For the first time in Solheim Cup history, both of the first two sessions of the match resulted in a tie, leaving Europe and USA with four points apiece after eight matches.
With the final match of the day reaching the 18th hole, 36-year-old Carlota Ciganda holed a crucial par save from 12 feet to tie the match alongside Julia Lopez Ramirez against Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin.
Ciganda’s celebration – and those of her teammates – brought back memories of the finale at Finca Cortesin in 2023, when her putt allowed Europe to retain the trophy with a 14-14 tie.
And once again Nelly Korda, beaten by Ciganda in Spain three years ago, was on the receiving end. The world number one and her playing partner Lauren Coughlin both left match-winning putts short to allow Ciganda, who had crucially won the 16th hole with an eagle, to deliver a stunning reprieve for Anna Nordqvist’s team at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Ciganda, who is playing in her eighth Solheim Cup, said: “Not losing today was important. That half-point makes it 4-4 for the day and gives us good momentum going into tomorrow. Hopefully we can win both Saturday’s morning and afternoon sessions.”
It proved to be a hard-fought opening day between Europe and a US team looking to retain the trophy following their 15½-12½ victory in Virginia two years ago.
Nordqvist played her hand early by sending out European big guns Charley Hull and Lottie Woad first in both the morning foursomes and the afternoon fourballs, but they failed to deliver the impetus the Swedish captain would have hoped for, with the English pair losing 4&3 to the formidable pairing of Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz in the foursomes, and then only managing to scrape a half in the fourballs despite having been 3up at the turn to the inexperienced pairing of Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin.
Korda in command
Korda in particular set the tone early on Friday with her fifth win with Corpuz, equalling the points record for pairings set by Europe’s Alison Nicholas and Laura Davies.
The US pairing of Alison Lee and Coughlin were always in control against Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Celine Boutier, taking their foursomes match 3&2 as the US opened a 2-0 lead.
Khang hits Europe for six
Madsen and Boutier were also later on the end of a 5&3 demolition in an encounter that marked Megan Khang’s sixth consecutive win in Solheim matches and her eighth in the past nine – this time alongside Alison Lee.
Europe’s fightback in the opening session was initiated by Swedish duo Maja Stark and Linn Grant who defeated Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho 3&2. Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit followed that up by holding their nerve to defeat Andrea Lee and Lindy Duncan in another match that went down the 18th.
By contrast to the relatively showing from its more experienced players, Europe’s three other rookies, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud, all delivered in style. Rhodes and Nadaud produced a superb performance to defeat Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1, while the big-hitting Lopez Ramirez teamed up with her compatriot Ciganda in that final match against Korda and Lauren Coughlin, which left the honours even at the end of a day which saw fans bathed get a soaking in the morning showers which later gave way to autumn sunshine.
Captain’s call
Nordqvist made the rare decision to play all 12 of her players on the opening day, although she said that it won’t be the case on Saturday. “There’s another 36 holes on Saturday, so not every player’s going to play five matches. Sometimes you’ve got to sit out someone, and for me, it was important to play all 12 players today, and the way the pairings worked out, that’s how I had to play it.”
US team captain Angela Stanford said: “When you send Charley [Hull] and Lottie [Woad] out first in both sessions, we took some of their best body blows today. So, I’m excited about tomorrow because I feel like we’re a heavyweight fighter. We fight with our mentality and we’re just going to see how long we can last, and I feel pretty good about how long we can go.”
The first day was a tale of two nines, with Europe starting fast in both the foursomes and the four holes, but then trying to hold on the back nine as the US fought back. Europe collectively won 21 holes, lost 17 and tied 34 on the front nine, while the US enjoyed the better back nine as a team, winning 19 holes, losing 13 and tying 29.
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