After the U.S. blanked Europe in Day 1 foursomes, the two sides split the Saturday morning session, 2-2.
The U.S. will take a 7-5 lead into afternoon fourballs at the Solheim Cup. Here’s how the Day 2 alternate-shot format played out at Finca Cortesin in Casares, Spain:
Match 9: Emily Kristine Pedersen/Carlota Ciganda (EUR) def. Lilia Vu/Jennifer Kupcho (U.S.), 2 and 1
Neither of these teams competed together in Friday’s foursomes, unlike the other six teams on Saturday. Europe won Nos. 5 and 6 to go 2 up, but the U.S. countered by winning Nos. 7 and 8.
Pedersen and Ciganda again built a 2-up lead through 14 holes – thanks, in part, to a U.S. three-putt at the 13th – but Vu stuffed her approach shot at the par-4 15th to cut the deficit in half.
A bogey at the 16th, however, cost the U.S. a hole and Pedersen and Ciganda closed out the match with a par at No. 17.
Carlota came to close 🖐️
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 23, 2023
She knocks in the putt on 17 to give @SolheimCupEuro a 2&1 victory in Match 9! pic.twitter.com/iPF5YBt7rZ
Match 10: Lexi Thompson/Megan Khang (U.S.) def. Anna Nordqvist/Leona Maguire (EUR), 1 up
Europe led, 2 up through seven, and were in position to extend their advantage until Thompson and Khang teamed for an incredible par/hole save at the eighth.
This sequence! 👀
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 23, 2023
What an up-and-down to tie the hole! @megan_khang1023 | @lexi pic.twitter.com/59UVSQTTjV
That sparked a winning stretch for the U.S., in which they claimed three consecutive holes, Nos. 9-11, to go 1 up.
Europe scrapped back to even it at the 15th, but a par at No. 17 was good enough to secure the U.S. at least a half-point in the match. They made it a full point by tying the 18th.
Match 11: Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz (U.S.) def. Georgia Hall/Celine Boutier (EUR), 5 and 3
Korda and Corpuz won their opening foursomes match on the final hole. This one never made it to the 16th. Korda and Corpuz dominated their fellow major champions, handing Hall and Boutier their second loss as a tandem this week (after going 3-0-1 in the two previous editions).
Korda calls game‼️ 🇺🇸
— Solheim Cup Team USA 🇺🇸 (@SolheimCupUSA) September 23, 2023
That's a 5&3 victory for Nelly and Allisen! 👏#SolheimCup2023 pic.twitter.com/b552Uc1qqQ
Korda and Corpuz were 2 up through two holes and never looked back, making five birdies compared to the Euros’ two.
Match 12: Maja Stark/Linn Grant (EUR) def. Danielle Kang/Andrea Lee (U.S.), 1 up
This match, the last to finish Saturday morning, was never separated by more than one hole and Europe never trailed.
Kang and Lee made several lengthy putts to keep this one close, beginning with Kang for birdie to win the 12th.
Danielle Kang rolls in the long birdie at the par-3 12th to square the match. #SolheimCup pic.twitter.com/O0npEzxVsu
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) September 23, 2023
Lee made a long birdie putt to win No. 14 and another to win the 16th.
But Stark returned the favor, making a 25-footer to win the 17th and take a 1-up lead into the last.
Maja Stark!!!
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 23, 2023
Queen of the fist-pump, she takes @SolheimCupEuro UP1 to the final hole of Match 12 👊 pic.twitter.com/f6qbdh0yrT
On the par-5 18th, with the Americans in close for birdie, Grant needed to make a 10-footer to (likely) tie the hole and win the match. She did, also giving her side momentum heading into the afternoon session.
Linn Grant pours in the birdie putt at the 18th to give the Europeans a 1-up victory in the last match on the course in the morning session. The foursomes session was split 2-2, with the Americans leading the cup 7-5. #SolheimCup pic.twitter.com/AUGrrkmgGg
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) September 23, 2023