Key events
Back to 17 and can either side grab a lead and go dormie? Ciganda’s know-how could be vital here and she plonks a 9-iron to perhaps 20 feet. Korda, Coughlin and Lopez Ramirez will also have looks at birdie, the latter two of the outside variety.
Europe 3½-3½ USA
Up to the 17th green where Europe are on the cusp of victory. Auston Kim has a 15-footer to keep the Americans alive but she misses left. Another point on the board for Europe and a superb effort by the rookies Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud. The match is tied!
Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud beat Allisen Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1
Carlota Ciganda shows all her vast Solheim Cup experience by holing a 20 footer for eagle at 16. The bottom match is all square again! ‘Vamos’ she roars as the putt catches enough of the left side of the cup to do a Jose Maria Olazabal-style jig and drop.
Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin Tied
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4&3
2UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (16)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (16)
Some words from Charley Hull after a long day which yielded just half a point from two matches.
“I feel tired and I can’t wait to go to bed! But apart from that I feel good,” she says with a smile.
“I like matches like that, they are really interesting. It was good fun. Lottie played great and it was a really good match.”
Rhodes and Nadaud have now gone dormie over Corpuz and Kim in Match 3. But the Europeans will want to finish it off either on 17 or 18 after halving 16 in par fives.
Europe 2½-3½ USA
Huge moments these now. A sense that things are turning the way of the Americans. Woad is first to putt from about 25 feet at 18. Some daft background music is putting Woad off and she backs away. Finally Woad settles over her putt which is nicely struck but just stays left. Now for Noh as the music keeps pumping. Turn the bloody thing off! Noh is perhaps distracted too and it’s never on line. The top game is halved. A great fightback and full credit to Noh for inspiring the revival, virtually on her own.
Charley Hull and Lottie Woad halved with Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin
Back to 18. Yin and Hull aren’t in the hole so it’s down to Woad v Noh. Woad pulls her approach left of the flag to around 25 feet while Noh, shielding her eyes from the setting sun after hitting a smooth short iron, will have about half that.
Carlota Ciganda’s birdie putt at 15 looks to be turning towards the hole but just pulls up short. Agony for the Spaniard. It leaves the door open for Korda but her putt deviates left at the death so on they go to the 16th with the USA still 1up in the pivotal bottom match.
Hull/Woad A/S Noh/Yin (17)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4&3
2UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (15)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (15)
To the 18th. Noh stripes her tee-shot down the middle while Yin looks to have found sand. Huge pressure on Woad and Hull now as they stare down the barrel of letting a serious lead slip and suffering a second defeat of the day.
Woad stays strong and finds the fairway but Hull looks to have tugged her drive into a hazard down the left.
Suddenly, USA looking favourites to win this session. Then again, it’s so finely balanced that Europe could still capture it 3-1.
At the par-3 15th, all four balls clear the water and are safely on the green but Korda’s tee-shot is the closest, finishing maybe 20 feet away.
At 17, Hull has the pace but not the line with her birdie putt. Woad, also from around 20 feet, doesn’t give it enough so Noh has a putt to tie the match. She lines it up and … never in doubt. A superb birdie when it mattered most. Noh has been brilliant on this back nine.
Back at 14, Ciganda and Lopez Ramirez get away with a halve so stay just 1 down.
Hull/Woad A/S Noh/Yin (17)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4&3
2UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (15)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (14)
Another sensational shot from Noh. The fairway bunker she’s in at 17 has a high lip and clearing it shouldn’t be taken for granted. But she not only makes great connection, her ball arrows towards the flag, almost shakes hands with it, and pulls back to around six feet. Woad and Hull are much further away so this top match is far from over.
It’s a win for Corpuz and Kim at 15 so they cut the lead of Rhodes and Nadaud to 2up.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (16)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4&3
2UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (15)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (13)
Shot of the day contender from Allisen Corpuz. With Europe 3up at 15, the Americans need something special and Corpuz starts the process by hitting her tee shot to within two feet of the flag at the par 3. A guaranteed birdie.
Noh’s tee-shot at 17 heads left and … is gobbled up by a bunker. Yin finds the rough/heather so she’s not in great position either. No such problem for Woad who splits the fairway while Hull’s drive kicks back onto the short grass. Europe in great position there now.
