2024 Solheim Cup: Friday Foursomes and Fourballs

It's just one week short of a year since the last Solheim Cup was contested. With a tie and lack of trophy in their hands, Team USA had some 'unfinished business' and would be looking to go that extra half point further when they took to the fairways of Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

On home soil and with a crowd advantage, a strong start, like they had a Finca Cortesin would be key to Team USA's quest.

As we headed to the first tee just before 7am this morning, the music might well have been blaring but the noise from the crowd was a little diminished (not just because of the music being SO LOUD!). The 2024 Solheim Cup didn't quite get off to the perfect start that everyone would have wanted due to transportation issues which left hundreds of fans waiting in a car park and not able to get to the first tee.

Whilst more buses were scrambled, the players had to focus on the game in hand.

MATCH 1 – Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz (USA) def. Esther Henseleit/Charley Hull (EUR), 3&2

Although the European duo got up early on the second hole, the Americans pulled it back at four and by the turn were 2up. Two holes would then go Europe's way and this close match would be tied after 11 holes. Corpuz held her nerve to sink a 15-foot putt to go 1up on 12 but a tie remained after 13.

It was at this point when the Americans upped their game whilst the Europeans faultered. Even though both team's balls found the water on 14, Korda managed to bump a shot just 10ft from the hole, which Corpuz duly holed. On 15, Corpuz came close again with her 25ft putt and after Hull missed one from 5ft, Korda was able to tap in for the win. To claim a third hole in a row and a first point for Team USA, Korda hit her drive on the par-3 16th to 6ft. The Europeans could only make par whilst Corpuz converted another birdie.

A 3&2 victory gave USA their first point and it was the first time that an American pairing has ever won three consecutive Solheim Cup foursomes matches. What was their secret?

"We just vibe really well," said Korda. "As Allisen said, when one of us didn't hit it well, we really relied on each other and kept calm out there and knew there were more opportunities.

"I have such a great partner. She comes up clutch every single time. Couldn't have asked for a better one."

MATCH 2 – Rose Zhang/Lauren Coughlin (USA) def. Celine Boutier/Albane Valenzuela (EUR), 3&2

Whilst European rookie Esther Henseliet may not have had the best first time experience, the same could not be said for home state favourite Lauren Coughlin who had been paired with Rose Zhang. A pairing that Captain Stacy Lewis had said was based on statistics, "that one really came from the stats. That one came out of a computer, but I like the energy between the two of them. I like the energy of the caddies we have in that group. Tons of experience in the caddies to kind of help them through."

It was a pairing made in statistical heaven as the American duo never trailed throughout the whole make against rookie Albane Valenzuela and Celine Boutier. The Europeans got the match back to a tie on the ninth and held it there for a couple of holes. But a win on the 12th and birdie on 13 would see Team USA go 2-up. That leaded extended to three on 14 after Valenzuela went for the green in two shots, and landed the ball just short of the green, in the water. Team USA held their lead to win the match with another 3&2 victory, a second point and yet more disappointment for a European rookie.

Zhang, commented on gaining momentum through the back nine:

"I don't think anything changed. We had so much fun together. On every single shot, we've been laughing. We've been laughing with our caddies. Terry and Ollie are just a killer duo together.

"We just had so much fun. You know, we had some clutch putts coming in, so that really kept the momentum."

MATCH 3 – Emily Pedersen/Maja Stark (EUR) def. Ally Ewing/Jennifer Kupcho (USA), 2up

Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark looked like they would run away with their foursomes match against Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho. The Europeans were 4-up through five holes. On the back nine, the Americans managed to find their groove whilst the Europeans faltered, bridies on 14 and 15 saw the match go back to just 1-up. Pars on 16 and 17 saw the match go to 18 and it was Captain's pick Pedersen who produced an excellent approach shot to win the hole and finish the match 2-up. This was the last match to finish for the morning and gave Europe their only point.

“It's been a lot of fun” Stark said about her day. “I was way less nervous this year than it was last.  It was a nice feeling. Coming off a hot start, it gives us a good feeling because we know we can play really well coming off the stretch there. The Americans started playing really well as well. Yeah, it was just a nice first round to get a little bit of excitement as well.”

MATCH 4 – Lilia Vu/Sarah Schmelzel (USA) def. Linn Grant/Carlota Ciganda (EUR), 3&2

As far as the Americans were concerned, if you had a victory on Friday morning, it should be 3&2. That's exactly what Lilia Vu and rookie Sarah Schmelzel managed to do against Linn Grant and Carlota Ciganda.

From the third hole the American duo did not give up their lead. The Europeans did claw on back at 14 but a birdie putt on 16 was the match decider and gave the third point on the board to to Team USA.

“I think we get on great,” Vu said about the chemistry with Schmelzel. “We're just going to do our things.  We trust each other's games.  I trust Sarah. She hits it straight and is always reliable. We have a good time together.”

Watch highlights from the Friday Morning Foursomes

On Thursday Captain Pettersen had said: " Yeah fingers crossed. Maybe a half point more than we got in last year's Friday morning session would be great." We're sure she would have hoped for more but a whole point was indeed better than 2023. Team USA led 3 points to 1.

