It took 12 hours of this Solheim Cup for the European team to find a pulse. Only time will tell whether the indignity they suffered on a sweltering morning in Andalusia will fatally undermine their hopes of winning the trophy for a third time in a row.
The United States defeated their hosts 4-0 in the foursome. The half point that Gemma Dryburgh and Madelene Sagström achieved against Rose Zhang and Megan Khang in the four balls was placed blue on the board for the first time. Yet Suzann Pettersen and her European team needed more. Much more. They gasped desperately for air.
Leona Maguire enters. Who else? The star of Europe’s 2021 victory over the US appeared to be in slight trouble when she saw her third shot to the par-five 18th pitch off the green. The American duo Lexi Thompson and Lilia Vu felt an important victory. Maguire had other ideas. During a few extraordinary moments in fading light, the Irish woman scored a four. Thompson, prone to wobbling under pressure, roughly shook her shot from the green. Europe not only had a full point, but also an element of momentum, which increased when Carlota Ciganda and Linn Grant comfortably defeated Angel Yin and Ally Ewing.
Jennifer Kupcho and Allisen Corpuz reached the 18th green all square with Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark. Pedersen’s hole-in-one at the 12th was only the second in Solheim Cup history. Corpuz eventually calmly switched from 15 feet to a four. Stark followed the American. The European battle meant they won the afternoon 3-1. The US leads 5-3 heading into day two. Fortunately, a procession has grown into a real competition.
“It was a difficult start,” said Pettersen. “I am extremely proud of the way the entire team fought back in the afternoon. It’s not easy knowing you’re four behind. Hats off to all my players, they showed their character. You get knocked down, you get up and you try again. That’s what I said to the girls. We’re not even halfway through and we’re right about that.”
Pettersen and her players lay battered and bruised after the foursome. José María Olazábal had addressed the European team on Thursday evening. This felt appropriate; something akin to the Miracle of Medinah, overseen by Olazábal in the 2012 Ryder Cup, would have been necessary without an afternoon response. Charley Hull and Pedersen fell to a 5&4 loss to Ewing and Cheyenne Knight. There could be broader implications there; Hull had talked about a neck injury in the build-up to the tournament and did not play in the fourballs. “Charley is doing well,” Pettersen insisted. “She loved sitting (outside) this afternoon.”
The other matches were exciting. Thompson and Danielle Kang won the opening match, 2&1, against Stark and Grant. Kang and Andrea Lee came together as one against Georgia Hall and Céline Boutier. Maguire and Anna Nordqvist led after two holes in their joust with Corpuz and Nelly Korda, but the Americans later pulled off a one-hole victory.
“I don’t think we did much wrong this morning,” Maguire said. “We just had to fight in the afternoon and show what we are capable of. I’m really proud of the whole team that they put up a fight.” American captain Stacy Lewis called the foursome’s whitewash “unexpected.”
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Elements of Pettersen’s captaincy are already under discussion. Hull had disclosed on Wednesday that she was dealing with a neck problem and estimated at the time that her swing was only at 80% strength. With this in mind, it’s curious that Pettersen informed the team of her opening clutch decisions on Monday night. Postponing plans due to doubts about injuries would have been wiser. Pettersen’s ‘beautiful’ claim was intriguing given Hull’s earlier sentiment.
It was strange to leave Ciganda, a home favorite, out of the foursome. “I’m just trying to keep her grounded,” Pettersen said. This also applied to the deployment of a newcomer duo – Grant and Stark – at the helm of the proceedings. Pettersen picked Caroline Hedwall for this Solheim Cup, a bold decision in itself, but then opted not to pick her at all on day one. Hedwall was in fact the only player of the 24 who did not play. Boutier was arguably Europe’s best performer during the foursome’s disgrace, but found herself sitting on the sidelines for the fourballs.
These matters will prove irrelevant if the Europeans continue what turned out to be an exciting comeback. Lewis, by watching Easy Street, has reason to look in her rearview mirror.