Saturday 19 September 2015 17:54, UK
Europe dominated day 2 of the Solheim Cup Foursomes, winning 3 of the 4 matches this morning against the USA and extending their lead to 4 points.
Birthday girl Melissa Reid and Carlota Ciganda won the first European point of the day's foursomes with a 4&3 victory over Michelle Wie and rookie Alison Lee.
The fourth match of the day finished next, providing a convincing win for American's Gerina Piller and Stacy Lewis who defeated Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall 5&4.
But it was the second match that provided the drama of the day. Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel were 4 up with 7 holes to play but by the 17th the combination of Suzann Pettersen's approach shots and Charley Hull's putting had pegged it back to all square. The European's provided a dramatic comeback and with a birdie on 18 they managed to win 1up in what Pettersen said was her best win of her Solheim Cup career.
Catriona Matthew and Sandra Gal finished off the morning with a half on the last hole to beat Brittany Lincicome and Angela Stanford 1 up, leaving Europe on 8 points and the USA on 4 points heading in to the afternoon
Melissa Reid & Carlota Ciganda beat Michelle Wie & Alison Lee 4&3
After an initial wayward teeshot on the first from Ciganda, it took a good recovery from the European pair to keep it all square on the first.
From there Europe took control, with Ciganda taking them 1 up on the 2nd, and Reid holing a birdie putt on the third to put the hosts 2 ahead. A miss from Wie on 6 helped Europe to 3 up, and a lengthy birdie putt from Ciganda put the Europeans 4 up after 7.
An unusual pull from the Spaniard on the 8th hole gifted the Americans a hole back, but a miss from rookie Lee on 9 to get another kept Europe 3 up at the turn. There was pressure on Wie on the 10th after an off-green putt from Ciganda, but this time she managed the half.
A wayward drive from Wie put the USA in trouble on the 11th, and the European duo went back to 4 up with 7 to play.
A par putt from Lee on 12 was enough to pull one back, but after two halves on 13 and 14 Reid and Ciganda headed down 15 3 up. It was a four foot miss from Michelle Wie that ensured the first European point of the morning foursomes, leaving Carlota Ciganda still an undefeated Solheim Cup player.
Charley Hull & Suzann Pettersen beat Paula Creamer & Morgan Pressel 1up
The 2nd hole provided the first opportunity for Europe, but an unusual Charley Hull missed putt kept the teams even before the United States began to dominate this match.
Birdies at 3 and 4 took the USA to 2 up, and Pressel's putt on the 7th put the USA pair on 3 up, putting themselves in a good starting position to win their second foursomes match in two days.
Mistakes from Creamer and Pressel on the 9th hole gave Europe a chance, but Hull missed her 30 foot birdie putt and Creamer didn't hesitate to sink her 20 footer for the half to keep the USA with a 3 hole advantage at the turn.
On the 11th, Pressel hit her second shot within tap-in distance and the American's pushed their lead to 4up. Hull managed to gain one back on the 12th, and a near hole in on the 15th from Hull pulled the advantage back to 2 with 3 holes to play. Pettersen's 3rd shot from the rough on 16 put the pressure on the USA, and Hull converted to bring it back to 1 and firmly shift momentum to Europe.
Another Pettersen approach shot and Hull putt had the match at all square on 17, and it was Hull's approach shot on 18 that let Pettersen have a chance to win the match. She holed out for their 4th birdie in 4 holes on the last for Europe to win 1 up in a match it looked like it was never anything other than an American point.
Sandra Gal & Catriona Matthew beat Angela Stanford & Brittany Lincicome 1up
Europe started confidently with Sandra Gal's calm putting on the first couple of holes helping to gain a 2 hole advantage after 2. Another Gal putt saved par on 3 to stay 2 up, and by the 6th Matthew and Gal were 3 up.
But a mistake by Gal on the 7th ended up letting the United States get a hole back, and Matthew missed her birdie attempt on the 8th to keep the match at 2 up.
Matthew responded with a putt on 9 to put Europe 3 up at the turn, but couldn't convert her chance on 10 before Lincicome holed a long one on 11 to close the gap back to 2. Another win for the USA on 12 took it back to 1, but Lincicome couldn't convert her chance on 14 to take the match back to all-square.
The putter helped Matthew get back to 2 up with a birdie on 15, before Stanford holed a birdie to get pegged back yet again. Not showing her nerves, Matthew then hit her shot on 17 a foot from the hole to match that of Lincicomes, and both finished with a 2.
A 2nd shot almost in to the grandstands from Gal on the 18th put Matthew in a difficult position to hit her 3rd, but Matthew managed to recover to give Gal a chance. The German holed her pressure put to halve the hole with a par and win 1 up in Europe's third win of the morning.
Anna Nordqvist & Caroline Hedwall lost to Stacy Lewis & Gerina Piller 5&4
After a slow start it was short putt from Stacy Lewis on the 4th put the American's ahead in the bottom match.
A Nordqvist birdie on the 6th took the match to all square, and a fantastic approach shot from Hedwall on 7 set up Nordqvist with a great birdie opportunity. She couldn't convert and Gerina Piller managed to regain the advantage, which the American's didn't let slip for the remainder of the morning
A misjudged shot from Nordqvist on the 8th left their second short, and Lewis' birdie had the American's at 2 up before she holed another birdie to put the USA 3 up after 10.
Another win on 11 put Lewis and Piller four ahead, and a rare miss from Nordqvist to win back a hole on 12 felt like there was no way back for the Swedish pair. Piller helped the visitors to 5 up on 13 with 5 to play, leaving the Europeans having to win every hole for a half.
A half was good enough on the 14th for Lewis and Piller to win the first American point of the morning, putting the USA total to four points.
