Hull and Nordqvist steal the show to put team two points ahead of USA

Phil Casey 09:58 19/09/2015
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  • Melissa Reid (l) and Charley Hull won their Solheim Cup foursomes clash.

    Charley Hull and Anna Nordqvist produced stunning solo performances in a team cause as Europe claimed a two-point lead over the United States after a weather-affected opening day of the Solheim Cup.

    After the morning foursomes finished 2-2, Nordqvist carried fellow Swede Caroline Hedwall to a commanding 4-3 victory over Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer in the first of the afternoon fourballs.

    And English teenager Hull then secured her second point of the day by partnering France’s Gwladys Nocera to a 3-2 win over rookie Alison Lee and Angela Stanford, who has now lost her last eight Solheim Cup matches in succession.

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    Match three looked destined to go the way of American pair Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr, with Thompson firing five birdies and an eagle in the first eight holes and holding off a fightback from Melissa Reid and Carlota Ciganda to be two up with three to play.

    However, Reid – who had partnered Hull to victory in foursomes – won the 16th with a birdie before Ciganda holed out with a nine iron from 140 yards on the 17th for a stunning eagle.

    That drew the European pair level but, with the light fading following an earlier 65-minute delay due to the threat of lightning, their American opponents refused to play the 18th and play was suspended for the day.

    In the final match, German pair Sandra Gal and Caroline Masson were one up on Gerina Piller and Brittany Lang with three holes to play.

    Nordqvist and Suzann Pettersen, Europe’s top ranked players, had managed just one birdie in losing 32 to Pressel and Creamer in the opening foursomes.

    Pettersen was unsurprisingly replaced by Hedwall, who compiled a perfect 5-0 record two years ago.

    Hedwall has been in poor form recently but home fans need not have worried as Nordqvist birdied the second, third, seventh and eighth and, after Hedwall’s par won the ninth, also birdied the 10th and 11th to effectively secure victory.

    Hull was equally impressive with five birdies in 10 holes from the fifth, the 19-year-old then fittingly rattling in a par putt on the 16th to seal the win.

    Hull and Reid were never behind in the morning foursomes as they beat Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome 21, while Gal and Scotland’s Catriona Matthew defeated world No3 Stacy Lewis and Lizette Salas 32. Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher threatened to pull off an unlikely comeback against Thompson and Kerr, recovering from four down after six to win the 13th, 14th and 15th with a hat-trick of birdies.

    However, they were unable to find another birdie on the par-five 16th and eventually lost 2 and 1.

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