The European team made a spirited comeback on Friday afternoon at the Solheim Cup, edging the fourballs to trail the US 5-3 at the end of the first day’s play in Casares, Spain. The US had dominated the morning foursomes, winning all four matches to take a commanding lead, but Europe rallied in the afternoon, securing two wins and two halves in the fourballs to rekindle their hopes of securing an unprecedented third consecutive Solheim Cup victory.
One of the standout moments of the afternoon came from European star Leona Maguire, who played a pivotal role in the second match. With the match all square and American Lexi Thompson in a strong position on the 18th hole, Maguire delivered a remarkable chip-in birdie, putting immense pressure on Thompson, who ultimately struggled with her chip and could only manage a par. Maguire and her partner, Georgia Hall, secured a crucial full point for Europe.
“It was a great win,” said Maguire, who had made a memorable debut in the Solheim Cup two years prior, winning four and a half points out of five. “Georgia kept it together on the front nine, and then I made some birdies on the back nine.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who had been rested during the morning foursomes, continued Europe’s momentum in the afternoon. She partnered with rookie Linn Grant to claim a convincing 4 and 2 victory over the American pair of Ally Ewing and Angel Yin in the final foursome match.
The other afternoon matches were closely contested. In the top tie, rookie Gemma Dryburgh and Madelene Sagstrom battled to a halve against US rookie Rose Zhang and Megan Khang. A highlight of the match was Dryburgh’s chip-in for birdie at the 16th, but Zhang responded with a clutch 20-foot putt to maintain the all-square score.
The third match also ended in a well-earned halve. US Open Champion Allizen Corpuz sank a lengthy birdie putt at the 18th hole, but European rookie Maja Stark answered with a birdie of her own from a similar range. In the same match, Emily Pedersen delivered the shot of the day with a hole-in-one at the 178-yard 12th hole.
Reflecting on the day’s proceedings, European Captain Suzann Pettersen commented, “It was a tough morning, but good to fight back in the afternoon. I think my team was almost trying too hard in the morning, but I was confident they could come back.”
The morning had belonged entirely to the US team, with Thompson and Khang setting the tone by winning the opening three holes against European rookies Grant and Stark. The Americans went on to secure a 2 and 1 victory, and the following two matches also ended in dramatic fashion on the final green.
In the final match of the morning session, Ewing and rookie Cheyenne Knight delivered a resounding 5 and 4 victory over Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen, who had struggled with neck and upper back pain during the match.
Despite her physical discomfort, Hull was seen spectating in the afternoon and expects to be fit for the remaining two days of competition.
As the Solheim Cup heads into its second day, the European team has rekindled their hopes of securing another victory in this prestigious event. With the momentum of the afternoon’s performance behind them, they will look to continue their fight against a formidable US team, setting the stage for an exciting weekend of golf in Spain.