Europe rides foursomes rout to take early lead at Solheim Cup

Defending champion Europe rode a dominant performance in the alternate-shot format to surge to a 5½-2½ lead at the Solheim Cup in Toledo, Ohio. The Europeans took 3½ of a possible four points during the foursome matches and split the afternoon fourball session for some early momentum in their push to win on U.S. soil for just the second time in the event's 31-year history.

The three-point margin tied the biggest lead after one day in the 17 editions of the Solheim Cup. The Americans led by three after Day 1 in both 1998 and 2017 on their way to comfortable victories. Playing in front of a pro-U.S. crowd due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Europe hardly looked intimidated by the stakes or the stage, hanging tough on a day in which seven of eight matches made it to the 18th green.

Europe's advantage could potentially have been even bigger if not for an inadvertent rules violation by Madelene Sagstrom during her and teammate Nanna Koerstz Madsen's fourball match against top-ranked Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing. The match was all square at the par-5 13th when Korda sent a 20-foot eagle putt curling right to left toward the hole. It hung on the lip as Korda dropped to her knees in exasperation. Sagstrom bent down and picked Korda's ball up too quickly. Rules officials determined Sagstrom didn't wait the required 10 seconds before lifting it, making Korda's putt good, a decision that put the Americans in front and opened the door for them to win 1 up.