INQUISITR.COM / Sports

America Wins The 2017 Solheim Cup

By Greg Sousa
Published on: 11:20 PST, Aug 20, 2017

Going into the final day of the 2017 Solheim Cup, the United States held a commanding 10-and-a-half to five-and-a-half point lead over Europe. This meant that the American ladies only needed three-and-a-half points to defend the cup, which they won back in 2015. Of course, a victory in the 2017 version of the event would be even sweeter since it would take place on American soil at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa.

The final day of the tournament is made up of 12 singles matches with 12 points available to earn. If the Europeans wanted to win the event, they would have to get nine points out of the 12 matches, which would prove difficult to accomplish.

Shortly after 1 p.m., the Europeans led in six matches, the Americans led four, and the other two were tied up. However, the Europeans were unable to keep the early momentum. This was summed up in the first singles match of the day, which kicked off around 10:30 a.m. since weather issues moved up the start time. This match featured Lexi Thompson going up against Anna Nordqvist.

Nordqvist was up four through the first nine holes and it seemed that the match was essentially over. Thompson’s golf game then flipped a switch, as she played the next seven holes birdie-eagle-par-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie to go from four down to one up. They both then made bogey to half the 17th hole, with Lexi still up by one.

Lexi Thompson’s 8-under stretch was the most impressive part of the day [Image by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images]

Nordqvist then stuffed in a birdie with an amazing shot to win the 18th hole and halve the match. However, considering how far back she was, Thompson likely had the most impressive halve in the history of the event. This brought the U.S. lead up to 11-6. Cristie Kerr then won her match, with Paula Creamer doing the same to increase the American led to 13-6.

However, the Europeans would stave off defeat for a little longer. Catriona Matthew, Caroline Masson, and Carlota Ciganda all took the next three matches to cut the lead to 13-9. Angel Yin than halved her match against Karine Icher to put the Europeans on the brink, 13-and-a-half to nine-and-a-half.

Captain Juli Inkster celebrates with Lizette Salas [Image by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images]

Finally, Lizette Salas’s victory over Jodi Ewart Shadoff clinched the Solheim Cup for the Americans, as it pushed them over the number of points they needed for the day. The American ladies would win by a final score of 16-and-a-half to 11-and-a-half. This was the fifth victory in the last seven Solheim Cups for team USA and improved their record playing on home soil to seven and one.

[Featured Image by Harry How/Getty Images]

Share this article: America Wins The 2017 Solheim Cup
golf
More from Inquisitr