Carlota Ciganda is off to a red-hot 3-0 begin on the Solheim Cup.
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The Solheim Cup is tied, 8-8.
So we don’t know the winner but. We don’t know the loser.
However let’s not let that cease us. Which individuals, gamers and philosophies gained Saturday?
Right here they’re: 10 winners (and, only for stability, losers) from Day 2 on the Solheim Cup.
WINNER: Teaching by really feel
After the U.S. swept the primary foursomes session 4-0 on Friday, issues appeared a bit dire for the host squad. The sweep was so jarring it transcended primary match play; the U.S. benefit felt philosophical. Stacy Lewis was leaning on an analytical strategy to her pairings and that strategy was working.
However a 3-1 Friday afternoon triumph introduced Europe nearer. A 2-2 Saturday morning cut up maintained the U.S. crew lead. And one other dominant European afternoon — 3-1, once more — introduced the match lifeless even. That included some unpredictable lineup strikes, like taking part in the crew’s lowest-ranked golfer Emily Pedersen in all 5 matches. European captain Suzann Pettersen has been teaching by really feel, and that earned a combined response on Friday. However it’s been working, too.
“It is a totally different occasion,” mentioned Pettersen. “It’s about vitality, adrenaline, momentum. It was nearly exhausting for me to select and select who was truly going to exit this afternoon as a result of we had so many who have been simply red-hot and able to go.
“So I imply, it was actually nearly flip a coin for a few of them who I picked on the finish. However we tried to base it off stats, tried to match up nearly as good as we might, and it labored out pretty good.”
The distinction in types, personalities, approaches — it’s terrific.
LOSER: Gemma Dryburgh
When some golfers play so much, others inevitably play little or no. Let’s be clear: Dryburgh will not be herself a “loser” in any sense. She hasn’t even misplaced a match this week! However after gutting out a half-point on Friday afternoon, Dryburgh was benched all Saturday. She and Caroline Hedwall — who teed it up for the primary time on Saturday afternoon — are the one gamers to tee it up simply as soon as within the first 4 periods.
WINNER: Lexi Thompson’s bounce-back
Lexi Thompson and Lilia Vu misplaced their Friday fourball match in heartbreaking style when Thompson shanked a greenside eagle chip on No. 18 to lose 1 Down. It will have been straightforward to let that carry over into Saturday foursomes; it didn’t. Thompson and red-hot companion Megan Khang went 2 right down to the European facet of Anna Nordqvist and Leona Maguire however weathered the storm and made par after par to eke out a 1 Up victory. Thompson’s 2-1-0 file by crew play is a big success.
“That’s the entire thing with match play, you may by no means hand over, and also you by no means know when it may flip, so it’s important to keep in it and keep within the second,” Thompson mentioned after her match. It was cool seeing her so invigorated; this yr hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Talking of which…
LOSER: This complete alternate
Thompson declining to reply questions on mentioned Friday afternoon shank was noteworthy, however the video of that alternate didn’t make its technique to the collective golf web till Saturday morning when posted by No Laying Up‘s Tron Carter.
What’s the massive deal? Why the massive response? Thompson is, in fact, properly inside her rights to not discuss concerning the least nice second of her week. And Thompson has had comprehensible gripes with press protection over time. However I believe the best way she and Lewis acted as if the query ought to by no means have been requested appeared to set folks off.
Our James Colgan wrote extra about the complete factor right here, so dive in. However I believe the takeaway is definitely fairly easy right here. Should you’re advising Lexi Thompson, simply inform her to acknowledge the second! Allow us to in! It was a tricky chip! All of us suck at chipping! We’re all even worse at chipping below stress! That’s golf. The query was inevitable. Higher to take possession of the second and get folks in your facet reasonably than retaining them out.
WINNER: Angel Yin’s hammered drives
Not solely did Yin seem like having probably the most enjoyable of any Solheim Cup contestant, however she additionally gave the impression to be pummeling the longest drives. Yin hadn’t earned some extent heading to Saturday’s afternoon session — and he or she and companion Cheyenne Knight have been 2 down by 10 holes. However then the pair reeled off a number of birdies to maintain Europe from sweeping the session. That was punctuated by Yin hammering some type of mid-iron into 18, a par-5 the place most gamers have been laying up, organising a two-putt birdie and a match victory.