Friday Fourballs

The Friday afternoon Fourballs saw the remaining four players from both sides who had not played in the morning take to the stage:

MATCH 5 – Nelly Korda/Megan Khang (USA) def. Georgia Hall/Leona Maguire (EUR), 6&4

It was pretty obvious as Megan Khang danced her way off the first tee that her match with Nelly Korda against Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire was going to be a tough one for the Europeans. Although Kang, like Hall and Maguire hadn't played in the morning, she meant business.

Khang didn't achieve it by herself. The World Number one showed exactly why she had that title. Pure striking, holing putts and combined together to be almost impenetrable by the Europeans. Five up through eight holes, it was all going USA's way. Korda then had an exceptional approach shot into the par-5 12th and Europe conceded an eagle, to be six up with six to play. Maguire managed a birdie on 13 but another brilliant approach shot on 14 gave Korda an eagle opportunity which she duly converted and won the match 6&4,

This had been an American pairing that hadn't been tried at Solheim Cup level but Khang and Korda had been keen to replicate their PING Junior Solheim Cup days.

"Nelly and I, our friendship goes back to Junior Solheim Cup days, that's how we got really close. Ever since that pairing back then I know we wanted to play on the actual Solheim Cup team as partners.

With Korda adding: "I didn't see Stacy before my afternoon round till on the tee, but I feel like she trusts us and she knows that we're going to bring it."

MATCH 6 - Anna Nordqvist/Madeleine Sagstrom (EUR) def. Alison Lee/Lexi Thompson (USA), 6&5

The second match out in the afternoon featured four players who had been rested in the morning, so it was difficult to predict how the match would go. There was very little to differentiate the teams, except that Europe went 1-up after the first. By the time the match reached the eighth tee it was tied.

That's when the pairing of friends Norqvist and Sagstrom started to take hold, going on a birdie run over the next six holes, which sealed the match 6&5. It almost came out of nowhere after a lot of focus had been on the Kkorda and Khang match.

Afterwards, Sagstrom spoke about what Captain Pettersen had said about their pairing:

"She thought we were a strong team together, and obviously, we played really good. Today all we needed to do was go out and try to get a point for Europe.

"I mean, she believed in us to play together, which was a first for us. I said on the range, I'm so excited to play with you. This is going to be so much fun.

"It was just a great day, Anna played super well. In the beginning I was a little bit everywhere, but that works in four ball. Then I scrapped it out on the back nine and helped her out a bit."

MATCH 7 - Lauren Coughlin/Sarah Schmelzel (USA) def. Emily Pedersen/Maya Stark (EUR), 3&2

Captain Stacy Lewis may not have sent her rookies out together in the morning like Captain Pettersen did last year, but with a match under their belts, they headed out together in the afternoon fourballs.

In a match where the Europeans were never able to gain the lead, it did take seven holes for deadlock to be broken. It was steady progress for Coughlin and Schmelzel who would birdie 7 and 8 to get to 2-up. By the 13th Team USA were 3-up and any nerves they may have had as rookies had melted away. If you were watching from the course or on TV, you would have thought they looked like an experienced Solheim Cup duo.

Two pars and a birdie were enough to get the match completed on the 16th - 3&2.

How did they build on their experience of playing in the morning?

"I think it just calmed your nerves," said Schmelzel. "There's so much anticipation of what it's going to feel like, how you're going to play. Obviously both of us settled in pretty well this morning.

"We both came out this afternoon just really aggressive and wanting to play well and wanting to get a point after that first one.

"So I think we just stayed aggressive all day and believed in each other."

MATCH 8 - Andrea Lee/Rose Zhang (USA) def. Linn Grant/Charley Hull (EUR), 5&4

Like Match 6, there was very little in this match until the ninth tee where they were tied. The Americans where then able to find birdies on the next four holes and remained 4-up with five holes to play.

Then came some magic from Andrea Lee, who was playing in her first match of the day, her approach into the par 5 14th landed perfectly and rolled onto the green close to the hole to give her an eagle opportunity like Korda had had three matches ahead of her. The eagle putt dropped and the third point of the afternoon went USA's way 5&4.

What did the Americans do to turn it around on the back nine?

"Nothing really," said Zhang. "In the front nine it takes a lot of grit to really just play out the round. We really fought hard in the beginning, and I knew that towards the end we had it in us to really grind it out.

"Being kept in the momentum, we just did what we needed to. Both of us ham and egged it and kept each other pumping the whole time."

Saturday Foursomes - Pairings announced

Three of the four pairings from Friday's foursomes remain the same for Team USA. The only change is Lexi Thompson being swapped in from Rose Zhang to play with Lauren Coughlin. Six players from Friday will play for Team Europe. Esther Henseleit and Charley Hull remain together, whilst the other pairings change, Albane Valenzuela and Linn Grant are to be rested.

There is absolutely no doubt that Team USA will be buoyed by their performances today, they took control, played some exceptional golf and in the end showed their European counterparts just how capable they are at sorting out their 'unfinished business'. Europe are going to have to dig deep if they want to stop the American express train headed to a town called Redemption.

View all the scoring from Friday the 2024 Solheim Cup here.