US, Europe vie for underdog status ahead of Solheim Cup

This year’s edition, set to begin on Friday, is taking place in Germany for the first time, with Golf Club St Leon-Rot, located close to the city of Heidelberg and a short drive from the Hockenheim motor racing circuit, having been chosen as the host venue in 2012. “They’re going to go in here as favorites”, said the 46-year-old Matthew, who will be making her eighth Solheim Cup appearance.

Koch surprisingly split up Reid and Hull for the second session, sending Hull out with France’s Gwladys Nocera and putting Reid alongside Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.

“My team is anxious to get out and get going”.

It followed that triumph up with a first ever victory on American soil in 2013 – an emphatic scoreline of 18-10 the biggest winning margin since the current format was introduced in 1996.

“Playing in a major is a lot of pressure but playing in the Solheim Cup…the level is raised”, she said. But we are very similarly, as a team, focused on what we need to do to play well for ourselves. Simple: only four of the Americans have won more points than they’ve lost in the Solheim Cup and nine of the Europeans have done so.

American captain Juli Inkster is on a mission to get her team concentrating on victory rather than face paint and nail varnish.

Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer defeated Europe’s top-ranked players, Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and Suzann Pettersen of Norway, 3 and 2 to secure the first point for the visitors. If the LPGA did find a way to expand the Solheim Cup, would a Korean side make sense, or would captain Se Ri Pak (just assuming here) have a chance to have players on her team from all of Asia? She was initially penned in to play alongside Michelle Wie in the second match out against Charley Hull and Mel Reid, but after passing another uncomfortable night on Wednesday was unable to practise and spent much of the day connected to an intravenous drip. You have to ask them why they aren’t super strong together. Creamer enters missing four straight cuts, and her form has been bad all season, but she also has the best Solheim Cup record of any active American player and many consider her the emotional leader of the team. It is pretty safe to assume that world No. 1 Inbee Park will make the Olympic team for her country. I think their average in the world ranking is 24 or 25, and we’re 50.

Honours were even 2-2 after the morning foursomes, and Europe was ahead in two matches, behind in one and all square in the other afternoon fourballs when play was suspended.

“It is the same team, but it doesn’t feel like the same team”, the 37-year-old said. “It is Kitbag’s task to match this ambition, and I think we have”. “So I think we just practice a little bit more than the Americans”.

Just behind her in the rankings is 20-year-old Lexi Thompson, the 2014 ANA Inspiration champion, who made her Solheim debut in 2013.

“I did expect to put her (Lee) out but she’s still sick”, confirmed Inkster.