By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – A U.S. team eager to end a seven-year Solheim Cup title drought enjoyed a dream start on the opening day on Friday in Virginia, taking a 6-2 lead over Europe behind the sensational play of Nelly Korda, Megan Khang, Rose Zhang and others.
The U.S. won three of their four foursome matches in the morning to take a 3-1 lead and stretched the advantage to 6-2 in the afternoon four-ball session for the largest lead ever recorded after the first day of the team event.
“It has been a really good day,” said U.S. captain Stacy Lewis.
“Things played out the way we were hoping. I’m really happy with the pairings I was able to put out and the players produced some great shots, some great scores, and got us a ton of points.”
World number one Korda came skipping out of the tunnel to the first tee and never put a foot wrong all day.
Alongside partner Allisen Corpuz, the duo notched a 3&2 victory over Esther Henseleit and Charley Hull in the opening foursome match of the day to grab the early momentum for the home side.
Korda and Khang then proceeded to crushed Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire 6&4 in the opening four-ball match of the afternoon thanks to some blistering drives by Korda as the pair feasted on the course’s par-fives.
“When you have a teammate who is so pure off the tee you never have to worry, you just have to send it,” said Korda, who teed off first for the pair on every hole.
“That was the motto, I was going to go first and send it and if I sent it in the wrong direction, I knew I had a really good partner who would go next,” she said with a laugh.
“Nelly doesn’t miss it often,” Khang noted.
Korda pumped her fist after guiding an eagle putt into the hole on 14 to seal the 6&4 win and put the U.S. up 4-1.
Europe scored an important point when Solheim Cup veteran Anna Nordqvist’s birdie on 13 delivered a 6&5 match win for her and partner Madelene Sagstrom over Americans Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee to cut the U.S. lead to 4-2.
But that would be the last highlight of the day for the visitors.
Zhang and Andrea Lee overcame a slow start but played last six holes at eight-under par for a convincing 5&4 win over Europe’s Linn Grant and Charley Hull.
The American rookie duo of Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel both looked comfortable on the biggest stage in women’s team golf, Coughlin nailing a long birdie putt to beat Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark 3&2 for the 6-2 overnight lead.
The U.S. is looking to win the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017. Europe retained the trophy for a third consecutive time last year when they clawed their way back from an early deficit for a 14-14 tie in Spain.
Team Europe face a steep climb in their bid for an unprecedented four-peat but returning Captain Suzann Pettersen said her side would keep the faith.
“We’ve done it before, we can do it again,” Pettersen said.
“It’s going to take a massive effort but I know we can do it.
“Today’s play is history now. The Americans played great and we have a massive job ahead of us but anything is possible.”
The tournament resumes Saturday and concludes Sunday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)
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