What a way to start the action! Nelly Korda v Charley Hull. A tremendous prospect. Be sure to join Scott tomorrow lunchtime.
1.50pm BST Charley Hull v Nelly Korda
2.00pm BST Emily Pedersen v Meghan Khang
2.10pm BST Georgia Hall v Alison Lee
2.20pm BST Anna Nordqvist v Allisen Corpuz
2.30pm BST Carlota Ciganda v Rose Zhang
2.40pm BST Esther Henseleit v Andrea Lee
2.50pm BST Celine Boutier v Lexi Thompson
3.00pm BST Maja Stark v Lauren Coughlin
3.10pm BST Albane Valenzuela v Lilia Vu
3.20pm BST Madelene Sagstrom v Sarah Schmelzel
3.30pm BST Leona Maguire v Ally Ewing
3.40pm BST Linn Grant v Jennifer Kupcho
Ewan Murray on an exciting second day and the prospects for the singles.
The two captains, their vice captains and also possibly some players will be currently determining the singles roster for tomorrow. They are expected to be revealed within the hour. I’ll be back to post them when available. But, in the meantime, thanks for reading today. Scott will be back tomorrow lunchtimefor the singles. Let’s hope for high excitement!
A reminder of the two 10-6 turnarounds that keep being referenced. In the 2012 Ryder Cup Europe trailed 10-6 ahead of the singles and won what became known as The Miracle of Medinah. And three years later Europe led 10-6 but lost the Solheim Cup. I mentioned earlier that Suzann Pettersen actually motivated that win and she did, albeit in a cack-handed way. She insisted on claiming a hole when rookie Alison Lee assumed a gimme (something she had done earlier in the week to the irritation of the European team). Pettersen was well within her rights but she was winning the battle and forgetting the war. A bedraggled US team were suddenly energised and determined to avenge what they felt was a shaming of their young team mate. Pettersen’s fury backfired. Can she fuel a four point comeback tomorrow in the right way? We’ll see.
Stacy Lewis on the pre-singles position: “This was a great day for us. It was like when you shoot 62 and how you come back. The Europeans played better today and it showed.” On memories of 2015, when she was on a team that won from 10-6 down: “We will win points early and go get this done.”
Suzann Pettersen on the state of play: “There’s hope. Absolutely. We have a chance. I’m so immensely proud. 10-6 is do-able. We need to digest today, refresh, recharge. Charley and Georgia … Charley is such a rock star.”
Mel Reid, European team vice captain: “Those last two matches were pivotal. We’ve had no momentum. USA have outplayed us and we needed those points. But it (from this position) happened in Germany for the Americans and it happened at Medinah. Suzann will do an emotional speech but we also have momentum now. Records are there to be broken.” On the singles order? She laughs and says: “Laura Davies out first. Catriona Matthew second.”
4&3 Lee (Al)/Khang v Nordqvist/Sagstrom
6&4 Lee (An)/Zhang v Grant/Boutier
Ewing/Thompson v Ciganda/Pedersen 2&1
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 2UP
The fourballs are complete. Well played Charley Hull and Georgia Hall.
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 2UP
Can the Americans make a birdie? Lilia Vu’s bunker shot is not the worst but it was a big ask and she can’t answer. Now Allisen Corpuz looks at her long, long putt. It needs to go in and then both Europeans miss. So it’s a high tariff ask. A great try but it misses and it’s all over!
The final group hit into the 18th green. Allisen Corpuz has been stuck high up a slope with her line impeded by the hospitality units. She plays a great shot but had no chance keeping it close to the hole. It runs to the back of the green. Lilia Vu dumps her second shot into the front bunker. Now Georgia Hall. From the middle of the fairway, with wedge in hand, she pops her ball to about 15 feet. Very solid. Finally, Charley Hull with comfortably the shortest shot, although right into a low sun. She peers after it. Nicely done. It finishes about 10 feet from the hole.
Charley Hull on the 18th tee: it’s full on whiplash recoil and it’s massive. A big hit and a tight line. It betters the two US efforts. Now, the more calm Georgia Hall finds the fairway. Advantage Europe.
Let’s review the situation. Charley Hull and Georgia Hall lead by one going up 18. If they win the match the score is 10-6 heading into the singles. A halved match would mean 10.5-5.5. It’s four points in arrears or five.
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 1UP (17)
Charley Hull cannot add her own birdie so the match extends to the 18th. Hull gave a thumbs up to Allisen Corpuz when her putt dropped. She’s quite the character, quite the competitor.
Wow! Lilia Vu nearly chips in for birdie at 17. Georgia Hall up next and her putt is very good but it’s only a par. Allisen Corpuz HAS to hole out to keep the match alive. Her putt is about 18 feet. and she is taking a lot of care over it. Every golfer, every vice captain, both captains, are watching and it drops!
The last match out is hitting into 17. Georgia Hall finds the back of the green in two-putt territory. And then I think there was a coin toss for who went next. I’m not sure if I heard that correctly! Anyway, Lilia Vu was in the rough and has come up short of the green. Allisen Corpuz finds the green but has about 25 feet for birdie. Now Charley Hull who is two up, remember. “Bunker,” she sighs and then it misses the bunker and hops to about 10 feet!
