The United States has dominated the first session of the Solheim Cup at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville. Stacy Lewis‘ girls have clearly won the foursomes (alternate shot) by 3 to 1. It was a solid, decisive victory, resolved as always in small details, but where the stars and stripes gave the impression of always taking the initiative. The best news for Suzann Pettersen’s Europe is that a year ago at Finca Cortesín the start was even worse and the trophy ended up staying at home.
Maja Stark and Emily Pedersen have marked the path of what Europe should do. Especially, the Swede. The best golfer of the blue team. She played like a clock. She hit the ball very well and putted consistently when needed. They won by 2 up on the 18th hole, but they really should never have gone that far. They quickly went 4 up and were leading in almost all the holes. The courage of Ally Ewing and some flashes of Jennifer Kupcho prevented the defeat from being consummated earlier. Pedersen closed the match with a great shot on the 18th hole.
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz have defeated Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit by 3 and 2. The match has been more balanced than it seems by the result and has been decided in the final stretch. Hull has not been good from the tee and Henseleit has faltered in the last holes, sending the ball to the water on the 14th and showing more inconsistency. Korda and Corpuz have not been outstanding, but a little better than their rivals, more solid. Note that Henseleit does not have her usual caddie, injured in the back, and is accompanied by another who is a good friend of Hull.
Rose Zhang and Lauren Coughlin have defeated Celine Boutier and Albane Valenzuela by 3 and 2. This duel has been clearly resolved on the greens. Coughlin has putted like the angels and Valenzuela, who has been very firm from the tee, has failed in the short distances. Once she has missed two or three important putts, she has also been doubtful in the rest of the areas of the game, especially in the shots to green. Like Henseleit, she went to the water on the 14th. Zhang has been the most solid player of the four, along with Boutier, who has been very good, although a little more support towards Albane was missed when the bad times came. Excessively cold.
Lilia Vu and Sarah Schmelzel have defeated Carlota Ciganda and Linn Grant by 3 and 2. The Spaniard and the Swede could not repeat the great victory they achieved in the last foursome duel they played together at Finca Cortesín. The duel has also been balanced in the first holes and has been defined in the second nine. Grant has been quite inaccurate and even conservative. She gives the impression of not being very confident right now in her game. Carlota has supported the pair, although the consistency of Vu and Schmelzel has ended up deciding the match.
The fourballs session is already underway with the following pairs:
Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire Vs. Nelly Korda and Megan Khang
Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom Vs. Alison Lee and Lexi Thompson
Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark Vs. Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel
Linn Grant and Charley Hull Vs. Rose Zhang and Alison Lee
Europe needs to win, or at least tie, this session to go to sleep with a good feeling. Pettersen surprises again with the pairs. It is striking that Carlota Ciganda does not play and that Celine Boutier, who played well in the morning, has been left on the bench. She keeps the only pair that has won, which makes sense but is a double-edged sword, and pairs the four that had not played in the morning. A priori, it seems that Maguire is more of a foursome player, but we will see how she does with Hall. It’s a tough pair, as well as the Swedes.
Both Pettersen and Lewis bet on bringing out all the players already on this first day. Nobody stays on the bench. Lewis does not repeat any pair in the fourball and has paired the two rookies.
