Davies sets Solheim Record
English veteran Laura Davies has overtaken Annika Sorenstam to become the all-time Solheim Cup record points scorer.
Europe’s English veteran Laura Davies has overtaken Annika Sorenstam to become the all-time Solheim Cup record points scorer.
Davies achieved the new mark teamed with compatriot Melissa Reid in Saturday afternoon’s four ball matches when they beat the American pairing of Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie 4 & 3 at Killeen Castle in Ireland
It was Davies’s 12th Solheim Cup, the four-time major winner victory with Reid took her total number of points earned in her 45 matches played so far to 24½ from her 22 wins, 18 losses and five halved matches.
Before she retired last year to concentrate on her businesses and have a family, Sorenstam won 24 points in 37 matches in eight Solheim Cup events.
Juli Inkster is the record points earner for the United States with 18.
“It’s nice to finally get past Annika, who obviously has a spectacular record,” Davies said afterwards.
The win by Davies and Reid gave Europe an 8-5 lead after the home team had taken a 2 point lead over the USA into lunch following their 2½-1½ victory in the second morning’s Solheim Cup foursomes on Saturday morning.
It was to be their last win on Saturday.
The USA hit back after lunch to take the next three matches, win the afternoon fourballs and dramatically swing the running score back to 8-all as the Cup heads into Sunday’s final round of singles matches.
The hitherto unbeaten Swedish rookie Caroline Headwall and Norwegian World No 2 Suzann Pettersen were narrowly beaten 1-up by leading American Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.
the inexperience rookies Sandra Gal of Germany and Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands were edged out 2 & 1 by the fast-rising US star Stacy Lewis and the LPGA rookie Ryann O’Toole and Swedish veteran and Spain’s inmexperienced rooki Azahara Munoz were beaten 3 & 1 by America star Paul Creamer and Brittany Lincicome.
The day had started in spectacular style for the Europeans as the Swedish duo of Caroline Hedwall and Sophie Gustafson chalked up a thumping 6&5 victory over Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford.
The Swedes blitzed their opponents with a barrage of birdies, a run of four in five holes from the sixth to tenth opening a lead that never looked like being closed.
Morgan Pressl and Ryann O’Toole defeated Christel Boeljon and Karen Stupples 3&2 to get the first American point of the day on the board in match two, but Europe responded as Anna Nordqvist and Maria Hjorth saw off Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster by the same score.
The final clash proved to be a thrilling see-saw encounter which swung both ways before Azahara Munoz holed a nervy three-footer on the final green to ensure she and Catriona Matthew won the last hole to pinch a half point against Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr.
That left Europe with a 7-5 lead and Davies and Melissa Reid quickly went about extending it further.
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