Emily Pedersen on her match: “We played some good golf. If we kept plugging away we thought we could win and we did.” Carlota Ciganda: “It is so tough to beat the Americans. They have played so well. They are quality but we have to believe. We need to do this for Suzann, for the team, for Europe. Medinah. The Miracle of Medinah. It’s coming.” Maybe Carlota has been reading the blog?!
Emily Pedersen’s short putt at 17 has already been conceded so Team USA needs to hole one of their putts for a half and to keep the match alive. Ally Ewing will go first from at least 30 feet and it sneaks past the hole. Next up Lexi Thompson … and hers slips past as well. Victory for Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen.
Ewing/Thompson v Ciganda/Pedersen 2&1 (F)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 2UP (16)
Back at 16 only Allisen Corpuz can now make birdie. The other three players have nasty par putts to come. Corpuz has a hard read from 12 feet and it catches the edge but doesn’t drop. Europe has to hole one of two knee knockers to go two up with two to play. Charley Hull does it. No bother. No noise either.
Brilliant from Emily Pedersen on 17! Her approach is so close it might be conceded. Lexi Thompson’s ball is at the back of the green. Ally Ewing is with Thompson. It could be match over shortly.
At 16 it is advantage USA. Both Allisen Corpuz and Lilia Vi have good looks at making birdie, Charley Hull and Georgia Hall need something special to break par.
Ewing/Thompson v Ciganda/Pedersen 1UP (16)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 2UP (15)
Tim Doyle emails: “Just building on Simon’s earlier very valid message, we (Europe) didn’t just come from 10-6 down at Medinah, we were actually 10-4 down before sneaking the last two fourballs on the final green. So plenty for Suzann to build on tonight, when it comes to motivating the troops, if we can do the same today – which, touch wood, seems likely.” Tim is spot on with his history. The USA also came from 10-6 down in the 2015 Solheim Cup and were motivated by … Suzann Pettersen. Long story. I’ll return to it once the action is over.
Up to the 16th green. Emily Pedersen has 18 feet for birdie. It’s online but it pulls up short. (Back at 15 Vu makes par to halve the hole.) Lexi Thompson has a birdie putt which would cut the European lead to one with two to play. It’s four feet … and it drops.
We’re back in one of those spots on the course with a muted atmosphere. Charley Hull lags up for a par at 15 and we can hear her team mates say, “Well played Charley.” Allisen Corpuz doesn’t threaten the hole with her birdie putt. Can Lilia Vu convert a par breaker? No. And the Americans have a pair of knee knockers for par.
Up ahead Lexi Thompson has hit the best tee shot at the par-3 16th. It’s not quite a gimme but she’s the only one of the four with a valid chance of breaking par.
The final match is back on the 15th fairway. Lilia Vu is aggressive and has 18 feet from just off the green. Georgia Hall finds sand. Allisen Corpuz is in rough through the green. Charley Hull is last to go. Head up, head up, head up. She’s like a busy sparrow. Her approach finds the heart of the green but it’s in lag putt territory.
Ewing/Thompson v Ciganda/Pedersen 2UP (15)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 2UP (14)
The 15th green. Emily Pedersen has 20 feet for birdie and to go two up. Slam dunk, in it goes. Karen Stupples says that Suzann Pettersen had been in her ear. That’s reminiscent of something Pedersen said last year: “Suzann doesn’t need to say anything,” she said. “She gives me the look, nods her head and, I’m like, I got it.” Just now, she got it.
Charley Hull played a nice chip at 14 that gives her a look at birdie. But Corpuz still has that very makeable eagle putt, of course. First, Georgia Hall from 12 feet for birdie and she drains it! Great effort from her. Really gutsy. Now Corpuz for eagle and the hole. A push! It didn’t touch the cup. The hole is halved. Europe leads two up with four to play.
Allisen Corpuz into 14 just now:
Allisen Corpuz this morning on 14:
Allisen Corpuz on 14. This morning she topped her approach to 15 feet and Nelly Korda drained it for eagle. Yesterday she found water here. Been some hole for her. Now she is two down to the Hull-Hall team. She has iron in hand. And it’s the best shot we’ve seen today. 10 feet for eagle. Charley Hull is pumped and has hit a long, long drive. Her approach flies the green – she’s really struggling with all this extra energy when hitting into greens.
The third match is on the 14th green and has become a bit messy. First putts have been raced past the hole and now the nerves are shredding. Emily Pedersen up first from eight feet for birdie – and misses. Now Lexi Thompson for birdie from just inside eight feet for birdie – another miss! Bit of a push, that. Debate over who goes next. It’s Carlota Ciganda on a line very like Pedersen’s – she hits the hole and it pops out. Ally Ewing actually didn’t hit the green in two but her third got her closer than the other three’s putts. She has her putt to drag the match all square. It’s no gimme. Five feet. Yikes. Doesn’t touch the hole. Christmas. Europe still leads one up.
