Toledo (Ohio, USA), Sep 5 (EFE) .- The Irish Leona Maguire and the English Mel Reid maintained the leadership of the European team in the Solheim Cup this Sunday with a 9-7 advantage over that of USA.
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By EFE
05 Sep 2021 – 19:14
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Europe was left this Monday with the first option to win the title in the singles matches.
Maguire and Reid defeated Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing on an alternate shot play. They then got rid of Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas in four-ball.
Reid and Maguire, who barely knew each other before European captain Catriona Matthew paired them after a series of brilliant practice rounds, finished 2-0-1 at the weekend.
Maguire, a 26-year-old former college star at Duke and the first Irish to make a Solheim Cup team, is 3-0-1 so far.
Europe is trying to win on US soil for the second time in the event’s 31-year history.
This is the ninth time that Europe has led singles matches. The Europeans have won just four of the previous eight times they were in the lead after two days, the last in 2013 when they scored their only road victory at Colorado Golf Club.
Europe started Sunday with a three-point lead and appeared poised to beat the United States after briefly leading in the morning’s four alternating-throw games.
The Americans rallied to win three of four to return to contention and held the lead in the last nine in three of the four four-ball games.
Only rookies Mina Harigae and Yealimi Noh held out to win. Harigae and Noh were never left behind by beating Celine Boutier and Sophia Popov 3 and 1, definitely ahead with Harigae’s birdie on par 4 of the 14th hole and taking command in Noh’s 20-year-old birdie in the short par 4 of 16.
Megan Khang and Jessica Korda saw a small lead of 1 for both after 11 holes against Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen turned into a loss.
A long birdie by Ciganda on par 4 put the Europeans in front and the birdie attempts of the 18 Americans fell very short.
Emily Pedersen’s eagle in par 5 of the eighth tied her and Charley Hull’s match with the American team of Austin Ernst and Danielle Kang. By the twelfth, the Europeans were on their way to a 3-2 win.
The Americans played the afternoon without Olympic champion Nelly Korda, who looked like she needed a break after a series of unusual mistakes against the fiery Reid and the inspired Maguire.
Korda, who triumphed in Tokyo a month ago, made a shot from a fairway bunker on par 4 of the fourth hole out of bounds, made an approach shot on par 4 of the seventh and had a chip uphill from the edge. on par 4 ninth just get to the middle of the hole before reversing.
With Korda struggling, her teammates took over. Ernst and Kang converted a one-hole deficit against Georgia Hall and Madelene Sagstrom into a one-hole advantage after winning the 13th and 14th and holding the rest of the way. It was the only game of the morning to reach the 18th green a day after seven of the eight games reached the final hole.
Two of the afternoon’s games came in at 18, with Reid’s birdie giving Europe a bit of leeway heading into the singles.
As defending champions, the Europeans only need five points on Monday to retain the Cup, while the Americans need 7 1/2 to win for the 11th time in 17 meetings.
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