Europe leads Solheim Cup
Pettersen, Hedwall win both matches, helping to place Europeans in forefront
PARKER, Colo. Europe took an important step Friday toward winning the Solheim Cup on American soil.
Carlota Ciganda of Spain salvaged an unlikely par from a hazard on the par-5 15th hole that kept her and Suzann Pettersen from falling behind. Pettersen won the next hole with a birdie, sending them from 2 down at the turn to a 1-up victory in a pivotal four balls match that staked Europe to a 5-3 lead.
A long day at Colorado Golf Club ended with Stacy Lewis, on the losing end of that match, getting into a heated discussion with an official over the use of a laser by the official to determine the right drop. At one point, Lewis threw her hands in the air. Along with using a laser, Lewis was upset with the length of the chaotic ruling.
The laser was used to make sure Ciganda’s options would be equal distance from the hole.
“Part of the problem we had with it was the rules official lasered the flag and made it public information. So he gave them a number,” said Lewis.
That was a moot point, however, when Ciganda eventually dropped from an entirely different spot. She hit her fourth shot just off the green, then holed a 15-foot putt right when it looked as if the Americans would take the lead.
“The explanation was about as bad as the ruling, I thought,” said Lewis. “I don’t think it was correct. It took way too long. It killed the momentum of our match. It killed the momentum of the matches behind us and it’s just not what you want the rules officials to ever do.”
It was a tough day for Lewis, who is coming off a Women’s British Open title at St. Andrews.
Lewis struggled with the pace of lightning fast greens on the front nine as she and Lizette Salas fell too far behind to catch up in morning foursomes. Lewis played with another U.S. rookie, Lexi Thompson, who twice squandered good birdie chances late in the four balls. Lewis is 1-5 in the Solheim Cup. Pettersen and Carolina Hedwall led the European charge by winning both their matches. Pettersen, playing in her seventh Solheim Cup, drilled a fairway metal into 20 feet on the 16th hole that set up Beatriz Recari for the eagle putt to take charge in a foursomes match. In the afternoon, it was Pettersen’s seven-foot birdie putt on the 16th — after Thompson three-putted for par — that gave Europe the lead.
Hedwall was part of what European captain Liselotte Neumann called her “Swedish Vikings” to lead off the warm, sunny opening session south of Denver. Hedwall and Anna Nordqvist finished the front nine with two birdies to build a 3-up lead and they never let Lewis and Salas any closer.
Angela Stanford’s overall record dropped to 3-9-3 as she lost both her matches — with Brittany Lang in the morning and with rookie Gerina Piller in the afternoon.
The day was not a total loss for Meg Mallon’s squad.
She was scrutinized for taking Michelle Wie as a captain’s pick. Wie’s superb short game combined with Cristie Kerr making big putts early as they disposed of Catriona Matthew and 17-year-old Charley Hull 2 and 1 in the final match. The Americans picked up another point in the afternoon behind Lang and Lincicome, with Lang holing a bunker shot on the 14th hole to give her side control of the match.
Europe also had the lead after the opening day two years ago in Ireland and it went on to win the Solheim Cup.
This is the largest lead it has had on Friday since 5-3 at Crooked Stick in 2005. The Americans came back to win and still have never lost the cup on home soil.
That might be tested this week in Colorado.