LOSER: The Cup’s top-ranked participant
It was shocking to see World No. 2 Lilia Vu sit the primary session. However it was much more shocking to see her lose in every of the following three periods. Not one of the three have been blowouts — she reached the 18th gap on Friday and the seventeenth gap in each matches on Saturday — however Vu is the one American with out at the very least a half-point.
WINNER: Linn Grant’s lefty fist pump
It’s not usually you see a right-handed golfer nail a left-handed fist pump. Tiger Woods is the godfather of the fashionable golf fist pump, in spite of everything, and his is constant: maintain the putter within the left hand, pump with the proper. However Grant has had loads of alternatives to have a good time by 4 matches — she’s 3-1, having performed all 4 periods — and the lefty factor is rising on me.
The true level right here: Linn Grant may be very, excellent at golf. There are only a few ladies higher than Linn Grant at golf. I’m unsure there’s anybody on this cup I’d need to face much less in a match.
LOSER: Preserving observe of the rating
Hey, TV folks: Assist out my little hamster mind, please! I need assistance remembering the match scores. I need assistance remembering who’s taking part in who. We want some context! I stored a leaderboard tab open on my laptop computer whereas watching simply to maintain observe of the matches; that seems like the published’s job. (And sure, I thought of the chance that I’m simply an fool however loads of others on the web appeared to share this explicit gripe.)
WINNER: Carlota Ciganda
There’s just one golfer at this week’s Spanish Solheim Cup who hails from Spain. There’s additionally just one golfer who has a 3-0 file. The truth that these are the identical golfer is nothing in need of exceptional. Kudos to Carlota Ciganda, who was already an emotional heart for the European facet earlier than she began toppling opponents like dominos.
LOSER: Crushing putts in match play
It is a private pet peeve: when professionals are “freed up” to hit must-make putts with no penalties for lacking, some take the chance to utterly rifle the ball previous the cup. However that’s not how putts go in! We’ve dived into these numbers earlier than. When the ball approaches the outlet at dying pace, the outlet is successfully a lot greater. I get why professionals attempt to take out some break by hitting the ball more durable, and there’s one thing to be mentioned for it, but when a putt goes like 10 toes previous the outlet it in all probability wasn’t getting into on any line.
OTHER WINNERS
Okay, I mentioned I used to be simply going to do 10 and now we’re at 11. However I can’t go with out shouting out Leona Maguire — who’s an absolute menace — plus her semi-injured companion Charley Hull. The 2 teamed as much as take down Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing 4 and three on Saturday afternoon. Shoutout additionally to Madelene Sagstrom, who picked up her first crew victory in her sixth crew match throughout three cups. Shoutout to Emily Pedersen, who went from a fringe captain’s choose to must-watch TV — not simply due to her ace however due to the whole lot that got here after. And shoutout to us, the viewers. An 8-8 tie is a hell of a technique to go to Sunday singles.
See you there!
Solheim Cup Sunday singles matchups (all instances ET)
Match 1, 5:10 a.m. – Megan Khang (USA) vs. Linn Grant (EUR)
Match 2, 5:22 a.m. – Rose Zhang (USA) vs. Leona Maguire (EUR)
Match 3, 5:34 a.m. – Danielle Kang (USA) vs. Charley Hull (EUR)
Match 4, 5:46 a.m. – Jennifer Kupcho (USA) vs. Anna Nordqvist (EUR)
Match 5, 5:58 a.m. – Andrea Lee (USA) vs. Georgia Corridor (EUR)
Match 6, 6:10 a.m. – Cheyenne Knight (USA) vs. Gemma Dryburgh (EUR)
Match 7, 6:22 a.m. – Angel Yin (USA) vs. Celine Boutier (EUR)
Match 8, 6:34 a.m. – Ally Ewing (USA) vs. Caroline Hedwall (EUR)
Match 9, 6:46 a.m. – Lilia Vu (USA) vs. Madelene Sagstrom (EUR)
Match 10, 6:58 a.m. – Allisen Corpuz (USA) vs. Maja Stark (EUR)
Match 11, 7:10 a.m. – Nelly Korda (USA) vs. Carlota Ciganda (EUR)
Match 12, 7:12 a.m. – Lexi Thompson (USA) vs. Emily Pedersen (EUR)
