Solheim Sunday – U.S.A.!!

The United States won its seventh Solheim Cup by dominating the singles competition as it often has.

The outcome was still questionable until two big European guns misfired. Suzann Pettersen missed a short putt at 16 to fall one down. When Stacy Prammanasudh halved 17 to go dormie and then won 18 as well, she had defeated Pettersen 2 up. Annika Sorenstam missed from about five feet at 15 to put Morgan Pressel up 1. Morgan made a seven-footer at 16 to go dormie. After her previous experiences that putt probably felt like a 25-footer to Pressel. They halved 17 to bring the U.S. to within one point of retaining the Cup.

Previously, Angela Stanford was 4 up through 12 but Trish Johnson birdied 13 and parred 15 to cut it to two. When Johnson bogeyed 16, Stanford won 3&2. Laura Davies closed out Brittany Lincicome 4&3. Becky Brewerton was dormie with Sherri Steinhauer when she went way right on her approach to 18. She was forced to play her third left-handed because of a tree and only moved it five feet. That implosion cost Europe another half-point which became academic, because the U.S. had three matches in control about to close out.

Ironically, the Cup-winning-putt honors went to Nicole Castrale, who sank a seven-footer at 16 to beat Bettina Hauert 3&2 and give the U.S. its 14th point. When Paula Creamer went dormie after 15 that clinched a total victory, but all matches were played to the end to complete the individual match records. At least once in years past, the unnecessary matches were conceded. I’ll update when the final tally is in.

UPDATE: The final score was 16 to 12 as the U.S. won its second Cup on the road. Creamer defeated Hjorth 2&1, Gulbis defeated Nocera 4&3 and Kerr lost by one to Wessberg.

While following Kerr up the 18th fairway, Laura Diaz clued us in on the Laura Davies comment! Of all people, it was Nicole Castrale that Davies was referring to as being "not particularly nice".