Kang, who had been flying until that point, 2&1.
In the absence of Charley Hull, and several European players clearly struggling to cope with the raucous atmosphere, captain Annika Sorenstam had little option but to ask Matthew to play once more in the afternoon fourballs, which continued late into the evening in Iowa.