Carlota Ciganda just snatched a tie from the jaws of defeat for Europe, draining a monster 15-foot putt on the final hole to ensure the Solheim Cup sits at a dead even 4-4 after a wild opening day! This wasn’t just any putt, folks, this was a roar of pure emotion that pulled Europe back from the brink when things were looking rough for Captain Anna Nordqvist’s squad.
Ciganda Does It Again, Korda Feels The Sting
Seriously, this woman lives for the Solheim Cup drama. The 36-year-old Spaniard, who’s the oldest player out there and playing in her eighth Cup, made that 15-foot putt in the final fourball match, turning what looked like a US advantage into a crucial half point. And guess who was on the receiving end? World number one Nelly Korda and her partner Lauren Coughlin, both of whom left their own match-winning putts short. Ciganda even won the 16th hole with an eagle, talk about clutch! This all felt eerily familiar, too, echoing the nerve-shredding 2023 finale at Finca Cortesin where Ciganda’s putt helped Europe retain the trophy with a 14-14 tie, with Korda also being beaten by her then. You can hear it in her voice: “I love this week. I just love playing for the team, for my team-mates. We fought hard and we got half a point, which is important,” Ciganda said, “It gives us big momentum and hopefully we can take that into and win both morning and afternoon sessions.” Big words, big momentum!
A Day of Highs and Lows for Europe
While Ciganda was busy being an absolute legend, the rest of Europe’s day was a bit of a rollercoaster. Angela Stanford’s US visitors, who are looking to retain the trophy after their 15½-12½ victory two years ago in Virginia, definitely tried to take control. European captain Nordqvist made a bold move sending her two highest-ranked players, Charley Hull and rookie Lottie Woad, out first in both the morning foursomes and afternoon fourballs. But despite winning the opening hole in foursomes, that gamble just didn’t pay off. Hull and Woad lost 4&3 to the formidable duo of Korda and Allisen Corpuz, who have now won five foursomes matches on the spin across this and the previous two editions! Then, in the afternoon, Hull and Woad let a three-hole lead slip on the back nine against Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin, though they did scramble a half point despite some loud music distractions. However, Europe’s other three debutants, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mimi Rhodes, and Nastasia Nadaud, absolutely delivered, with Rhodes and Nadaud defeating Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1. Lopez Ramirez even teamed up with Ciganda in that unbelievable final match. History shows a good start is key, with the opening day leader taking the trophy 14 out of 19 times, and Europe was 6-2 behind at this stage two years ago. This tie feels massive!
So what’s next? Saturday is a fresh slate with another 36 holes, and Nordqvist confirmed she played all 12 players on Friday, stating, “not every player’s going to play five matches. Sometimes you’ve got to sit out someone, and for me, it was important to play all 12 players [on Friday], and the way the pairings worked out, that’s ho[w it went].” The fight is on, and with that momentum boost from Ciganda, Europe is absolutely ready to come out swinging!
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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