Solheim Cup 2023: Europe v USA, day two – live

Cheyenne Knight goes first in the second US pairing, landing it way right. Angel Yin takes iron, rather than wood, and lays up securely. Europe’s Swedish pair are next off the tee, with Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall – her first appearance this week – both playing safe, too.

Birdie for Maguire! A fist pump, too. So with Ewing doing the same, they go to the second all square.

Hull/Maguire A/S Korda/Ewing (1)

Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall take on Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin in the second fourballs match, teeing off shortly. Ally Ewing sends a sensational chip close to the flag from the sand. That’s a nailed-on birdie.

They’re singing Sweet Caroline down by the first tee. It’s bordering on bedlam down there. Maybe the midday Marbella heat is finally getting to everyone?

Meanwhile, Leona Maguire goes close with a good chip – she’ll have a chance of birdie. Charley Hull has a tricky one from the lip of the bunker but sends it beyond the back of the green. Nelly Korda can’t get close with her third and will struggle to make par after a poor second.

No player actually found the green on the short par 4 first, which measures 275 yards. The two Europeans are saddled up on the right in good chipping range; birdies are more than possible on this opener at Finca Cortesin.

Leona Maguire has played the maximum 54 holes in this tournament so far; she’ll be the only player on either side to go the full distance when these fourballs are done. World No 3 Nelly Korda sends her tee shot towards the green, paired this afternoon with veritable veteran Ewing, who does the same. We’re off.

Ok, less than 10 minutes until the first fourballs get under way. Strap yourselves in. Charley Hull and Leona Maguire will tee off with Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing very soon.

The interview Maja Stark and Linn Grant gave to Sky at the end of their match was a delight.

“Such a high right now, feels great,” roared a joyous Grant after sinking that putt. Both her and Stark wore beaming smiles under the Marbella sun. You can the two rookie Swedes are loving this experience.

Stark added: “It’s so much fun, getting thhat confidence from Suzanne putting us together. It’s amazing to play with (Linn) again, I knew we could do it. It’s just about letting loose.”

“It was ebbing and flowing in different directions … this is very achievable,” said Paul McGinley on commentary, referring to Europe’s chances.

“It’s a 2-2 session but Europe feel giddy, but it’s important they don’t fall further behind going into the 12 singles.”

Another 2-2 is the absolute minimum, for sure, for Suzann Pettersen’s team this afternoon. 3-1 would set up a Sunday for the ages.

Thanks Scott. My word that was enjoyable, wasn’t it? A 2-2 session keeps Europe in the fight, but the afternoon fourballs will be so key. Clutch from Grant and Stark at the end.

That’s my cue to chip off for a bit. See you in a while. In the meantime, Dominic Booth will look after you.

Here’s the line-up for the afternoon fourballs (Europe first, all times BST). The out-of-sorts Georgia Hall has been rested, while we’ll see Caroline Hedwall for the first time this week, and Charley Hull is fit to play. No Lexi Thompson or Allisen Corpuz for the USA, but Rose Zhang is back. Oh, and no Maja Stark, sadly. (downbeat) doo doo doo doo doo doooo (/downbeat) But she’s earned her rest. Enough heroics for one day!

12.40pm: Charley Hull / Leona Maguire v Nelly Korda / Ally Ewing
12.55pm: Anna Nordqvist / Caroline Hedwall v Cheyenne Knight / Angel Yin
1.10pm: Madelene Sagstrom / Emily Pedersen v Rose Zhang / Andrea Lee
1.25pm: Carlota Ciganda / Linn Grant v Danielle Kang / Lilia Vu

2&1 Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 5&3
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee
Europe 5-7 USA

… in it goes! Anything Maja Stark can do, Linn Grant can match! What a huge putt under serious pressure! The win ensures Europe haven’t lost any ground this morning, the baseline requirement. And such a dramatic way to secure it! That’ll give Team Europe a huge boost going into this afternoon’s fourballs. They’re hanging on in there. They’re not out of this yet! Stark/Grant beat Kang/Lee 1UP

