Laura Davies Sets Solheim Record

Laura Davies set a new Solheim Cup points record, but the momentum swung towards the USA after the second day fourballs at the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland. One point down overnight and trailing 5-7 after the morning foursomes, the holders won the fourballs 3-1 to level the score at 8-all.

Davies had done her best to set Europe on the right road when she claimed the top match by a comfortable 4 and 3 margin in the company of Melissa Reid. The victims were two of the best in Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang.

The only player to compete in all 12 Solheims, 47-year-old Davies was relieved as well as delighted to reach the 24 ½ points she needed to overtake Annika Sorenstam as the all-time record holder.

“To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing not to have the most points when I’ve played in every match,” said England’s ever-honest 47-year-old. “So it’s great to have made it. It’s cleared the pressure and now I can relax a bit more without that extra edge in the singles.”

With four birdies in a row from the third, Davies’ all-English side was four up at the turn.

Reid then made her own contribution with an eight foot eagle putt at the long 12th. For the 24-year-old rookie – who had suffered two heartbreaking final green defeats on day one – it was a first Solheim point.

The closest match featured Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel against world No.2 Suzann Pettersen, and the new European star, Caroline Hedwall.

The USA were two up with four to play, but Hedwall made a winning birdie at the long 15th and Pettersen danced in delight by draining a 35-foot birdie at the short 16th. The crowd went mad.

But Pressel was having none of it – and she silenced the home fans by ramming in an eight foot birdie putt to win the 17th. They held on for the one-hole victory.

Paula Creamer, who is set to play in all five matches, retained her week’s unbeaten record with a 3 and 1 win over Maria Hjorth and Azahara Munoz in the final fourball alongside Brittany Lincicome.

“We are all so pumped up and it is great to be back tied,” said Creamer. “It was nice to see some red on the board and we are ready for tomorrow.”

Rookie Stacy Lewis claimed her first point alongside Ryann O’Toole, who has more than proved her point. She was a controversial Captain’s wild card selection and was in poor form coming into the event.

The 2 and 1 win over Sandra Gal and Christel Boeljon made it 2 ½ points for O’Toole from three outings. The score was also 8-all at the same stage at Rich Harvest farms in Illinois two years ago and America went on to win 16-12.

Europe has only won the singles three times, but the wise Davies had some words of advice for herself the rest of Alison Nicholas’s troops.

“We’ve messed up so many time on the final day,” she said. The key is not to look at the scoreboard. I’m usually looking at leaderboard but I think sometimes we see blue and then start thinking too much.

“Keep the head down and just try and win your own point. That’s what we all have to do.” 

DAY TWO RESULTS – Saturday 24th September

Fourballs (Europe names first)

Laura Davies and Melissa Reid beat Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie by 4 and 3

Suzann Pettersen and Caroline Hedwall lost to Morgan Pressel and Cristie Kerr one hole

Sandra Gal and Christel Boeljon lost to Stacy Lewis and Ryann O’Toole 2 and 1

Maria Hjorth and Azahara Muñoz lost to Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome 3 and 1

Europe 1 USA 3

Overall score: Europe 8 USA 8

Singles draw (Europe names first) 

10:10 Catriona Matthew v Paula Creamer

10:20 Sophie Gustafson v Stacy Lewis

10:30 Anna Nordqvist v Morgan Pressel

10:40 Laura Davies v Juli Inkster

10:50 Melissa Reid v Vicky Hurst

11:00 Christel Boeljon v Brittany Lincicome

11:10 Sandra Gal v Brittany Lang

11:20 Maria Hjorth v Christina Kim

11:30 Suzann Pettersen v Michelle Wie

11:40 Caroline Hedwall v Ryann O’Toole

11:50 Azahara Muñoz v Angela Stanford

12:00 Karen Stupples v Cristie Kerr

Daly Walks Off Course in Austria

John Daly walked out of the Austrian Open in Atzenbrugg after a dispute over a two-shot penalty.

He stormed off at the 15th hole following a disagreement with officials over where his ball should have been dropped after a shot into the water.