… from just over 15 feet, Woad’s eagle putt catches a piece of the hole but not enough. The US putt is conceded – “rather generous, I would say”, according to Catriona Matthew in the commentary box – so Woad and Hull stay 1up with two to play.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (16)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4&3
3UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (14)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (13)
Under darkening skies at the par-5 16th, Lottie Woad lights up the greenside crowd with a wonderful second shot to set up an eagle. Hull’s delightful chip to secure a birdie means Woad will have a free run at it.
Ciganda and Lopez Ramirez, who three-putts, can’t find a par at 13 and that means Coughlin and the rather subdued World No.1 Korda go 1up again.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (15)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4&3
3UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (13)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (13)
Europe 2-3 USA
Europe need to birdie the par-3 15th to stay alive after Lee hits a glorious tee shot. It’s not to be and Lee and Khang score a dominant 4&3 win over Boutier and Madsen, who suffer their second defeat of the day. USA lead the Solheim Cup 3-2.
Megan Khang and Alison Lee beat Celine Boutier and Nanna Koerstz Madsen 4&3
A whoop from Mimi Rhodes as she holes from 15 feet for a winning birdie at 13. She and fellow rookie Nastasia Nadaud have roared into a 3up lead after 13 with a burst of three wins in four holes. Matches 2 and 3 look set to be split 1-1 which means everything is hanging on those top and bottom matches.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (15)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4UP (14)
3UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (13)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (12)
… the 15th is packed with spectators as Hull and Woad battle to keep their lead. Woad goes first but her putt is always going right. Over to you Charley Hull. This is big… and she’s up to the task! In it goes for birdie. Noh matches it from short range and the English duo maintain their lead with three to play.
Elsewhere, Khang took a while to find her mojo today but she’s now back to her usual self, jumping up to pull off a mid-air high five with Lee as they go 4up in Match 2.
Back at 12, Coughlin drains her birdie putt and she and Korda tie it up with Ciganda and Lopez Ramirez.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (15)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 4UP (14)
2UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (12)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (12)
Sensational tee shot from Noh at the par-3 15th. Hit with wonderful tempo, her balls flies high, bounces on the green, hits the flag and stops around four feet away. Woad’s reply is decent (20 feet) and Hull’s slightly better (17 feet).
Not sure the TV showed it but Hull or Woad convert the par putt to stay in front. Here’s the scores on the doors my loves.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (14)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 3UP (13)
2UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (12)
1UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (11)
More twists and turns. Nastasia Nadaud wins the 12th with a birdie as she and fellow rookie Mimi Rhodes go 2up.
At 14, Angel Yin forgets her struggles to hit a fine iron to around 15 feet. Hole that and Woad and Hull’s 3up lead will be wiped out in the space of three holes. Yin doesn’t give it enough oomph but either Woad or Hull with have to hole testy par putts to keep Europe in front.
Lauren Coughlin walks her 20-foot birdie putt into the hole at 12. Never in doubt. Coughlin and Korda cut Europe’s lead in the bottom match to 1up.
And more good news for the Americans in Match 2 as Lee holes out to extend the US lead to 3up with five to play.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (13)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 3UP (13)
1UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (11)
1UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (11)
The latest odds show how tight this is. Europe very narrow favourites and the tie has been chopped.
10/11 Europe
6/5 USA
8/11 Tie
A flex of the knees in frustration from Korda has her eagle putt at 10 hangs on the lip. Ciganda has hit a fine approach too and she is stood over a putt for a three from the edge of the green at the par five. That also flirts with the hole but doesn’t drop so it’s halved in birdie four.
Drama in the top match. Hull just misses a lengthy par putt while Woad, from much closer in, can’t make hers disappear either. It means Noh’s par is good for the win and Woad/Hull’s 3up lead has gone to just 1up in the space of two holes.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (13)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 2UP (12)
1UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (11)
2UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (10)
Khang has got her putting boots on now. In goes another, this time from 25 feet, to halve the 12th and keep the US 2up on Boutier and Madsen. This would be Khang’s eighth win in her last nine Solheim Cup matches, Matt Cooper informs me.
Europe have work to do to stay 2up in the top match but Woad’s bunker shot is nicely played although she’ll still have around six feet for par.
