Golf-Europe lead U.S. 5-3 after day one at Solheim

 

August 16, 2013

* Inspirational Pettersen shines in her seventh Solheim Cup

 * Europe set tone for day by winning foursomes 3-1 (Updates at end of first day)

 Aug 16 (Reuters) - Inspired by Norway's world number three Suzann Pettersen who won her first two matches, holders Europe seized control of the 13th Solheim Cup to lead the United States 5-3 after the opening day in Parker, Colorado.

 Pettersen putted superbly in the morning's foursomes atColorado Golf Club as Europe opened up a surprise 3-1 advantage, then virtually single-handedly paved the way to a second victory in the afternoon fourballs, which were split 2-2 overall.

 In tandem with Cup rookie Beatriz Recari of Spain, Pettersen won a tight foursomes match 2&1 against Americans Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford before linking up with another Spaniard, Carlota Ciganda, to beat Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson one up.

"This competition never gets old," smiled the 32-year-old Pettersen, who is competing in her seventh Solheim Cup along with six rookies on the European team. "It just brings out the best of you.

"I am really enjoying playing with these youngsters. I am so proud of them. And Carlota, she was a super star. She hung in there tough. This was a fantastic point."

 Pettersen and Ciganda earned Europe's fifth and final point of the day as they recovered from two down at the turn to beat Women's British Open champion Lewis and Thompson in the first fourball match out.

 The Americans had claimed the first point of the afternoon when Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Lang came back from one down after five holes to beat Anna Nordqvist and Giulia Sergas 4&3.

"We always play well together," said Lang, who sank a four-foot putt at the par-five 15th to seal victory. "We have similar personalities, we have fun out there and we feed off each other.

"We did a really good job today when one person wasn't doing too well to pick up the slack. That's clutch."

CLOSE CONTEST

 Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson never trailed before winning a close contest against AmericansAngela Stanford and Gerina Piller 2&1 and the U.S. levelled the fourballs when Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie beat Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull 2&1.

"I played really, really well and made a lot of putts," said Kerr. "I just tried to keep us in there, make a big putt when I needed to and I did that a few times."

 However, the tone for the day was set in the first match out when Swedes Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall earned Europe's first point with a 4&2 win over Lewis and Lizette Salas.

"We have been playing pretty solid the last couple of weeks and I think we were both very excited," said the statuesque Nordqvist, 26. "It feels like both our forms are really good. It was just so much fun out there today."

 Pettersen and Recari followed suit with their victory over Lang and Stanford before Morgan Pressel and Jessica Korda put the first red number on the board for the U.S., beating Matthew and Jodi Ewart-Shadoff 3&2.

 Europe, who are bidding to win the trophy on American soil for the first time, ended a memorable morning when Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher upset the heavyweight U.S. duo of Kerr and Paula Creamer 2&1.

Former major winners Kerr and Creamer, playing in the anchor match, had not previously lost in three encounters together but were undone as their opponents took control with three successive birdies from the eighth.

 "We just didn't seem to get any momentum right off the bat," said Kerr, who is also playing in her seventhSolheim Cup.

"We missed a couple of greens and they threw some long bombs at us on eight, nine and 10. We really didn't get the momentum until the last few holes and then it's too late," she said greenside. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Tony Jimenez/Ian Ransom)

Europe lead U.S. 5-3 after day one at Solheim

 

August 16, 2013

.

View gallery

Suzann Pettersen of Team Europe (L) celebrates sinking a long birdie putt to win the sixth hole with …

(Reuters) - Inspired by Norway's world number threeSuzann Pettersen who won her first two matches, holdersEurope seized control of the 13th Solheim Cup to lead the United States 5-3 after the opening day in Parker, Colorado.

 Pettersen putted superbly in the morning's foursomes atColorado Golf Club as Europe opened up a surprise 3-1 advantage, then virtually single-handedly paved the way to a second victory in the afternoon fourballs, which were split 2-2 overall.

 In tandem with Cup rookie Beatriz Recari of Spain,Pettersen won a tight foursomes match 2&1 against Americans Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford before linking up with another Spaniard, Carlota Ciganda, to beat Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson one up.

"This competition never gets old," smiled the 32-year-old Pettersen, who is competing in her seventh Solheim Cup along with six rookies on the European team. "It just brings out the best of you.

"I am really enjoying playing with these youngsters. I am so proud of them. And Carlota, she was a super star. She hung in there tough. This was a fantastic point."

 Pettersen and Ciganda earned Europe's fifth and final point of the day as they recovered from two down at the turn to beat Women's British Open champion Lewis and Thompson in the first fourball match out.

 The Americans had claimed the first point of the afternoon when Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Lang came back from one down after five holes to beat Anna Nordqvist and Giulia Sergas 4&3.

"We always play well together," said Lang, who sank a four-foot putt at the par-five 15th to seal victory. "We have similar personalities, we have fun out there and we feed off each other.

"We did a really good job today when one person wasn't doing too well to pick up the slack. That's clutch."

CLOSE CONTEST

 Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson never trailed before winning a close contest against AmericansAngela Stanford and Gerina Piller 2&1 and the U.S. levelled the fourballs when Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wiebeat Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull 2&1.