Andrea Lee piles on the pressure. A gorgeous wedge straight at the flag. She sets up a five-footer for birdie. Over to Maja Stark, who splashes out … 12 feet past the flag. It was a tricky downhill chip, that’s not bad at all. But it’s left Linn Grant some work to do. She’ll most likely need to make this birdie putt to win the match. The tension is palpable. She prowls around the putt, sizing it up. She steps up, and …

Maja Stark started yesterday morning’s match so nervously. But it didn’t take the 23-year-old Swedish debutant long to find her feet. About an hour, in fact. She ended up playing extremely well yesterday, and has delivered again today in some style. That putt was a proper Solheim Cup moment, and it’s secured at least half a point for Europe. Can Stark and Linn Grant complete the job for the win? Stark is in the greenside bunker at 18 after two big blows, while Andrea Lee will be chipping up from the swale front right. Big wedge contest coming up!

♫ Maja Stark, doo doo doo doo doo doooo, doo doo doo doo doo doooo, doo doo doo doo doo doooo, MA-JA STARK! ♪♫ She sends a 35-foot tramliner into the cup on 17 for a precious birdie! The ball hits the centre of the cup, takes a little joyous leap, then slams down out of sight! That is quite outrageous. The gallery erupts, Stark wanders around with one fist in the air for a while. A series of high fives, hugs and kisses. What a putt! That registered a full 11 on the Hinako-Shibuno-winning-the-2019-British-Open-ometer! Nobody at the risk of dying wondering there. Doo doo doo doo doo dooooooooo indeed. Yes she does.

1 UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (17)
Europe 4-7 USA

Oh dear. Nordqvist gets it all wrong, pulling and overhitting, the outcome obvious from the nanosecond the ball left the face of the putter. Her big mistake, though, was taking too much club on the 17th tee. The small margins, huh. Thompson/Khang beat Nordqvist/Maguire 1UP

Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (F)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (16)
Europe 4-7 USA

Lexi Thompson leaves her birdie putt a couple of feet short. A little bit left in that, so it won’t be conceded, not in these desperate circumstances for Europe. But it’s over to Anna Nordqvist. Can she guide in this 20-footer to snatch half a point?

Leona Maguire wedges Europe’s third on 18 to 20 feet. Megan Khang’s long bunker shot ends up just slightly further away. Huge putting competition coming up. Meanwhile some of the European fans break out into the chant of the week so far. It’s about Maja Stark. You can probably work out the lyrics for yourself. Doo doo doo doo doo dooooo.

Anna Nordqvist lays up at 18. Lexi Thompson takes a shy at reaching the green in two, only to dump her second into a bunker guarding its front. Meanwhile back on 16, Andrea Lee drains one from 30 feet and the final match is tied up yet again. Whatever happens, it’ll be going down the last.

Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (17)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (16)
Europe 4-6 USA

Leona Maguire splashes out reasonably well from the sand at the back of 17. But she’s chipping downhill and can only stop the ball 15 feet past the hole. Megan Khang lags up, the putt’s conceded, and Anna Nordqvist can’t make the putt this time. On Sky, Paul McGinley is of the opinion that the Swede took the wrong club, her hybrid too much for the short hole. It’s a big blow to Europe, but it’s time to move on. Khang and Maguire send their drives down 18.

Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (17)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (15)
Europe 4-6 USA

Andrea Lee can’t make the par putt to tie 15. It’s always missing on the high side, a bit of a misread. Europe go ahead again in this yo-yo match! Meanwhile up on 17, it’s advantage USA as Anna Nordqvist sends her hybrid into the bunker beyond the green, while Lexi Thompson clacks her iron pin high.

Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (16)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (15)
Europe 4-6 USA

Anna Nordqvist makes no mistake whatsoever. What nerve! What a sensational pair of putts from Nordqvist and Lexi Thompson. Everyone moves on to the par-three 17th with the match still tied. Meanwhile back on 15, Danielle Lee finds herself up on a bank to the right of the green. She utilises the camber of the hill to bounce her ball down and around a pair of bunkers, wall of death style, to 15 feet. From where she was, that is preposterously good. But Linn Grant lags her putt from the back of the green to kick-in distance, and this will be a must-make for Andrea Lee.

Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (16)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (14)
Europe 4-6 USA

Leona Maguire and Megan Khang take turns to chip up from the side of 16. Maguire bundles her ball up to eight feet. Khang, from half the distance, gets a horrible hot bounce and ends up ten feet away, maybe 12. On the flip side for the USA, they’ll be putting first, matchplay conditions and all that. Lexi Thompson walks hers in, which puts huge pressure on Anna Nordqvist. With just two more holes left, and given the context of the overall match, this putt is huge.

Nelly Korda drains a 25-foot birdie putt on 15 to secure the point for America in style! Korda and Allisen Corpuz were four under for their round; that’s hard to counter, even if Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier were without their best stuff. Korda/Corpuz beat Hall/Boutier 5&3

Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (15)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 5&3 (F)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (14)
Europe 4-6 USA

So much depends on the next hour, with two matches now in the balance. Maja Stark can’t secure a tie on 14 from six feet, and the final foursomes match goes back to all square. With the USA almost certain of a point in match three, Europe can’t afford to concede any more ground in the other two; if they do, they’ll be in serious bother. On the other hand, sneak a win in both, and the teams will be tied going into the afternoon fourballs. No pressure, then, folks! Be about your business!

Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (15)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (14)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (14)
Europe 4-5 USA

Carlota Ciganda hasn’t putted well today. But she’s kept on battling, and now she delivers when it really matters. A tickly downhill four-footer for par on 17, the sort to get the knees knocking. In it drops, and Europe put today’s first point on the board! Pedersen/Ciganda beat Vu/Kupcho 2&1

2&1 Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (F)
Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (15)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (14)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (13)
Europe 4-5 USA

Leona Maguire sends Europe’s second into 15 to five feet. Anna Nordqvist makes no mistake with the putt and the second match is all square. A punch of the air by the three-time major winner.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (16)
Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (15)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (14)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (13)
Europe 3-5 USA

Allisen Corpuz with a 25-foot birdie putt on 14 to win the match. She races it five feet past. Georgia Hall, in New-York-or-bust mode, suddenly relocates her mojo and sends a right-to-left slider into the cup from similar distance! Birdie, and the match is still alive. Just. Realistically, this is just prolonging the pain, but perhaps that’ll restore a little confidence, and if nothing else will remind the US team that nothing will be offered up on a plate.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (16)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (14)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (14)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (13)
Europe 3-5 USA

With the USA out of position on 16, the European pair of Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda play it sensibly and conservatively. Par is good enough, and they’re dormie two.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (16)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (14)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 5UP (13)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (13)
Europe 3-5 USA

Maja Stark aims a dart at the flag on 13, setting up a three-foot birdie chance. Danielle Kang nearly poops the European party by steering in another long putt, this time a right-to-left swinger from the fringe, but it stops one turn short and there’s no escape for the USA. Europe regain the lead in this to-and-fro match.

Leona Maguire and Megan Khang trade not-particularly-close birdie efforts at 14 and the hole is tied. Meanwhile up on 16, Lilia Vu sends her drive into a fairway bunker and the US are up against it from the get-go.

Par for Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz on 13. It’s enough to win the hole, Georgia Hall’s five-foot effort miserably lipping out. The USA are dormie five.

1UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (15)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (13)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 5UP (13)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (12)
Europe 3-5 USA

Andrea Lee missed a short par putt to lose 11. Her partner Danielle Kang responds by sending a 40-foot tramliner into the cup at 12 for bounceback birdie and the win! Meanwhile Carlota Ciganda can’t hole out from the bunker at 15, and with the exception of match three, everything is teetering on the knife-edge here.

1UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (15)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (13)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (12)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (12)
Europe 3-5 USA

Lilia Vu plays perhaps the shot of the week so far at the long par-four 15th. She creams a long iron into the heart of the green, a gentle draw that rolls to kick-in distance. That’s a gimme birdie, and Emily Pedersen needs to reply with something equally sensational now if Europe aren’t to lose this hole. She can only find a bunker back-right of the green, and unless Carlota Ciganda channels her inner Seve, the US will be just one down with three holes to play.