The rain is coming down a little harder now. Players quick to disappear back under umbrellas after hitting shots. It’s getting darker too. I’m sure you know but they’re an hour ahead in the Netherlands so it’s 4.45pm local time.
Europe now up in three of the four matches. Mimi Rhodes almost holes her eagle chip at 10 and then taps in from four feet for the win as Corpuz and Kim can’t respond.
2UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (12)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 2UP (11)
1UP Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim (10)
2UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (9)
Our colleague, Matt Cooper, is at Bernardus and he’ll be on live blog duty tomorrow afternoon. Here he is now with a few notes.
-
Maguire, Henseleit and Duncan had spells on the range this afternoon.
-
Lottie Woad’s dad and sister are out following her.
No real fireworks from Nelly Korda this afternoon. That’s summed up by her approach to 9 from 125 yards which comes up at least 25 feet shy. Every chance she and Coughlin will turn 2down.
At 12, Noh’s 18-foot putt breaks into the hole for birdie, putting the pressure back on Hull and Woad. It’s a ‘no’ from Hull and Woad can’t convert either. What looked like 4up suddenly becomes 2up. Life in that match yet although Yin’s lack of competitive golf since June due to illness means Noh is having to do an awful lot of the heavy lifting.
At 11, Khang finally holes a putt… just. It topples in from 15 feet and she and Lee go 2up on Madsen and Boutier.
2UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (12)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 2UP (11)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (9)
2UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (9)
Lottie Woad breaks out into a huge smile. Her second from just shy of the heather down the right of 12 bounces onto the green and then catches a piece of the hole before pulling up about five feet away. Fantastic shot. Noh and Hull will also have decent birdie chances.
Boutier has an eagle try coming up at 10 after her second pulled up just short of the green. It drifts right and that’s a tap-in birdie. But Alison Lee hit an even better approach and her six-foot conversion puts some red on the board for the first time in a while.
3UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (11)
Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee 1UP (10)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (9)
2UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (8)
Hull and Woad taking it turns now to get the crowds going. At the 10th, Hull drains her 15-footer for birdie and that’s another win as Noh’s nine-foot attempt for the tie is always staying left. England’s dynamic duo are 3up again.
At 8, Europe go 2up on Korda and Coughlin thanks to Lopez Ramirez’s two-putt birdie.
3UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (11)
Madsen/Boutier A/S Khang/Lee (9)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (8)
2UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (8)
The big-hitting Lopez Ramirez drives the par-4 8th. That looked effortless. She’s about 40 feet away.
To complete an excellent 30 seconds of action for the hosts, Woad rolls in her eagle putt at 10 to extend Europe’s lead to 2up in the top match.
2UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (10)
Madsen/Boutier A/S Khang/Lee (9)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (8)
1UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (7)
… also at 10, Charley Hull with have 12-feet for eagle.
Back at 7, a clenched first from Ciganda as her second winning birdie in a row flips red to blue via neutral white. Europe are now 1up in that one.
And at the short par-4 8th, Nadaud and Corpuz trade birdies to keep Match 3 level.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (9)
Madsen/Boutier A/S Khang/Lee (8)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (8)
1UP Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin (7)
How about that! Lottie Woad launches her second shot at the par-5 10th and it bounces onto the front edge of the green, running up to about five feet from the flag. She’ll have that for eagle.
A random stat. in the top two matches, 13 of the 17 holes played have been won and just four halved. That’s unusual in fourballs with both teams having two chances to score on each hole.
Noh has a putt to win the 9th from 20 feet but it lacks pace so Hull and Woad turn for home at 1up. In the bottom match, Ciganda removes the only red from the board with a winning birdie-2 against Korda and Coughlin. Leads continue to be pegged back or wiped out in this see-saw afternoon session.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (9)
Madsen/Boutier A/S Khang/Lee (8)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (7)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (6)
And now we have total parity. Two matches at 1up and two all square. The change comes in Match 3 as Mimi Rhodes holes from eight feet at the 7th and then watches Auston Kim fail to match her birdie from closer in.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (8)
Madsen/Boutier A/S Khang/Lee (8)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (7)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (5)
A quick mention that over in the Irish Open, local favourite Shane Lowry has jumped into a four-shot lead. The Irishman is 8-under for the day and -11 overall with two holes of his second round to play.
