Europe’s Charley Hull and Lottie Woad are set to kick off the Solheim Cup on Friday in the Netherlands, and talk about walking straight into a gauntlet. These two, ranked seventh and eighth respectively, are staring down the formidable American pairing of Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz in the opening foursomes match.
The Gauntlet Starts Now
This isn’t just any pairing, folks. Korda and Corpuz have been absolutely dominant, winning every single one of their four foursomes matches across the last two editions of this contest. Remember 2024? Korda and Corpuz stomped Hull and her then-partner Esther Henseleit in the very first match of that year. It’s a repeat, but with even higher stakes as Europe looks to flip the script and avoid another early deficit against this US juggernaut. It’s going to take some serious golf to break this American duo’s undefeated streak, especially with the pressure of the opening match.
Can Europe Break the American Streak?
The US side has made a habit of absolutely crushing the opening foursomes sessions. They went a perfect 4-0 at Finca Cortesin in 2023, and then snagged a commanding 3-1 advantage at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in 2024. That kind of early momentum is huge in a team event, and Europe is desperate to avoid a similar start. They’re looking to regain the trophy after falling 15½-12½ in Virginia two years ago, a loss that still stings in what’s famously the biggest team competition in women’s golf. All the action kicks off at Bernardus Golf at 06:40 BST. Besides the marquee opener, we’ve got Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen paired with France’s Celine Boutier taking on Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin in match two. Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Ireland’s Leona Maguire are up against Andrea Lee and debutant Lindy Duncan, which is always exciting to see new talent. And finally, the powerful Swedish duo of Maja Stark and Linn Grant will get started against Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho. Every point in these alternate-shot matches is critical, and Europe needs to come out firing on all cylinders.
Can Europe finally turn the tide in these crucial opening foursomes, or will Korda and Corpuz keep their perfect record alive and set the tone for another American run? Friday morning is going to be electric, and Europe has to come out swinging if they want to get their trophy back.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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