Europe claws back to tie 2023 Solheim Cup against Americans

CASARES, Spain - Is it Sunday yet?

Some incredible golf was played in both foursomes and fourball sessions on Saturday at the 2023 Solheim Cup at the luxurious Finca Cortesin on Spain's southern coast, setting up what should be a thrilling finale. After an enticing two days of play, the 18th matches between the Americans and Europeans are all tied at 8-8.

Both teams came away with two points after a halved session in the morning foursomes, but in the afternoon the Europeans showed their fourball dominance once again with a second consecutive 3-1 session win at the expense of the Americans.

From future stars shining bright to a strategy battle between opposing captains, here are five things we learned from the second day of play at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain.

What happened in the afternoon fourball?

Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing couldn’t buy a birdie on the front nine, allowing Charley Hull and Leona Maguire to take a 4-up lead by the turn in the first match of the day. Despite both Americans making birdie on the par-3 10th, the match didn’t last much longer as the Euros put the first point on the board on the 14th green with a dominant 4-and-3 victory. Maguire made seven birdies over 14 holes (with usual match-play concessions).

Rose Zhang eagled the first hole but an Emily Pedersen birdie on No. 3 and a pair of Pedersen and Sagstrom birdies on the par-5 4th flipped the match in the European favor. Andrea Lee briefly tied the match again with a birdie on No. 6 before both Euros made birdie at the 7th. Pedersen and Sagstrom responded to the few charges made by the U.S. and put the match out of reach with a late birdie on the 15th before claiming a 2-and-1 victory on the 17th green.

Minutes later the first point was on the board for the Americans. Team Europe’s Caroline Hedwall birdied five of the first eight holes in her first appearance of the week, leading to a 2-up lead alongside Anna Nordqvist against Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin. Three American wins on Nos. 11-13 (with two birdies and a par) flipped the match and gave the U.S. their second lead of the entire afternoon at 1 up, a score they held until a Yin birdie at the 18th delivered a 2-up victory.

In the final match of the day, Linn Grant birdied the first six holes and somehow Europe only took a lead on No. 6. Vu matched Grant with birdie on Nos. 1, 3 and 4 while Kang put circles on the card on Nos. 2, 4 and 5. The American pair held strong until Kang made birdie on the par-3 10th to briefly tie the match before a 2-up advantage was quickly restored thanks to a Grant birdie at No. 11 and a Ciganda par on No. 12.

Kang and Vu both birdied the 13th to bring the match within one for the next three holes before Ciganda sent the crowd into a frenzy with a birdie on the 16th to give the Euros a 2-up lead with two holes to play. All four players made par on the 17th, giving the Europeans a crucial 3-1 session win to square the match at 8-8 entering Sunday singles.

Nobody is safe when Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz are paired together

Simply put, Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz have been an absolute wagon this week in foursomes.

Veteran stalwart Anna Nordqvist and match-play maven Leona Maguire? 1 up. Next. Previously undefeated Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall? Here’s a 5-and-3 sandwich for lunch.

U.S. captain Stacy Lewis might have delivered a pairing that will be a force for years to come in the Solheim Cup as Corpuz and Korda are now 2-0 in foursomes play. Despite going up against a pair of formidable foes, they made it look easy.

“I think Nelly is really calm,” said Corpuz, “which is kind of what I need. I play pretty low energy. Obviously, she has the experience as well. So just knowing that having someone like her by my side has helped me a lot to get comfortable.”

Korda, who now has an overall record of 7-2-1 in the Solheim, partnered with older sister Jessica in her first two Solheims. But with a now pregnant Jessica out with a back injury, Nelly was in need of a new foursomes partner and Corpuz stepped in to make it seamless. Nelly said she and Corpuz bonded well on the golf course.

“She may be a rookie,” said Nelly on Friday, “but I think she came in really clutch today, and she doesn’t show that at all."

Linn Grant is going to be a problem for the United States for some time

Stacy Lewis isn’t the only captain with a bright spot on her roster for years to come.

Now 3-1-0, rookie Linn Grant has blossomed in her Solheim Cup debut this week. The 24-year-old is ranked No. 15 in the world and has rolled in clutch putt after clutch putt across the four sessions as the Swede never sat on the sidelines this week.

Rookies Grant and Maja Stark were the first group out on Friday morning and quickly went 3 down before showing some serious fight to get the match to the 17^th green, where they eventually lost respectably, 2-and-1. Grant and Carlota Ciganda won 4-and-2 Friday afternoon in fourballs before she returned to Stark to win 1-up on Saturday morning in foursomes. Later that afternoon, once again with Ciganda, the pair put another point on the board, this time with a 2-and-1 foursomes victory (where Grant birdied the opening six holes).

Long story short, Grant is primed to be a thorn in the side and rock in the shoe for the Americans for the foreseeable future.

A pretty big fan (literally) came to support the Euros

Professional athletes in other sports love golf. They seemingly can’t get enough of it.

In major team events like the Solheim Cup, it’s common for high-profile athletes to come show their support. This week in Spain has been no different, especially on Saturday when two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star Pau Gasol showed up on site at Finca Cortesin.

Gason was born in Barcelona and took his talents to the NBA where he played for five teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won his two titles. The 43-year-old is an avid golfer and even participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year, where he finished T-9 alongside Mark Hubbard.

Strategy battle makes final day even more intriguing

U.S. captain Stacy Lewis was true to her word that no competitor would play all five matches, while European captain Suzann Pettersen will roll out two players in each session: Leona Maguire and Emily Pedersen (one of her captain’s picks).

Pedersen struggled in the first session on Friday, but her captain kept the faith and rolled her back on Friday afternoon. All the Dane did was flip the momentum of the day with a hole-in-one and repay her captain’s confidence with 2.5 points over the next three sessions.

The way the American and European leaders have approached this week couldn’t be more different. Lewis was all about analytics and took a measured approach with media while Pettersen seemingly played mostly off vibes and was her tough, feisty self as soon as play began Friday. Lewis selected each of her players at least twice while two on Pettersen’s squad (Gemma Dryburgh and Caroline Hedwall) each sat a full day.

Who’s to say which strategy is right, but it’s the variance that makes this year’s Solheim Cup that much more special. So far each approach has worked, and now just 12 matches separate heartbreak and celebration.

Contributing: Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols