Europe lead 4-2 at end of Solheim Cup first day

Europe Breaks the Deadlock in Style

FROM THE LET WEBSITE

Europe produced a birdie fest to claim a two point lead over America before bad light halted play with two games still on the course at the end of a weather-hit first day of the 14^th Solheim Cup at St Leon-Rot Golf Club, Germany.
The two sides shared the morning foursomes 2-2 but Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall and then Charley Hull and Gwladys Nocera won their four-ball matches to give their side a precious 4-2 lead at close of play.
The four-ball series will continue at 7.45 Saturday morning with the other two games tantalisingly poised. German duo Caroline Masson and Sandra Gal are favourites to extend Europe’s lead. They are one up through 15 holes against Gerina Piller and Brittany Lang while the other game halted in dramatic fashion when Carlota Ciganda holed a nine iron from 135 yards on the 17^th to ensure that she and her partner Mel Reid will go down the last tomorrow morning all square with Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson.
Even the most creative of script writers would be hard pushed to construct such an intoxicating plot.
Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel beat Nordqvist and Suzann Pettersen in the morning foursomes but it was a different story after lunch when they came up against Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall in the four-balls.
Hedwall created history two years ago when she won all five of her games in Colorado but on this occasion most of the damage was done by fellow Swede Nordqvist as the top European couple cruised to a 4 and 3 victory over their American rivals.
Nordqvist’s golf was exceptional as the Swedes registered Europe’s first point of the afternoon. She birdied the second to halve the hole with Pressel and then birdied the third, seventh, eighth, 10^th and 11^th before Hedwall carded a birdie of her own to halve the 13^th with Creamer and consolidate her side’s five-hole lead. 
The same American reduced the deficit to four with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14^th before the match finished with halves in par four on the next hole.
“I hit the ball really well today,” confirmed Nordqvist. “Our game seemed on today. I had a lot of chances and made quite a few putts. It was very exciting.”
“Anna did great,” agreed Pressel. “She was pretty much out on her own today. She was about seven or eight under for the 15 holes we played. I don’t think she missed a shot.
“We certainly didn’t them give much of a fight,” Pressel added. “In best ball you’ve got to make more birdies than we did. We didn’t play our best.”
A 65min weather delay meant that it took Nordqvist and Hedwall 5hr 35min to register Europe’s first point of the afternoon and it was aother 40min before Charley Hull and Gwladys Nocera added another with a 3 and  2 victory over Angela Stanford and rookie Alison Lee.
Hull was in sensational form as she and her French partner inflicted an eighth successive Solheim Cup defeat on Stanford. The English teenager birdied the fifth to give her side a one hole advantage and then carded seven birdies in eight holes from the eighth.
 Stanford eagled the driveable par four 13^th and also birdied the 14^th to extend the match but it came to an end when Hull secured a par five on the 16^th hole.
It felt great to win,” said Hull. “I felt I played well all day. It was a grey end to the day but I rolled a couple in so it was great. I’m just buzzing for tomorrow.”
“Charley is playing unbelievable,” said her veteran French partner. “It was up to me to play safe and try to make a few putts to help here. It was teamwork. She’s very impressive. She’s the junior and I’m the senior and it’s all right.”
 The next match to finish for the day featured German duo Caroline Mason and Sandra Gal against Christie Kerr against Gerina Piller and Brittany Lang. Not unnaturally it attracted the biggest crowd and they were treated to some more superb golf from both sides before all four players agreed it was too dark to continue with the European team holding a one hole advantage through 16 holes. At that stage the Germans were seven under par whereas the Americans moved to six under par when Piller birdied to halve the 13^th and 14^th hole.
The day had produced some scintillating golf and arguably the best was kept to last when Ciganda holed her nine iron on the 17^th to ensure she and her partner Reid would be all square when the match resumes on the 18^th hole tomorrow morning.
It would fair to say this match produced fireworks from start to finish with Thompson carding three birdies and an eagle over the first six holes and the Europeans registering four birdies over the same stretch.
The Americans had been two holes up when play was suspended but after the break the Europeans got back to all square with successive birdies on the 11^th and 12^th before the Americans regained control when they shared birdies on the 13^th and 14^th. Reid pulled one hole back with a birdie on the 16^th before Ciganda’s wonder shot brought a great day to a stunning conclusion.
“I had 135 yards to the pin and I was thinking pitching wedge because I thought I could hit it that hard,” said the Spaniard. But my caddie reminded me it was cold and that the ball wouldn’t fly.
“I hit it really well and I’m so happy to help the team. There’s still one hole to play so there is nothing yet but I hope we can add a point to the scoreboard.” 
Said European team captain Karin Koch:
It was a good day for us but there’s a long way to go. They were all so confident and comfortable on the course. I told them last night to just go out and enjoy the crowds and enjoy the fans and the stage they’re on this week. 
"And I think they all did that. It looked like they were having a lot of fun all day, really. Yeah, I couldn’t be more pleased with them.”
“That was a pretty crazy turn of events at the end,” said US captain Juli Inkster. “We got smoked in the first two matches and were looking good in the third before Melissa made a good putt on 16 and then Carlota holes out on 17.
“That’s the beauty of match play. It’s the beauty of golf. The good thing is we’ve got one more hole to play and we have three more holes with the other one. There’s still a lot to play for.”
Friday Results
Foursomes Results:
(Europe names first)
Anna Nordqvist and Suzann Pettersen lost to Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer 3 and 2
Charley Hull and Melissa Reid bt Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome 2 and 1
Karine Icher and Azahara Munoz lost to Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson 2 and 1
Sandra Gal and Catriona Matthew bt Stacy Lewis and Lizette Salas 3 and 2
Europe 2 USA 2

Fourball Results: (Europe first)
Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall bt Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer 4 and 3
Charley Hull and Gwladys Nocera bt Alison Lee and Angela Stanford 3 and 2
Melissa Reid and Carlota Ciganda v Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson (all square after 17) - to finish Saturday morning
Caroline Masson and Sandra Gal v Gerina Piller and Brittany Lang (Europe 1 up after 15) - to finish Saturday morning.
Europe 2 USA 0

Cumulative Match Results Europe 4 USA 2
Information
Four-ball play will resume at 07:45 on Saturday.
Saturday Foursomes Pairings will be submitted by 8:15.
The 3^rd session, Saturday Fours