After two days of fiercely contested foursomes and fourballs, there is nothing to separate Europe and the USA at Gleneagles as they head into the singles matches.
The visitors won Saturday afternoon’s second fourball series 2.5-1.5, to level the scores at 8-8. Although the tally’s are tied, it gives USA a slight advantage, as they only need six points to retain the cup, having won in 2017, but it is a better position than the Europeans could have hoped for midway through the second afternoon when, for a while at least, they had been staring a 4-0 whitewash.
Europe went into the session with a 6.5-5.5 lead, after halving the morning foursomes 2-2, but that advantage disappeared when in the top match in the afternoon America’s Brittany Altomare and Annie Park beat Suzann Pettersen and Anne Van Dam by one hole.
The European pair had recorded a 4&2 victory over Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas in the opening fourballs but 24 hours later they were never ahead against the US rookies before losing when Altomare holed from four feet for par on the last.
The players had been buffeted by wind gusting up to 50mph throughout the afternoon, and they also had to contend with driving rain long before in the second match on the course Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Caroline Masson halved their match against Lexi Thompson and Marina Alex. Thompson and Masson both had a good chance to win the match with a birdie, but first Thompson and then Masson missed their opportunities to ensure the two teams were tied at 7-7.
Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier had been four down after seven holes in their match against Ally McDonald and Angel Yin, but they went on to mount a brave fightback which saw them move ahead for the first time in the match with a par on the 17th, before securing a point for the home team when the Americans conceded the last.
That result gave Europe an 8-7 lead in the match, but it lasted little more than a couple of minutes before Danielle Kang holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th to give her and partner Lizette Salas a 2&1 win over Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz.
It leaves the match on a knife edge heading into the singles, with the home team needing 6.5 points to claim the trophy for the first time since 2013. The last time the two teams were tied heading into the singles was at Killeen Castle in Ireland in 2011, and on that occasion Europe ran out 15-13 winners when they won singles 7-5.
“We’re probably a bit chippier tonight,” said European captain Catriona Matthew after watching her team withstand the early afternoon onslaught. “At one point this afternoon, it looked as if we could go down 4-0 or 3-1, so to get in at 8-8 is good for us. The fightback from Georgia (Hall) and Celine was great. Caroline (Masson) is devastated she missed the putt on 18, but to be honest we’re really pleased to be where we are. I think it’s going to be pretty tight again tomorrow. It’s going to come down to one long putt, a chip-in, something like that. I think it will be a small thing that changes it one way or another. I rate our chances pretty good.”
US captain Juli Inkster, who admitted to wearing three hats in order to protect herself from the cold, said: “I’m ecstatic at where we are right now. We sat out the Kordas and had two rookies Brittany (Altomare) and Annie (Park) and they showed me something today. It was tough out there for those girls, but they stayed strong. Hopefully the weather will be a little better tomorrow and we can see some really good golf from both sides. We want a good battle for the cup. That’s what these girls do.”
The singles matches begin at 11.40am on Sunday, when Carlota Ciganda goes against Danielle Kang. Next up for Europe is Caroline Hedwall who faces Nelly Korda, while Georgia Hall faces Lexi Thompson in the third match at 12.04.
The other nine matches feature Celine Boutier v Annie Park, Azahara Munoz v Angel Yin, Charley Hull v Megan Khang, Anne Van Dam v Lizette Salas, Caroline Masson v Jessica Korda, Jodi Ewart Shadoff v Brittany Altomare, Suzann Pettersen v Marina Alex, Bronte Law v Ally McDonald and Anna Nordqvist v Morgan Pressel.
RESULTS
FRIDAY FOURSOMES
Pressel & Alex (USA) halved with Ciganda & Law (EUR)
Hall & Boutier (EUR) bt Thompson & Altomare (USA) 2&1
J Korda & N Korda (USA) bt Masson & Ewart-Shadoff (EUR) 6&4
Hull & Muñoz (EUR) bt Khang & Park (USA) 2&1
EUROPE 2 ½ USA 1 ½
FRIDAY FOURBALLS
Pettersen & Van Dam (EUR bt Kang & Salas (USA) 4&2
McDonald & Yin (USA) bt Nordqvist & Hedwall (EUR) 7&5
Ciganda & Law (EUR) halved with J Korda & Thompson (USA)
Hull & Muñoz (EUR) halved with N Korda & Altomare (USA)
EUROPE 2 USA 2
SATURDAY FOURSOMES
Pressel & Alex (USA) bt Nordqvist & Van Dam (EUR) 2&1
Hall & Boutier (EUR) bt Salas & McDonald (USA) 3&2
Hull & Munoz (EUR) bt Kang & Khang (USA) 4&3
J Korda & N Korda (USA) bt Ciganda & Law (EUR) 6&5
EUROPE 2 USA 2
SATURDAY FOURBALLS
Altomare & Park bt Pettersen & Van Dam 1up
Ewart Shadoff & Masson halved with Thompson & Alex
Hall & Boutier bt McDonald & Yin 2up
Salas & Kang bt Ciganda and Munoz 2up
USA 2.5 EUROPE 1.5
