Americans Off to Rocky Start in Solheim Cup


Team USA lost three of the four foursome matches Friday morning to the Europeans to fall behind 3-1 early in the 2013 Solheim Cup. The biennial competition began Friday at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo.

The Euros got off to a great start with Swedes Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall beating Stacy Lewis and rookie Lizette Salas 4 and 2. Lewis, who won the British Women's Open two weeks and is the No. 2-ranked female player in the world, hit her first shot into a bunker and never got going.

In the second match, two Texans Angela Stanford and Brittany Lang lost to world No. 3 Suzann Pettersen and rookie Beatriz Recari of Spain by a 2-and-1 margin to give the Europeans their second point.

The Americans finally tallied a point in the third match when Morgan Pressel - who has never lost a match in her last two Solheim Cups - was paired with rookie Jessica Korda and they edged Scotland's Catriona Matthew and rookie Jodi Ewart-Shadoff of England 3 and 2.

But in the fourth and final match, Europe's Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher eked out a 2-and-1 victory over American veterans Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer for their third point of the morning.

Europe, which won the 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle, needs a total of 14 points to retain the Cup.

"It's early," Stanford told reporters of her team's quick deficit. "It's just Friday morning."

In the Friday afternoon four-ball matches, European captain Liselotte Neumann has paired Pettersen and rookie Carlota Ciganda in the first match against Lewis and rookie Lexi Thompson. In Match 2, Hedwall and rookie Caroline Masson will face Stanford and rookie Gerina Piller.

In the third match, Nordqvist and rookie Giulia Sergas will go against Lang and Brittany Lincicome, and in the day's final match Matthew is paired with 17-year-old rookie Charley Hull - the youngest player in Solheim Cup history - against Kerr and Michelle Wie.

For live scoring, visit http://www.lpgascoring.com/public/TeamMatchLeaderboard.aspx?TournamentID=10001.