HALMSTAD, Sweden -- The European team won three points on Sunday when the four-balls finished and took the outright lead at the Solheim Cup.
Europe leads the competition 8 1/2 - 7 1/2 at a wet and windy Halmstad Golf Club.
All four four-ball matches were completed Sunday morning as a wind delay Saturday morning pushed play back. At the time of the stoppage for darkness Saturday night, Europe led in three matches and one was all-square, so the U.S. made up some ground Sunday morning.
Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome overcame a 1-down deficit Sunday morning thanks to a pair of birdie putts from Creamer, but ended with a halve in their match against Maria Hjorth and Linda Wessberg.
The second four-balls match was the only one not in Europe’s favor Saturday night.
Stacy Prammanasudh chipped in for birdie and the win at the 14th Sunday. That moved her and Juli Inkster 1-up over Iben Tinning and Trish Johnson, but Tinning returned the favor with a chip-in birdie to square the match at 17. The sides both made pars at 18 resulting in another halve.
Laura Davies and Becky Brewerton were 1-up over Natalie Gulbis and Nicole Castrale after the turn on Saturday and that was the margin as all four found the fairway at 18.
Brewerton hit a horrible approach well short of the green, but Davies stiffed her second to 4 feet to give her team a 2-up win.
‘Luckily I hit a good shot there and didn’t have to putt out,’ said Davies.
In the anchor fourballs match, Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen held a 1- up lead over Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel at the time play was called, but won the 14th and 15th to take the match, 3 and 2.
The U.S. has not held the outright lead heading into the singles since the 1998 edition and has won two Cups since. In those four Cups after the ’98 staging, the Americans have outscored Europe 27-21 in the singles.
The Americans need to reach 14 points to retain the Solheim Cup they won in 2005 at Crooked Stick.
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