Lexi Thompson whistles a putt from the fringe at 13 ten feet past. Anna Nordqvist has a long uphill putt for birdie and the win, lagging it a couple of feet short. Megan Khang almost certainly has to make the par putt that remains … and she steers the right-to-left swinger into the cup! A punch of the air, Europe’s putt is conceded, and the hole is halved. That’s one hell of a putt by Khang, who has holed a few this week. “It’ll be interesting to see if Georgia Hall will accompany Leona Maguire this afternoon again in the fourballs,” writes Paul Maguire. “Her form has been brutal since the start of play yesterday. Decision time for Pedersen perhaps?” Yes you’d expect her to be stood down this afternoon, it’s just not been happening for her, and she plainly knows and feels it. Her head is dropping a little. Funny game, golf; even Open champions doubt themselves sometimes.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (14)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (13)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (12)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (11)
Europe 3-5 USA

Lilia Vu walks in a 25-footer on 14 for a birdie that asks a big question of Emily Pedersen from ten feet. Pedersen gently prods a delicate left-to-right curler through her own shadow and into the centre of the cup. Dead weight. What a pair of putts! The hole is tied. Meanwhile Andrea Lee shoves a short par putt right of the hole at 11, handing the lead back to Europe in the final foursomes match.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (14)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (12)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (12)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (11)
Europe 3-5 USA

Georgia Hall misses a five-foot par putt on 11 with the US team still to putt for birdie. The hole’s conceded, and this third match pretty much looks done and dusted. Meanwhile on 12, Leona Maguire tickles in a very missable downhill four-footer for par; just a half, but it stems the bleeding in match two.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (13)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (12)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 4UP (11)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (10)
Europe 3-5 USA

Linn Grant carelessly races a 20-foot birdie putt on 10 four feet past. She went for the win there all right. Maja Stark rattles in the return with confidence to tie the hole, and punches the air. There’s some minor celebration on 13 as well, where Carlota Ciganda splashes delicately, and brilliantly, from a greenside bunker to salvage par. That turns up the heat on Jennifer Kupcho, whose flat stick has been misbehaving all day. Kupcho sends her birdie putt four feet past, and for once Lilia Vu isn’t up to the salvage job. A hole that looked lost to Europe is won. Ah the joy of matchplay golf.

2UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (13)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (11)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 3UP (10)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (10)
Europe 3-5 USA

Europe have seriously lost momentum in the second match. Leona Maguire pushes her approach at 11 into greenside sand, then Anna Nordqvist catches her sand shot a bit thin. Maguire does well to send the long par putt that remains to tap-in distance, but that’s bogey and two up to one down in three holes.

1UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (12)
Nordqvist/Maguire v Thompson/Khang 1UP (11)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 3UP (9)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (9)
Europe 3-5 USA

Emily Pedersen aced 12 yesterday. Lightning refuses to strike twice, and her ball disappears down the bank to the right of the green. Carlota Ciganda chips up to four feet, and Pedersen secures the par that maintains Europe’s only lead … because back on 9, Danielle Kang walks in a 20-foot birdie putt, punches the air, and ties the final match.

1UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (11)
Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (10)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 3UP (9)
Stark/Grant A/S Kang/Lee (9)
Europe 3-5 USA

On Sky, an audibly exasperated Iona Stephen reports that Jennifer Kupcho has taken “a very long time” with a birdie putt on 11. “Let’s hope it’s worth the wait,” she sighs. It’s not. While Stephen calls the left-to-right line correctly, Kupcho doesn’t … and leaves her partner a tricky four footer coming back to boot. The super-quick, super-sharp-shooting Lilia Vu steps up, bang, and makes it. A lesson there, kids. The spoils are shared. Meanwhile on 10, Leona Maguire misses the green, Anna Nordqvist chips weakly, and it’s all square again in the second match.

1UP Pedersen/Ciganda v Vu/Kupcho (11)
Nordqvist/Maguire A/S Thompson/Khang (10)
Hall/Boutier v Korda/Corpuz 3UP (9)
1UP Stark/Grant v Kang/Lee (8)
Europe 3-5 USA