Suzann Pettersen vowed Europe would “come back very hungry” after losing the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017 against the United States.
Pettersen’s side trailed 10-6 going into Sunday’s singles at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, leaving them requiring a repeat of Europe’s 2012 Ryder Cup ‘Miracle at Medinah’ to lift the trophy for a record fourth straight time.
The possibility of a historic Team Europe victory looked a genuine possibility at various points during the final day, only for the United States to hold off the brave fightback and claim a nervy 15.5-12.5 victory.
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World number two Lilia Vu birdied the 18th hole to claim a half-point that secured Team USA the Solheim Cup in Virginia
“We gave them a run for their money,” Pettersen. “I don’t think anyone expected us to be here at 2:30 [in the afternoon] and to still have a chance. It’s kind of hard to believe that we actually had a chance with that poor of a start, giving them such a head start.
“There were possibilities out there and several times we thought we could get it done. It came down to a couple of matches but we’ll come back very hungry.”
Charley Hull gave Europe a dream start as she thrashed world No 1 Nelly Korda and Georgia Hall also claimed a big win over Alison Lee, while wins for Megan Khang, Rose Zhang and Allisen Corpuz moved Team USA closer to their victory target.
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Charley Hull dominated Nelly Korda 6&4 to post the first point of the day for Europe in the Solheim Cup as they attempted to mount a comeback during the Sunday singles
Esther Henseleit and Maja Stark both earned half-points for Europe and Celine Boutier fought back to beat Lexi Thompson, while Leona Maguire kept hopes alive for the visitors until Lilia Vu birdied her final two holes to tie her match with Albane Valenzuela and secure the half-point needed.
“We knew we had to get off to a good start,” Pettersen added. “Charley [Hull] crushing Nelly [Korda] with some really, really fantastic golf was kind of fun to watch.
“Then from then on, I actually enjoyed the quietness out there for quite a while. I thought the crowds were kind of silenced by maybe questioning if they were going to kind of be challenged. I think for the most part of the day, we had a shot at it.
“You look at the final scores, it doesn’t really relate to kind of how close it was. But it was just a great finish. Great golf was played. We made a run for it. That’s all we could ask for the players.”
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Team Europe captain Suzann Pettersen praised the efforts of her side during the Solheim Cup and suggested there were a lot of small victories for her team despite missing out on retaining the trophy
Lewis: USA ‘learned a lot’ from 2023 disappointment
Team USA had lost back-to-back editions in 2019 and 2021 before letting slip a commanding lead in the 2023 contest, where a 14-14 tie left them coming to Virginia with “unfinished business” to reclaim the trophy on home soil.
“The job was to get the [Solheim] Cup, and we finished the job,” United States captain Stacy Lewis said. “This is so cool. It’s so stressful to watch. It’s awful watching. But I’m just so proud of the players.
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Team USA Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis describes the stress of watching the Sunday singles unfolding and admitted it could have gone either way
“It’s amazing how these things come down to half a point here and there. Fortunately, this time we were on the right side of it. It really could have gone either way. It’s crazy there at the end kind of how it all unfolded. I was just hoping and praying it went our way.”
On what the difference was this time around, Lewis added: ” I honestly think it’s the experience of last year and knowing what half a point means. They were on the wrong side of things last year and knew what that felt like.
“I think if last year doesn’t happen, maybe today ends a little differently. I think they all learned a lot last year, and I think it showed up today.”
The next task for the Americans will be to try to win on European soil for the first time since 2015, with the Netherlands hosting the next edition in 2026 at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt.
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