Europe need huge comeback in singles to retain Solheim Cup

Europe face an uphill battle to retain the Solheim Cup, despite winning the final two fourballs on day two.

Both sessions on day two at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia finished 2-2, leaving the US up 10-6 heading into the final day singles.

Suzanne Pettersen’s side will need to equal the US record from 2015 when they came back from the same deficit to win.

Trailing 8-4 after sharing the morning foursomes, Europe lost the opening two fourballs – Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom going down 4&3 to Alison Lee and Megan Khang after leading through the front nine, while Linn Grant and Celine Boutier were soundly beaten 6&4 by Andrea Lee and Rose Zhang.

Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen put some blue on the board in the third match of the afternoon, beating Ally Ewing and Lexi Thompson 2&1.

Europe reduced the overnight gap to four points as the English pair of Charley Hull and Georgia Hall finished two up against Allisen Corpuz and Lilia Vu.

Hull had a simple message to the European team heading into the singles, who were given the daunting task of lifting the cup for a record fourth time in succession.

“Win your own point, have fun out there, enjoy it,” she said. “Just kick some ass.”

Pettersen was adamant that Europe are “still in it”, citing the Ryder Cup victory from an identical situation at Medinah in 2015, but admitted her side needed a “massive day” to hold on to the trophy.

“We’re still a long way behind, but if there’s hope, there’s always a chance,” she said.

“These girls are going to go to bed tonight thinking that we have every opportunity. It will be a miracle, but we’ve seen it before.”

US captain Stacy Lewis admitted Europe had played a lot better than on the opening day and revealed a simple game plan for Sunday’s singles.

“We’re going to go try to win as many points early as we can and try to get this thing done,” she said.

For Hull, it was the second time in the day she had gone down the 18th after winning by a single hole alongside Esther Henseleit against Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho in the morning foursomes after being hauled back from two up with four to play.

A 4&3 win for Thompson and Lauren Coughlin over Maja Stark and Hall on Saturday morning briefly extended the US’s 6-2 overnight lead before Nordqvist and Boutier defeated Vu and Sarah Schmelzel by the same margin.

World number one Nelly Korda and Corpuz then claimed their fourth foursomes win in succession by closing out Pedersen and Ciganda on the 18th, the European pair having led by two holes on the front nine.