The two-time major champion, nicknamed 'Wild Thing', also threw his club into the lake at the par-three 15th.

Tournament referee Andy McFee said: "I told him it was a two-shot penalty, at which point he said 'I'm done'."

The 45-year-old American was level par for the day and two over for the tournament before his troubles at the 15th, and was on course to make the cut.

McFee added: "If you play from a wrong place, and it's a serious breach then there could be a disqualification. But we always try to avoid this.

"When I knew it was not a serious breach I said 'You can carry on John'. But John did not want to do that."

Daly was playing with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Austria's Martin Wiegele at the Diamond Country Club outside Vienna, and had battled back to one over par with birdies at the 12th and 13th, before dropping a shot at the 14th.

Jimenez said: "I had tried to help him with the drop so I thought for a moment that maybe I had done something wrong. It definitely put me off for the remaining holes."

Wiegele added: "He [Daly] played some brilliant stuff but unfortunately it ended in a negative way. These two situations made him explode.

"He came to me and said that we were playing well and that he did not want to slow us down. He wished us both good luck for the weekend and left."

There is a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds. England's Robert Coles carded the best round of the day, a seven under par 65, to finish on seven under.

He shares the halfway lead with Dutchman Joost Luiten, Denmark's Thomas Norret, and India's Gaganjeet Bhullar. First-round leader Liam Bond of Wales dropped back to a share of ninth place after he shot a 74.

Only two of the world's top 100 are competing in Atzenbrugg - Jimenez lies in a tie for 18th after a second-round 69, while Ireland's three-time major winner Padraig Harrington is in a tie for 47th after he finished at one over.

Tom Lewis, who won the silver medal for finishing as top amateur at this year's Open, will earn a cheque in his first event as a professional after a round of 70 left him at level par and secured his place for the weekend.

Europe Foursomes Clean Sweep

It was a clean sweep for the Swedes as Europe snatched a 2 ½ - 1 ½ victory in the second day foursomes and moved two points ahead in the bid to regain The Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

Needing 14 ½ points for victory, the Europeans lead 7-5 with 16 points still to be decided. Still a long way to go, but Alison Nicholas’s team were in buoyant mood.

It’s been a dream Solheim debut for Caroline Hedwall, the ‘baby’ of the European team and a three-time winner in her first year as a professional.

She partnered Sophie Gustafson to a 5 and 4 win in the Friday fourballs and the Swedish duo again hit form to trounce Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford 6 and 5 in the top foursome.

In the third match, another all-Swedish partnership of Anna Nordqvist and Maria Hjorth beat Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster 3 and 2.

Europe’s half point came in a thrilling bottom match. One down playing the last, Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz won the hole when Cristie Kerr bunkered the American’s approach shot and then failed to make the seven foot par putt.

“It’s so exciting it’s unbelievable,” said 22-year-old Hedwall, who has her twin sister, Jacqueline, as her caddie. “Sophie is so confident and calm and that makes me the same and she is so easy to play with.”

Jacqueline managed to get time off from her studies at Louisiana State University to be part of the European set-up this week – she intends trying to qualify for the Ladies’ European Tour at the 2012 qualifying school. 

“I love to caddie for my sister, especially this week,” she said. “The atmosphere and the fans are just awesome.”

RESULTS

DAY ONE RESULTS – Friday 23rd September

Foursomes (Europe names first):

Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist lost to Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr 2 and 1

Karen Stupples and Melissa Reid lost to Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome one

hole

Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz beat Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford 3 and 2

Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson beat Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster one hole

Europe USA 2-2

Fourballs (Europe names first)

Laura Davies and Melissa Reid lost to Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel one hole

Catriona Matthew and Sandra Gal halved with Christina Kim and Ryann O’Toole

Sophie Gustafson and Caroline Hedwall beat Vicky Hurst and Brittany Lincicome 5 and 4

Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist beat Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie two holes

Europe 2 ½ USA 1 ½

Overall score: Europe 4 ½ USA 3 ½

DAY TWO RESULTS – Saturday 24th September

Foursomes (Europe names first):

