Lilia Vu puts away Europe with closing birdie, US wins its first Solheim Cup since 2017

 

[September 16, 2024]  By BEN NUCKOLS

GAINESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Lilia Vu's teammates ran onto the 18th green after her kick-in of a birdie putt gave the United States the half-point it needed to beat Europe, and U.S. captain Stacy Lewis scooped up her 5-year-old daughter, Chesnee, for a bear hug.

Finally, the Solheim Cup was back in the hands of the Americans.

The Americans took a big early lead a year ago in Spain but let the cup slip out of their grasp on the final day as Europe rallied for a 14-14 tie to retain it.

They only had to wait one year for their next chance because of a change in the competition schedule. Then, with the cup nearly in their grasp Sunday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, they brought a collapse into play during a tense hour-plus when everything went Europe's way.

“That was the longest hour and a half of my life. I'm not going to lie,” Lewis said. “It just felt like it was never going to end. Just really nerve-wracking. You felt pretty helpless.”

Ultimately it was Vu, the No. 2 player in the women's world ranking, who delivered a 300-yard drive and a flawless wedge from 103 yards on the par-4 18th hole while 1 down against rookie Albane Valenzuela. Although Vu's 2-foot putt was a formality, Valenzuela did not concede it, allowing the Americans a proper winning moment.

“This week was kind of hard for me. I felt like I wasn’t physically 100%, and I almost felt guilty taking that spot from someone else,” said Vu, who's still recovering from a back injury. “Luckily, I have the best team around me.”

The final score: United States 15 1/2, Europe 12 1/2, the biggest margin in this tightrope walk of a team competition since the Americans won by five points seven years ago in Iowa.

The U.S. improved its overall record to 11-7-1 in the Solheim Cup, which began in 1990 with financial backing from Ping golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim and his wife, Louise.

The Americans’ relief was evident as they shared quiet hugs behind the closing ceremony stage with a gracious European squad that didn’t lose a session after falling behind 6-2 on Friday. There were no magnum bottles of Champagne in sight as players sat for their winning news conference while holding snacks, bottles of water and a couple of paper cups of wine.

“We haven’t gotten to celebrate yet,” Lauren Coughlin said.

Europe was trying to capture the cup for a record fourth straight time, with Lewis and Suzann Pettersen repeating as captains as the competition was staged in back-to-back years to move away from the Ryder Cup. Lewis' team nearly got the job done in Spain, a result that overwhelmed the captain during the trip home.

“I was sitting on the airplane with my daughter and she was sleeping and I just lost it and I started crying,” Lewis said. “I was like, ‘We did all this work for these girls to play to a tie.’”

Lewis maintained her data-driven approach and mixed up her stars and role players into several inspired pairings to build a 10-6 advantage entering singles.

Pettersen said her team needed a “miracle,” and the Europeans kept it interesting by denying the Americans the clinching point on the 18th hole in three straight matches.

United States players poses for photographs after the United States won the Solheim Cup golf tournament against Europe at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Gainesville, Va. (AP Photo/Matt York)

But during a week of perfect weather at the sprawling lakeside venue about 40 miles west of Washington, D.C., that has hosted four Presidents Cups — the Americans were a little bit better than the Europeans in every phase.

Lewis got standout performances from top-ranked Nelly Korda, 21-year-old Zhang, 31-year-old rookie Coughlin and veteran spark plug Khang.

Zhang, the best putter on either team this week, breezed past Carlota Ciganda 6 and 4. She became the first player in Solheim history to go 4-0 or better and never reach the 17th hole. She won 28 holes and lost eight for the week.

“I just feel like the Solheim Cup reignited my passion for the game,” Zhang said. “We’ve been having so much fun, not only off the golf course but even on it. It’s just been an incredible ride.”

Wins by Zhang and Allisen Corpuz put the Americans ahead 13-8. After that, the U.S. played for nearly an hour without leading any of the final seven matches.

But the Europeans still had little margin for error. Esther Henseleit had a chance to beat Andrea Lee on the 18th hole but left her birdie putt short, and Lee made a 4-footer for par to give the U.S. a half-point in the first tied match of the week.

That put Lexi Thompson in position to secure the winning point in her final Solheim Cup as a player, but she was denied by Celine Boutier, who hit her approach to 6 feet on the par-4 18th for birdie and a 1-up win.

Coughlin rallied from 3 down on the back nine to square her match with Maja Stark. She came up short on a birdie putt to win the cup, and Stark made par from about 12 feet.

Charley Hull dusted Korda in a flashy leadoff match, making three straight birdies early on the back nine to build a 5 up lead. She won 6 and 4 with an approach on the par-5 14th hole that slowed to a near stop in the fringe at the back of the green and trickled down a slope to 2 feet for a conceded eagle.

“I know I have what it takes to play Nelly,” Hull said.

That got Europe to 10-7. A few minutes later, Khang finished off an exhausted Emily Pedersen, 6 and 5. Khang went 3-0 this week when she wasn’t hyping up the crowd and her teammates, while Pedersen played every session and went 2-3.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting the crowd very much involved. My voice can clearly be the victim of that,” Khang said. “But I’d do it a million times over.”

The next task for the Americans will be to try to win on European soil for the first time since 2015 in Germany. The Netherlands will host the 2026 edition.

“Happy for Stacy, obviously, on home turf,” Pettersen said, “but we’ll come back very hungry.”

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