Sat Sep 15 23:50:51 2007

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Europe leads in suspended matches at Solheim Cup

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Halmstad, Sweden (Sports Network) - Europe leads in three of the four fourball matches Saturday at the Solheim Cup, but darkness suspended play before any could come close to finishing.

The U.S. holds the lead in the competition, 6 1/2 - 5 1/2, but if these scores hold up in the fourballs, the American side will have some ground to make up when the singles matches start on Sunday.

There was a two-hour-plus wind delay that halted the start of play Saturday morning. Each side picked up two points in the foursomes, but none of the fourball matches even reached the 13th hole.

The players will return to Halmstad Golfclub at 1:35 a.m. (et) Sunday, then play the 12 singles matches. The forecast Sunday calls for less wind, but some rain, although tournament officials remain optimistic that a Monday finish won't be needed.

Despite all of the blue flags adorning the scoreboard, none of the leads are insurmountable for the Americans, who lost the 18th hole twice in the foursomes which turned full points into halves.

Linda Wessberg, playing for the first time Saturday in her Solheim Cup debut, and Maria Hjorth are 1-up against Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome after 11 holes.

Laura Davies, who made a spectacular par save on the 16th hole Friday afternoon, and Becky Brewerton are 1-up in the third match against Natalie Gulbis and Nicole Castrale. That match is through 10 holes.

In the anchor match, Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen are 1-up through nine against the American tandem of Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.

The only match not in the European favor is the second match. The U.S. team of Juli Inkster and Stacy Prammanasudh are all-square against Trish Johnson and Iben Tinning. The U.S. was 1-up through most of the match, but Johnson's clutch putting drew the teams even.

If the U.S. can not turn around these matches Sunday morning, it's not pause for great concern for American captain Betsy King.

The U.S. has not held the outright lead heading into the singles since the 1998 edition and has won two Cups since. In those four Cups after the '98 staging, the Americans have outscored Europe 27-21 in the singles.

But Europe clearly has the momentum now.

It started in the morning foursomes. Hjorth and Bettina Hauert erased a 2-up deficit with three to play to a halve against Laura Diaz and Sherri Steinhauer. The U.S. could have won the full point, but Steinhauer missed a six-footer at 18.

Pettersen hit a spectacular approach to the final hole in foursomes and partner Sophie Gustafson rolled in the eight-footer. They won the hole and earned a halve against Inkster and Creamer.

Each side won a match in foursomes, but the fourballs have been almost all Europe.

The U.S. has led for all of five holes between the four matches, although they have not let Europe get too far ahead.

In the first match, Hjorth rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt to win the second, then holed a seven-footer to win No. 3. The U.S. appeared ready to go 3-down when Wessberg knocked her tee ball to a foot at the fourth, but Lincicome sank a lengthy birdie putt to halve the hole.

Lincicome won the par-five fifth with an 18-foot birdie putt and the teams halved the next six.

Inkster won the second hole with a birdie in the second match, but Johnson rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the sixth to square the contest. When her side looked to be in trouble at the eighth, she made another long putt to halve that hole.

Castrale won the first with a short birdie putt, but Davies reached the par- five second in two and two-putted for a winning birdie. Brewerton converted a clutch par putt to halve the sixth, then won the eighth with a birdie of her own.

Pettersen chipped in for par to win the first hole and the Europeans both had short birdie putts at the second. They won that hole, but Pressel hit a great tee shot to seven feet to set up birdie and a win at four.