Caroline Hedwall and Sophie Gustafson beat Angela Stanford and Stacy Lewis 6 and 5

Karen Stupples and Christel Boeljon lost to Morgan Pressel and Ryann O’Toole 3 and 2

Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist beat Brittany Lang and Juki Inkster 3 and 2

Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz halved with Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer

Europe 2 ½ USA 1 ½

Overall score: Europe 7 USA 5

Fourballs draw:

Laura Davies and Melissa Reid v Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie

Suzann Pettersen and Caroline Hedwall v Morgan Pressel and Cristie Kerr

Sandra Gal and Christel Boeljon v Stacy Lewis and Ryann O’Toole

Maria Hjorth and Azahara Munoz v Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome

Nicholas Selects Saturday Pairings

Team Europe skipper Alison Nicholas expressed her delight with Europe's 4.5-3.5 lead over the USA after the first day at The 2011 Soheim Cup.

"I'm really pleased. The players played with passion and a purpose I can only say well done to them. They absolutely entertained from start to finish, and I'm exhausted.

"We're a team. It's never about one individual. It's about matching those pairings and getting experienced players to play with rookies.

"All my players are up for it, and they're playing well. It was great but I love the European fans to scream a little bit more. 

"I do feel that they're a little bit shy, and I'd like them to really start being more vocal. I think, I don't know, it's maybe our nature in Europe and in this country to be a little bit shy, and I want them to come out of themselves and shout and scream for Europe a little bit more because I'm not hearing enough of that.

"This is a home match. So I want to encourage everyone to scream and shout for Europe and give us some more oomph in the voice. We need some decibels out there to cheer on the girls."

Saturday Foursomes Matches:

7.40am Caroline Hedwall and Sophie Gustafson vs Angela Stanford and Stacy Lewis.

7.52am Karen Stupples and Christel Boeljon vs Morgan Pressel and Ryann O'Toole 

8.04am Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist vs Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster.

8.16am Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz vs Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer

Pettersen and Nordqvist Earn Lead

Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist won 2-up on the last in their fourball tussle with Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie to give Europe a slender and valuable one point lead after a thrilling opening day of the Solheim Cup.

It ensured Alison Nicholas' side emerged buoyant and ahead of Rosie Jones' gutsy USA, whose star performer Paula Creamer was unbeaten in her two matches.

So was Peterssen, who said: "Our goal is to win every day, and we won today. That's a good start and today only reinforces our belief we can win the Solheim Cup."

Naturally, it was a matchplay encounter that ebbed and flowed.

It was Creamer and Morgan Pressel who broke the hearts of Mel Reid and Laura Davies with a final hole victory after overturning a 2-down deficit.And Laura Davies, who sat out the morning session, said: "I think putting was the difference. We were great tee to green, just didn't make the putts. There’s nothing you can do when they start making theirs and they go right in the middle."

Debutant Reid added: "Golf's a cruel game sometimes. To have played both matches and to have lost on the last twice is gutting. But it’s the best we could have done."

Davies agreed but added: "The good thing is that the team is in a good position and that’s the most important thing. Hopefully it will go our way the rest of the day and I think it’s great we are ahead by a point."

Earlier on, the Swedish duo of Sophie Gustafson and rookie Caroline Hedwall thrashed Vicky Hurst and Brittany Lincicombe 5&4 to give Europe its first point of the Fourballs.

And Hedwall said: "Well, I think we have a good team, and I think Sophie and I make a good pair. I'm not surprised we won."

The Foursomes session had ended in a 2-2 tie, the first time the matches have been tied in the history of the Solheim Cup.

And it looked as though Catriona Matthew and Sandra Gal would add to Europe's point haul, only to be pegged back by some superb US putting from Ryan O'Toole and Christina Kim, who birdied 16 and 17 before a final hole putt-out failed to yield the decisive birdie.

Matthew said: "They birdied 16, 17, but, obviously, we were disappointed being 2‑up with three to go.

"But to make birdies on tricky holes like 16, there's not much you can do. I think Sandra played really well today, like she said, and I played not too badly on the front and kind of crumbled. And she helped me on the back."

