Maguire's chip-in gives Europe a Solheim Cup lifeline
Celine Boutier. Picture: LET
Leona Maguire spectacularly handed Europe a Solheim Cup lifeline when she chipped in for birdie at the last to grab a crucial fourball win and deny the US a big day one lead at Finca Cortesin.
Whitewashed 4-0 for only the second time in the event’s history in the morning foursomes, Europe battled back in the afternoon fourballs to win the session 3-1 and go into the weekend just 5-3 behind with 20 points still up for grabs.
“The Americans obviously played incredible this morning,” a relieved Maguire said. “You have to play some really good golf to win a point, or even a half a point in these matches. We will never give up. And I think we showed that out there today.”
It was a sensational performance from the Co Cavan star, who holed a series of clutch putts coming down the stretch alongside Anna Nordqvist but fell one up to Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz in the morning foursomes.
It was a different story in the afternoon as Maguire teamed up with Hall and never trailed all day in a match where they were pegged back to all square by Thompsons’s eagle two at the 14th and Corpuz’s birdie two at the 17th but snatched the win at the par-five 18th thanks to Maguire’s short game genius.
With big-hitting Thompson in greenside rough in two, around 18 feet from the flag, the Europeans were under pressure after laying up.
Corpuz had a length birdie putt but after Maguire spun her third off the green and Hall left herself an 18 footer, the Ballyconnell battler chipped in for birdie to heap the pressure on Thompson.
The American had a tricky pitch from thick Bermuda shanked it horribly and watched it run down a bank, leaving an impossible up and down for par.
When Corpuz failed to make her birdie putt for a half, Europe secured its first win of the week.
“I feel like we played great all day,” Maguire said after a match where Europe were never more than one up. “And it would have been really annoying not to come away with a point.
“Georgia kept it together on the front nine and I holed a couple on the back and it's nice to finish off in style.”
Hall added: “Leona [chipping in] was just what we needed and that's why she's such a great player.”
Europe already had a half point in the bag as Scottish rookie Gemma Dryburgh and Madelene Sagstrom battled back from two down after ten holes to take the lead against Rose Zhang and Megan Khang before eventually finishing all square.
Spain’s Carolota Ciganda and Sweden’s Linn Grant then played superbly top beat Angel Yin and Ally Ewing 4&2 in the bottom match to make it 4.5-2.5.
Both teams could have won the final match on the course but Swedish rookie Maja Stark made an eight footer for birdie with Emily Pedersen (who had an ace at the 12th) after Corpuz looked to have clinched the win alongside Jennifer Kupcho by making a clutch 15 footer before her.
At the Cazoo Open de France, England’s Jordan Smith shot a seven-under 64 to lead by three shots on 12-under from Scot Ewen Ferguson at halfway.
John Murphy, Tom McKibbin, Mark Power and Ryder Cup wildcard Robert MacIntyre missed the cut in the.
John Murphy shot 75 and Tom McKibbin a 73 to finish four shots outside the level-par cut mark on four-over with Ryder Cup wildcard Robert MacIntyre six over after a 77 and Mark Power a shot further back after a 76.
At the Swiss Challenge, Jonathan Caldwell (74), Dermot McElroy (72) and Daniel Mulligan (72) missed the three-under cut by a shot with Conor Purcell (73) five-under as Brandon Stone shot 67 to lead on 11-under.