Simon McMahon emails: “Shades of Medinah 2012 if Europe do make it out of today only 10-6 down? And in singles you just never know, although I’ve a feeling we kind of do know already how this will end, but hope I’m wrong …” Spot on Simon. This does have Medinah vibes. That was a miracle, though, right?! They don’t happen too often …
Charley Hull makes her birdie at 13 and waves the putters at the flag as it goes in. A little show of defiance. Hull gets a lot of flak, as well as a lot of support, but she is a resilient and proud force for Europe. Vu responds with her own birdie and the match heads to 14.
Lilia Vu hits the best drive at 13 and she takes advantage. She’ll have about eight feet for birdie. Charley Hull was in the rough and gouged her ball out to about 20 feet – a really fine shot with classic Hull swagger. Georgia Hall and Allisen Corpuz are unlikely to make birdie. The Europeans are two up.
Laura Davies (European vice captain) on the state of the match: “We have to win the last two matches. We’re in serious trouble. They’ve out-putted us. Singles are different, we’ll never say never, but it will be difficult. It’s so crushing when Lexi chips in, then someone else holes out. We need to get these two points home.”
And another win for USA. The Swedes Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom ran out of steam this afternoon while Alison Lee and Meghan Khang were very strong. Lee says her hole out eagle on 2 was “surreal” and Khang is already anticipating it having gone viral. She’s also on the brink of losing her voice.
4&3 Lee (Al)/Khang v Nordqvist/Sagstrom (F)
Ewing/Thompson v Ciganda/Pedersen 1UP (13)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 2UP (12)
A little fightback from Europe. Charley Hull drains a birdie putt at 12 to go two up with Georgia Hall. And Carlota Ciganda makes another long birdie, this time at 13 to go one up with Emily Pedersen. Europe now leads the bottom two matches.
Another putting contest on 14. Andrea Lee has a long, long putt and misses for an eagle-3. Celine Boutier has 25 feet, also for eagle. It stays high and is not a gimme. Linn Grant next. She has about 14 feet but it’s the first that is uphill. It misses on the low side. Finally, Rose Zhang. She has two putts to win the match. One putt for an eagle-3. She makes eagle! They win 6&4. Kerplunk. The US pair played 18 holes in 20-under this week.
Lee (Al)/Khang 3UP v Nordqvist/Sagstrom (14)
6&4 Lee (An)/Zhang v Grant/Boutier (F)
Ewing/Thompson A/S Ciganda/Pedersen (12)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 1UP (11)
The scores on the doors with these fourballs coming to the boil. If Europe lose the top two matches they will need to win 10 of the remaining 14 points to retain the Cup
Lee (Al)/Khang 3UP v Nordqvist/Sagstrom (14)
Lee (An)/Zhang 5UP v Grant/Boutier (13)
Ewing/Thompson A/S Ciganda/Pedersen (12)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 1UP (11)
Meghan Khang dribbles in a birdie at 14. It’s for the hole and it dropped with a final gasp which only added to the drama. She and Alison Lee lead three up with four to play.
Seconds later Rose Zhang plays an approach at the same hole to eight feet. It gets a bit of a lucky bounce. “A lot of jammy shots on this hole this week for the Americans,” says a rueful Karen Stupples.
That sensational Andrea Lee hole out from the bunker in all its glory. A brilliant shot.
Clutch from Lexi Thompson with a birdie from eight feet on 12. Europe has two chances to match it. Emily Pedersen is first up from seven feet and she makes it. The match remains all square. The bottom two contests need to go Europe’s way if they are to limit the US advantage to four heading into the singles.
A putting contest at the par-3 11th. Allisen Corpuz makes a fine stroke from 30 feet but it doesn’t drop. On the same line Lilia Vu doesn’t learn a lesson regarding the line. Par for the Americans. Charley Hull is up next from 18 feet and she gets another three. Georgia Hall is fourth to go. Can she put Europe two up? She has 12 feet from below the hole. She’s been tentative on the greens all week. Not this time but it slips by on the low side. Hole halved. Europe stays one up.
Oh wow! Another hole out for Team USA. Andrea Lee splashes out of a greenside bunker at 13, it takes two hops and disappears like a ferret down a drainpipe. She and Rose Zhang lead the second match five up with five to play.
We’re deep into the back nine now. Charley Hull has 15 feet for birdie and the hole at 10 and she makes it. There is blue on the board. But USA is closing on double figures with the way the top two matches are going.
Lee (Al)/Khang 2UP v Nordqvist/Sagstrom (13)
Lee (An)/Zhang 4UP v Grant/Boutier (12)
Ewing/Thompson A/S Ciganda/Pedersen (11)
Corpuz/Vu v Hull/Hall 1UP (11)
“Stacy has all her ducks in a row,” says TV’s Judy Rankin. A wonderful metaphor, that one. Suzann Pettersen would be which animal, I wonder.
Stacy Lewis on this afternoon’s golf: “We’ve had to rally and we have red on the board. This format is hard. We know that no lead is ever safe. We need as many points as we can get for tomorrow.”
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