After Staff USA held off a Staff Europe final-day fightback to regain the Solheim Cup, we have a look at which gamers starred and who struggled by means of the week; in addition to those that have been surprisingly neglected…
Staff Europe
Charley Hull – 3 factors from 5 matches – 8.5/10
Charley Hull’s rating is as excessive as it’s purely due to her sensational 6&4 demolition of world No 1 Nelly Korda within the opening Sunday singles match.
Hull was on hearth together with her putter and gave Korda no room for error, organising the miracle that almost was for Staff Europe.
The win was Hull’s largest victory within the Solheim Cup, her subsequent greatest coming over 10 years in the past in 2013.
She did endure losses within the Friday foursomes and fourballs however got here up towards the unbeaten partnership of Korda and Allisen Corpuz whereas serving to rookie Esther Henseleit alongside the way in which.
Madelene Sagstrom – 2 factors from three matches – 7/10
Madelene Sagstrom’s first look on the 2024 Solheim Cup was within the Friday fourballs and she or he delivered, her and Anna Nordqvist’s 6&5 demolition of Alison Lee and Lexi Thompson selecting up Europe’s solely level of the afternoon session.
She couldn’t add one other level in her Saturday fourballs however was up towards the beautiful unplayable Alison Lee and Megan Khang. Nonetheless she got here out on prime within the Sunday singles with a degree that might have been essential if Europe had been capable of flip a number of halves into full factors.
Celine Boutier – 2 factors from 4 matches – 6.5/10
It’s truthful to say Celine Boutier had a blended weekend on the Solheim Cup. She misplaced a foursomes and a fourballs match, selecting up a win in one other, then developing clutch in her singles match towards the retiring Thompson.
Rose Zhang, particularly, had the higher of her throughout the weekend however when an enormous level was on the road, Boutier stayed calm, didn’t falter underneath the strain, and gave Staff Europe an enormous slice of hope with a birdie putt for a full level on the 18th.
Georgia Corridor – 2 factors from 4 matches – 6.5/10
Georgia Corridor is one other plyer who had a really blended Solheim Cup whereas being trusted to compete throughout a variety of the weekend.
She misplaced a fourballs and a foursomes match however then got here out on prime when paired with Hull within the Saturday fourballs.
In a vital singles match she then delivered, beating Alison Lee in sturdy style to affix Hull in placing a degree on the board early.
Corridor confirmed her class underneath strain however, like a variety of Staff Europe, left it too late.
Anna Nordqvist – 2 factors from 4 matches – 7/10
If there may be somebody who confirmed how expertise can work wonders it was Anna Nordqvist who was competing in her ninth Solheim Cup.
The Swede was on hearth with the putter all weekend, significantly in her demolition job in Friday’s fourballs, however then fell quick in Saturday’s fourballs and within the singles.
She was in a key match towards Corpuz and simply couldn’t discover the rhythm she had earlier within the weekend, Corpuz clinching a significant level as Staff USA edged in the direction of victory.
Emily Pedersen – 2 factors from 5 matches – 5/10
A fourballs loss, a fourballs win, a foursomes loss, a foursomes win and a singles loss. Discuss a blended bag!
Emily Pedersen was actually lacking consistency throughout the Solheim Cup, all her victories being fairly tight, after which it got here dwelling to roost as she went out second on Sunday and couldn’t ship towards Khang.
She was completely overwhelmed and was unable to observe Hull in conserving Europe’s momentum going as they hunted for a miracle.
Esther Henseleit – 1.5 factors from three matches – 6/10
Rookie Esther Henseleit got here up with some actually pivotal moments for Staff Europe, particularly her pitch shot on the 18th in Saturday’s foursomes, including a vital level when Europe have been floundering.
Nonetheless, the strain cooker of the singles was powerful and what may have been a full level was halved as Andrea Lee stored coming at her and it lastly paid dividends on the 18th, her shot this time not the perfect.
A strong sufficient weekend for a primary Solheim Cup.
Maja Stark – 1.5 factors from 4 matches – 6/10
Maja Stark was a part of the pairing with Pedersen that picked up Europe’s solely level within the opening session on Friday however then couldn’t add a full level from then on.
She did have alternatives to win her singles match towards Staff USA rookie Lauren Coughlin however credit score needs to be given for her insanely pressurised putt for par on the 18th that halved the match and stored the Solheim Cup going.
Leona Maguire – 1 level from two matches – 7/10
It was a really quiet Solheim Cup for Leona Maguire and she or he has made no secret of the actual fact she would have favored to have performed extra.
Maguire and Corridor suffered a heavy loss to Korda and Khang in Friday’s fourballs after which we didn’t see Maguire once more till Sunday’s singles the place she confirmed her class and expertise to safe an enormous level for Staff Europe towards Ally Ewing within the penultimate match.
She made her level together with her level.
Carlota Ciganda – 1 level from 4 matches – 5/10
Carlota Ciganda loves matchplay golf, particularly the Solheim Cup, and was the hero in 2023 on dwelling soil however couldn’t discover these breakthrough moments in 2024.
She helped choose up an enormous level within the Saturday fourballs as her and Pedersen defeated Ewing and Thompson 2&1 however was then overwhelmed very convincingly by Zhang within the singles as Staff USA moved 1.5 factors away from their first win since 2017.
Albane Valenzuela – 0.5 factors from two matches – 6/10
Like Maguire, it was a quiet weekend for rookie Albane Valenzuela.
She misplaced alongside Boutier within the Friday foursomes after which we didn’t see her once more till the singles during which she battled actually onerous for half a degree however didn’t have the flexibility to shut the door when she went forward.
A tricky second for her although as Lilia Vu’s expertise confirmed as she stored bringing herself again within the match after which finally was the participant to gap the putt for victory for her nation.
Linn Grant – 0 factors from 4 matches – 3/10
It actually was a weekend to neglect for Linn Grant who couldn’t get a degree on the board for Staff Europe.
Grant was trusted throughout nearly all of the weekend however couldn’t ship, dropping in each fourballs and foursomes on Friday, fourballs once more on Saturday, then singles towards Jennifer Kupcho on Sunday within the anchor match.
There was a situation that might have unfolded the place, if some ties have been changed into full factors, Grant’s singles match would have been essential and her position because the anchor would have probably been put underneath the microscope.
How did Staff USA fare?
Total, it was a fully phenomenal weekend for Staff USA, getting themselves forward early after which bringing it dwelling when the strain began to boil over.
It was solely the second time in Solheim Cup historical past that 4 USA gamers went undefeated, Zhang (4-0-0), Khang (3-0-0), Coughlin (3-0-1) and Andrea Lee (2-0-1) delivering particularly.
Korda additionally had a weekend to shine regardless of her singles defeat to Hull, main her group out in each session and bringing the environment on the first tee, her undefeated partnership with Corpuz nonetheless one to be reckoned with.
Even those that struggled in sure elements of the weekend carried out when it mattered, Vu conserving herself in her singles match then slotting dwelling the successful putt.
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