GAINESVILLE, Va. – Yeah, she went there.
By no means one to shrink back (or pace up), Carlota Ciganda invoked Europe’s rally within the 2012 Ryder Cup as hope for an additional shocker on Sunday.
“I believe we have now an opportunity, for positive. You could have 12 factors [in singles],” Ciganda mentioned late Saturday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership. “That’s what we’re going attempt to do; everybody deal with their match, and why not? Medinah, the Miracle at Medinah, it’s coming.”
Similar to it was a dozen years in the past for the lads, Europe trails the U.S., 10-6, coming into the ultimate session within the 19th Solheim Cup.
In 2012, at Medinah Nation Membership exterior of Chicago, the away crew received 8½ of the out there 12 singles factors to maintain the cup. Ciganda has perception that may occur once more.
The U.S. did that within the 2015 Solheim Cup in Germany, erasing a four-point deficit to win by one, so it’s not misplaced on present U.S. captain Stacy Lewis, who was a part of that triumphant crew, how two days of bliss might be misplaced to historical past.
“I believe the largest factor is, we all know it could occur,” Lewis mentioned. “That’s why I did the [singles] lineup the best way I did. I need to go and attempt to shut this factor out as rapidly as attainable.”
Added Lewis’ counterpart, each then and now, European captain Suzann Pettersen: “I used to be on the other facet in Germany, and I do know what it appears like. I do know what it appears like going into Sunday.”
Neither is holding again, front-loading the ultimate session that may start with Nelly Korda versus Charley Hull.
As for the lead-in, European optimism lingered within the night air on a day stuffed largely with American jubilation. Ciganda and Emily Pedersen received their match, adopted by Charley Hull and Georgia Corridor doing the identical. That at the very least gave the Euros a combating probability to maintain the cup they’ve possessed since 2019.
Hope is sweet; good play is healthier. And the Individuals have decidedly outplayed their counterparts to date.
If something has embodied the primary two days – at the very least what’s occurred on the course – it’s the primary match of Saturday fourballs.
Megan Khang and Alison Lee defeated Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom, 4 and three, giving the U.S. a 10-4 lead on the time.
This, although, was extra than simply the addition of a single level. It was an announcement. It mentioned: That is our place, our guidelines, and we’re going to take pleasure in it as a lot as we would like.
“Actually, when you couldn’t inform by my voice, I’ve had somewhat an excessive amount of enjoyable,” a raspy Khang mentioned after the match. “I suppose you’ll be able to by no means have an excessive amount of enjoyable on this crew.”
And Europe, to that time, had not displayed the temerity to play spoiler.
On the par-4 second of that exact U.S. victory, Lee holed out from 86 yards. Lee’s caddie and Khang’s caddie ripped off their bibs and shirts and celebrated prefer it was a cup-clincher.
“It was utterly surreal, positively one of many coolest moments of my life, of my profession,” Lee later mentioned.
That eagle put them 1 up … by means of two holes. Two holes.
There was each cause to imagine that, as Michael Jordan (the Washington Wizards legend, after all) actually would have, that the Europeans would take that personally.
As a substitute, they took one other L.
Nordqvist and Sagstrom, who cruised of their Friday fourball towards Lee and Lexi Thompson, 6 and 5, received only a single gap on this match. They by no means led and had been closed out on the 15th. They had been by no means in a position to stem the tide or mute the celebrations, one thing the Europeans, wholly, had been unsuccessful in engaging in.
Till Saturday night.
Pettersen didn’t wag her finger or provide an excellent feeling. She simply spoke bluntly.
“It’s a tricky process. It’s loads to ask. However the state of affairs is 10-6. All you are able to do is simply actually exit arduous, play your coronary heart out, and hopefully we get sufficient factors that we will sort of preserve this thrilling and enjoyable for the underside half to point out up and get their factors, as properly,” she mentioned.
“It’s simply actually — it’s what it’s at this level.”
After answering all of the media’s questions, she and vice captain Mel Reid stepped off the stage simply as Lewis and a trio of her crew members entered the press room. Pettersen took a pointy proper and went a distinct path.