"I played really, really well and made a lot of putts," said Kerr. "I just tried to keep us in there, make a big putt when I needed to and I did that a few times."

 However, the tone for the day was set in the first match out when Swedes Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall earned Europe's first point with a 4&2 win over Lewis and Lizette Salas.

"We have been playing pretty solid the last couple of weeks and I think we were both very excited," said the statuesque Nordqvist, 26. "It feels like both our forms are really good. It was just so much fun out there today."

 Pettersen and Recari followed suit with their victory over Lang and Stanford before Morgan Pressel and Jessica Korda put the first red number on the board for the U.S., beating Matthew and Jodi Ewart-Shadoff 3&2.

 Europe, who are bidding to win the trophy on American soil for the first time, ended a memorable morning when Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher upset the heavyweight U.S. duo of Kerr and Paula Creamer 2&1.

Former major winners Kerr and Creamer, playing in the anchor match, had not previously lost in three encounters together but were undone as their opponents took control with three successive birdies from the eighth.

 "We just didn't seem to get any momentum right off the bat," said Kerr, who is also playing in her seventhSolheim Cup.

"We missed a couple of greens and they threw some long bombs at us on eight, nine and 10. We really didn't get the momentum until the last few holes and then it's too late," she said greenside.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Tony Jimenez/Ian Ransom)

Europe takes 5-3 lead in Solheim Cup

Dennis Georgatos, The Sports Xchange August 16, 2013The SportsXchange

PARKER, Colo. -- Carlota Ciganda regrouped after a wayward shot to help the European women take a 5-3 lead over the Americans on Friday in the first of three days of match-play competition in the Solheim Cup at the Colorado Golf Club. 

The Americans, meanwhile, were trying to understand the officials' reasoning in awarding Ciganda a favorable drop.

Team captains from both squads were meeting with rules officials to try gain clarity on the ruling following the afternoon's four "Four Ball" matches, which were split by the teams after the Americans dropped three of four in the morning matches.

 Europe's Suzann Pettersen and Ciganda were 1-up winners over Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson but not without controversy over the drop on the par-5 15th hole. 

Ciganda, who had struggled all day in her long and short game, put her second shot into a rolling stand of trees and scrub brush. In a confusing sequence, course officials took some 20 minutes to sort out the appropriate spot for her drop.

Eventually, she was allowed to take a drop on the fairway and got her fourth shot within 12 feet of the hole. She ended up saving par, keeping the match all squared after Lewis missed a birdie putt.

One hole later, on the 16th, Pettersen made a birdie to give the Europeans a one-stroke advantage, which they hung on to the rest of the way to win the match.

"Carlota, she was a superstar," Pettersen said. "She hung in there tough. I'm proud of her."

Ciganda conceded she didn't play her best golf.

"It was very stressful at the time," she said, adding, "It was a great match and we won. And that's the most important."

 Americans Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie beat Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull, at 17 the youngest to play in the Solheim Cup, 2 and 1. Brittany Lang and Brittany Lincicome also earned a point for the Americans, beating Anna Nordqvist and Giulia Sergas 4 and 3 after Lang buried a short birdie putt on the par-5 15th. 

Lang produced a big shot to put the match firmly in their control on the 14th when she holed a shot from a bunker on the fringe of the green.

The "drop" controversy overshadowed some exceptional golf, particularly by Wie, who helped silence any lingering criticism over her selection to the team by U.S. captain Meg Mallon.

Wie stoked momentum for her team when she chipped in a long-distance birdie putt on the par-4 13th hole from beyond the edge of the green. Wie pumped her fist and shared a celebratory hand slap and hug with Kerr after the ball dropped in the hole.

"When it went in, we just went crazy," Wie said. "I think we really needed that and it felt awesome."

 Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson took another afternoon match for Europe with a 2-and-1 victory overAngela Stanford and Gerina Piller. 

Europe won the last Solheim Cup in Ireland two years ago, but the Americans are 6-0 in Solheim Cup play in the United States.

The European squad got off to a strong start by taking three of the four morning matches in "Foursome" play.

 Jessica Korda and Morgan Pressel accounted for the lone U.S. point from the morning session when they beat Matthew and Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3 and 2. 

"I think we both played well out there today," said Pressel, who teamed up with Korda for birdie putts on the 11th and 13th holes to pull away. "We were a little shaky early, a little bit nervous. But we didn't make many mistakes, and we were able to make some really good par-saving putts."

Swedish golfers Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall put the first point on the board for Europe when they defeated Lewis and Lizette Salas 4 and 2 in the opening match.

 Norway's Pettersen and Spain's Beatriz Recari gave Europe its second point when they beat Texans Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford 2 and 1. 

 A 2-and-1 victory by Azahara Munoz of Spain and Karine Icher of France against Kerr and Paula Creamerrounded out the morning session. Munoz and Icher strung together consecutive birdies on Nos. 8, 9 and 10 to seize the momentum in the match. 

"We played well from the beginning and we had an amazing stretch on 8, 9 and 10 making bombs. That was huge for us," Munoz said.

Creamer said problems in their short game cost them.

"We just didn't make a putt," Creamer said. "We had so many lip-outs and it's just that's the way it was."