German debutant Gal added: "No, I don't feel we lost the match. It was just a good game, good golf. And that's the result and we'll take it."

But the vital half point was added to by a full point when Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist, playing in the deepening gloom at Killeen Castle as night drew in, sealed their narrow win.

In the morning Foursomes, Pettersen gave Europe a huge boost by holing an eight foot birdie putt on the final hole to make it honours even after the opening series of foursomes at the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

Pettersen, the world No.2, and Sophie Gustafson had lost the 17th to stand all square in the bottom match against Juli Inkster and Brittany Lang but they pulled a full point out of the bag to make the score 2-all.

European Captain Alison Nicholas greeted the win with a jig of joy and Pettersen said: “It was great to hear the cheers ringing round the 18th. Sophie played a brilliant shot and then the putt was straight in the middle.”

She added: “It’s turned out well for us. That was a huge putt from Suzann on the last. She was going to make that and that’s what champions are made of.

“Foursomes is a tough game and you have to keep in there fighting and we did that. It did look like it was getting away from us at one stage, when America were ahead in 3 matches, but that was heart at its best.

“It’s been up and down and all about. We looked like we’d get the second match and a 3-1, the bottom match went all the way, but you have to expect the nips and tucks. It’s tight.

Suzann Pettersen said: “I had missed a few short putts to keep them in the match earlier on, but Sophie left me the easiest putt on the last with a great approach and my putt was right on the middle, so no, I wasn’t feeling too nervous over it! We played and dovetailed well today as a pair.

“It’s a great feeling to win our point. We did our job and we knew it was going to be a battle against Juli and Brittany. We know they will never give up and we kind of screwed up 17.

“We had got our noses in front but could never quite get away. But when Juli missed her birdie putt on the last I knew what I had to do.”

Sophie Gustafson said: “I think 2-2 is a pretty good job. It’s not easy. It’s hard to get your rhythm going in foursomes so our plan was to hit greens in regulation to make sure we had lots of putts each. It’s hard in the wind and sometimes you hit shots that don’t get rewarded. But we got the point in the end.”

But the USA team, bidding to win the trophy for the fourth year in a row, showed their own grit and determination with an unlikely win in the second match.

The all-English pair of Karen Stupples and Melissa Reid had looked to be in control against Paula Creamer and Brittany LIncicome when they stood two up with four holes to play.

But they lost the 15th to a birdie, the 17th to a par and then took six down the 18th after Stupples hit her drive into rough and then bunkered the third shot. 

It was a one hole victory for Creamer and Lincicome and one of the massive momentum swings that make the Solheim Cup such an absorbing spectacle.

“It’s obviously devastating for Karen and Mel to be 2up with 3 to play and lose it," said Nicholas.

"I’ve spoken to Karen Stupples and we’re looking forward. You can’t change the past. You have to put it behind you. We’re not dwelling on what might have been. Let’s move forwards.

“I am pleased with the way the rookies played. They were awesome. To me they aren’t rookies. This afternoon we want our 4-balls to put 2 balls on the fairways, 2 on the greens. That’s the best way to win the session.”

But there was a great point for Europe from the ever reliable Catriona Matthew and Spanish rookie Azahara Munoz. Never behind in the third match, the home duo were three up after five holes and went on to beat Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford by a comfortable 3 and 2.

“It was my first Solheim so I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was really exciting,” said Munoz. “Catriona was an awesome partner. She keeps her emotions so calm.”

RESULTS

Foursomes (Europe names first):

Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist lost to Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr 2 and 1

Karen Stupples and Melissa Reid lost to Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome one 

hole

Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz beat Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford 3 and 2

Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson beat Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster one 

hole

Europe USA 2-2

FOURBALL DRAW

Laura Davies and Melissa Reid lost 1 down to Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer

Catriona Matthew and Sandra Gal halved with Christina Kim and Ryann O’Toole

Sophie Gustafson and Caroline Hedwall beat Vicky Hurst and Brittany Lincicome 5&4

Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist beat Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie 2 up

Europe 4.5-3.5 USA