Team Europe win Solheim Cup

The European team celebrate with the trophy following their 15-13 victory during the singles matches on day three of the 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle Golf Club on September 25, 2011 in Dunshaughlin, County Meath, Ireland. (September 24, 2011 - Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Europe)

Stunning European Solheim Victory

Stunning, dramatic and, finally, a day of celebration for the European team at The Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

Following rain delays, lightning threats and the shock withdrawal of Cristie Kerr due to injury before the start of her match, Europe finally regained the Solheim Cup in thrilling fashion with the narrowest of 15-13 victories over the USA.

It all came down to the last three singles matches and a dramatic final half hour. The scoreboard was favouring the USA, but the pendulum swung firmly in Europe’s favour.

Azahara Munoz had the honour of clinching the vital point in the final match with a one hole win over Angela Stanford.

In the second last singles, Caroline Hedwall, two down two to play against Ryann O’Toole, won the last two holes for a vital half point.

Suzann Pettersen had started the great fightback. One down with three to play against Michelle Wie, she pulled out a final-hole win.

The world No.2 birdied the final three holes, holing from eight feet at the last. It was a first ever Solheim singles win for the 30-year-old Norwegian, and the perfect time to achieve it.

For Alison Nicholas’s European team the 7-5 singles score meant it was a fourth win from 12 contests, and they will go to Colorado Golf Club in two years’ time hoping to win in the USA for a first time.

Tied 8-all overnight, Europe received an early free point when Cristie Kerr was forced to withdraw from the final singles against Karen Stupples with an injured wrist.

Out on the course, Catriona Matthew gave Europe a great lead with a 6 and 5 victory over the USA talisman, Paula Creamer, in the top singles and Sophie Gustafson added a second point for the home side with a final green win over Stacy Lewis.

For Gustafson, it was four wins out of four and she was Europe’s top point scorer. Matthew was also unbeaten and contributed a healthy three points.

Brittany Lang claimed the first point for the USA with a 6 and 5 margin over Sandra Gal and Morgan Pressel made sure of four wins for her USA side with a great comeback against Anna Nordqvist.

The American was two down after eight holes but, following a short rain delay, she came back and won five holes in a row and went on to win by 2 and 1.

The much-awaited singles between 51-year-old Juli Inkster, the oldest ever Solheim player, and 47-year-old Laura Davies, the only one to play in all 12 contests, came down to the last hole.

Davies, with the backing of the majority of the 28,000 final day audience, was one up playing the par four 18th and both players bunkered their second shots.

But Inkster nearly holed her third from 30 yards, while the English woman failed to make a ten foot par putt. The match ended all square and it was a half point for the visitors. 

Christina Kim comfortably defeated Maria Hjorth before two rookies both finally won their first Solheim Cup points. American Vicky Hurst beat Melissa Reid by two holes and Europe’s Christel Boeljon overcame Brittany Lincicome by the same margin.

With the score tied at 12 ½- 12 ½ it was then left for Europe’s final trio to compete the drama: and what a finale it was!

DAY THREE RESULTS – Sunday 25th September Singles (Europe names first)

Catriona Matthew beat Paula Creamer by 6 and 5

Sophie Gustafson beat Stacy Lewis by 2 holes

Anna Nordqvist lost to Morgan Pressel by 2 and 1

Laura Davies halved with Juli Inkster

Melissa Reid lost to Vicky Hurst by 2 holes

Christel Boeljon beat Brittany Lincicome by 2 holes

Sandra Gal lost to Brittany Lang by 6 and 5

Maria Hjorth lost to Christina Kim by 4 and 2

Suzann Pettersen beat Michelle Wie by 1 hole

Caroline Hedwall halved with Ryann O’Toole

Azahara Muñoz beat Angela Stanford by 1 hole

Karen Stupples won over Cristie Kerr *

*Due to injury Kerr conceded the match to Stupples and Europe were awarded the point

Europe 7 USA 5

Overall score: Europe 15 USA 13

Rookie Wins Solheim for Europe

Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall was an amateur a matter of months ago but now as a proud member of the Ladies European Tour she wrote her name into the record books when she won the half point that secured a 15-13 victory for Europe over America in the 12thSolheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Co. Meath, Ireland.

Hedwall spent much of her singles trailing her opponent, rookie Ryann O’Toole, but came good when it mattered most, calmly securing a run of par figures as the tension reached fever pitch. Her victory, achieved when O’Toole failed to secure par on the last, gave Europe its first victory since 2003 and just its fourth in a series inaugurated back in 1992.

European captain, Alison Nicholas described the victory as “the finest moment of her career” and few among the exultant crowd that surrounded the final green disagreed. It was a momentous occasion, achieved against a strong and resilient US side that lost its talisman, Cristie Kerr, to injury before the start, but never stopped battling right to the very end.

At the top end of the draw, Scotland’s Catriona Matthew gave Europe a great start when she defeated Paula Creamer 6&5. It was the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open champion’s fifth successive victory in Solheim Cup singles.

Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson also produced a point, defeating Stacy Lewis by 2 holes but Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang both put valuable points on the board for the American team with victories over Anna Nordqvist and Sandra Gal.

The battle of the veterans ended all square after England’s Laura Davies failed to match Juli Inkster’s par four on the 381-yard par-4 18th hole. That half point extended the American’s record for Most Points Scored in the Singles to seven points or one more than her opponent in today’s singles match.

Christina Kim won her third singles in three Solheim Cup appearances when she defeated Sweden’s Maria Hjorth by 4 & 2. Prior to this year’s match in Ireland Kim had also beaten Ludivine Kreutz by 5&4 in 2005 and Tania Elosegui by 2 holes in 2009.

Vicky Hurst added to her country’s tally when she recorded her first point of the week with a 2 hole victory over England’s Mel Reid in what was an all-rookie contest. At that stage the Americans took the lead for the first time during the final afternoon at 12 ½ - 11 ½.

Dutch rookie Christel Boeljon restored parity at 12 ½ - 12 ½ when she defeated the big-hitting Brittany Lincicome by 2 holes and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen then brought Europe to within one point of victory with a colossal birdie on the last hole against Michelle Wie.

At that stage, with the match standing at 13 ½ - 12 ½ in favour of the Europeans, there were two matches left on the course. Caroline Hedwall was one down playing the last against Ryann O’Toole, while Azahara Munoz was tied with Angela Stanford playing the 17th hole.

Munoz was the first to strike, securing a birdie three to give her a one hole lead playing the last against Stanford. Hedwall then won the last to halve the match before the final score was confirmed as 15-13 when Azahara Munoz defeated Angela Stanford by one hole. Both putts were conceded on the 18th green.

The day was plagued by poor weather almost from the outset. A combination of torrential rain and the threat of lightning resulted in three postponements to play and in the end the winning putt did not drop until after 18.00 (BST).

The drama began even before play started when Cristie Kerr was forced to pull out suffering from a wrist injury. Under the terms of the Captain’s Agreement signed by both Alison Nicholas and Rosie Jones the Americans had to concede Kerr’s singles match against Karen Stupples and the point was awarded to the European team.

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.