A surge of red. Forget Corpuz at 6 as playing partner Kim putts first and holes one from downtown for birdie. Rhodes just goes left with her 15-footer and the USA go 1up in Match 3.
And it’s a similar story at 5 as Coughlin puts the US ahead in that one too.
To complete a bona fide momentum swing in favour of the visitors, Woad and Hull can’t hole their birdie attempts at 8, allowing Yin to get up and down for the win.
The leaderboard looks very different all of a sudden. Two splashes of red and just one of blue although all three leads are by the minumum margin.
1UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (8)
Madsen/Boutier AS Khang/Lee (7)
Rhodes/Nadaud v Corpuz/Kim 1UP (6)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez v Korda/Coughlin 1UP (5)
There’s always plenty of drama at the par-3 6th over water. And it’s cheers rather than groans for Europe this time as Mimi Rhodes hits a super tee-shot to around 15 feet. But Alison Corpuz sees that and raises with a wonderful strike to around seven feet.
Madsen makes another blunder at 7, finding the wet stuff yet again but Boutier has a 20-footer for birdie which just pulls up short and right. It opens the door for the Americans. Lee misses but Khang calmly rolls in her six-footer and that’s back-to-back holes for the US and the match is all square.
2UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (7)
Madsen/Boutier A/S Khang/Lee (7)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (5)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (4)
The short par-4 8th is a great match play hole and Hull, Woad, Yin and Noh have it surrounded with their tee-shots. The smart money suggests it’ll be halved in birdie-3s but we shall see.
Still a good looking leaderboard for Europe. Blue in the top two matches with the bottom two all square.
Angel Yin comes to the party with a winning birdie at 7 to cut Hull and Woad’s lead. It’s the result of an excellent tee shot and although the putt rather wobbles in, she’ll take that. Hull’s attempt at a birdie ended as a bit of misread but 2up after 7 is still a decent lead for the Europeans in that top match.
Meanwhile, Nadaud and Kim trade birdie putts at 5 to keep Match 3 all tied up.
2UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (7)
1UP Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee (6)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (5)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (4)
Finally an American putt drops as Korda rolls in a lengthy one at 4. But it’s not enough for the win as Lopez Ramirez matches her. The young Spaniard, guided by playing partner and veteran Solheim Cup compatriot, Carlota Ciganda, has made an impressive start.
After making a complete mess of 6, Madsen and Boutier walk to the 7th tee with their lead reduced to just 1up.
3UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (6)
1UP Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee (6)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (4)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (4)
I watched a fair bit of Lottie Woad at the AIG Women’s Open at Lytham. Her default setting seems to be cheery and calm. Add in a fierce underlying determination plus a whole heap of talent and she looks a great fit to do wonderful things in this event. To underline all that, she breaks into a smile after an excellent tee-shot at 7.
Back at 6, Madsen dumps another one in the water. That’s the third time she’s found the drink on that hole this morning. A bit of a mental block it seems.
“Trust the process”, said European skipper Anna Nordqvist earlier when explaining why she’d sent the Hull/Woad and Boutier/Madsen combos out again despite their morning defeats. It’s playing out perfectly so far.
That said, there’s a terrible double error at the par-3 6th as both Boutier and Madsen find water. Khang is safely on the dancefloor so the Americans have a golden chance to cut the deficit.
A big Solheim Cup roar as Hull is rewarded for her aggressive tee-shot at 6 by nailing a 15-footer for birdie. After losing the 1st and halving the 2nd, Hull and Woad have sprinted into a 3up lead by winning four holes on the spin.
At the 4th, Khang and Lee need to respond to Boutier’s birdie but both dribble their efforts from around 10 feet wide. Boutier and Madsen double their advantage.
In the bottom match, Lopez Ramirez holds firm with her par putt at 3 to keep Europe all square
3UP Hull/Woad v Noh/Yin (6)
2UP Madsen/Boutier v Khang/Lee (5)
Rhodes/Nadaud A/S Corpuz/Kim (4)
Ciganda/Lopez Ramirez A/S Korda/Coughlin (3)
Worth noting that Europe’s two losing pairs from this morning are both winning. Different format and perhaps a different mindset and extra urge to right the wrong. Back to 4 and another American putt, this one from Corpuz, slides by. A theme is developing: the US putting is cold.
