Solheim Cup format switch will put

four-balls ahead of foursomes

Solheim Cup captains Beth Daniel of the United States and Alison Nicholas of Europe have agreed to switch the playing format for the first two days of this year's match at Sugar Grove, Illinois.
The opening session on both days will now feature four-balls, where each team member plays her own ball, followed by alternate-shot foursomes in the afternoon, the LPGA said Tuesday.
"I always felt as a player that we would see better golf if you played your own ball in the morning and then played alternate shot in the afternoon," Daniel said in a statement. "As a captain, you see more golf out of your players in the morning to help you make your picks in the afternoon. Another positive is that fans on the first tee in the morning see four players tee off in a group instead of just two."
"The host captain has the choice of whether to play the foursomes or four-ball first but in fact, switching the order has been considered by the European side before," Nicholas said. "We are all happy with the decision that has been made."
The 11th Solheim Cup will be played at Rich Harvest Farms from August 21-23 when Europe, beaten 16-12 in Sweden in 2007, will be looking for its first win on American soil in the biennial competition.
The Americans lead 7-3 in the series, which is the women's equivalent of the men's Ryder Cup.