Americans storm back with brilliant singles

Sep 17 2007 by Mark Garrod, Liverpool Daily Post

AMERICA’S golfers followed last week’s successful defence of the amateur Walker Cup with a brilliant display to keep hold of the Solheim Cup at Halmstad in Sweden yesterday.

Even though Laura Diaz and Sherri Steinhauer, the two players called "choking freaking dogs" by former star Dottie Pepper on Saturday, could not hit back in the way they hoped, their team-mates simply dazzled in the singles.

From two points down after losing the fourballs 3-1 and Scot Catriona Matthew’s win over Diaz in the top game, the United States came storming back to take the session eight and a half to three and a half and the match 16-12.

They now lead the series 7-3, but this was only the second time Europe have been beaten at home and, just like St Pierre in Wales 11 years ago, all the good work done in the foursomes and fourballs was then undone.

On that occasion the Americans trailed by two and ended up winning 17-11.

Laura Davies, an ever- present since the event started in 1990, and Swede Linda Wessberg were Europe’s only other winners. although Wessberg’s over US Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr came after the issue had been decided.

Davies crushed Brittany Lincicome four and three, while the most notable American point came from 19-year-old Morgan Pressel, who grabbed her first win by beating Annika Sorenstam two and one.

That stopped Sorenstam being the top European points-scorer for the fourth match in a row. She finished with two and a half out of five, leaving Matthew at the head of the points table for Helen Alfredsson’s side with three out of four.

"I definitely played my best golf today - I think the rest yesterday helped me," said 38-year-old Matthew, who became a mother last December and yet less than four months later was runner-up in a major.

America’s top scorer was 21-year-old Paula Creamer, with two wins and three halves for a personal tally of three and a half points, while 47-year-old Juli Inkster contributed three and beat Iben Tinning four and four for her sixth singles victory in seven appearances.

The distinction of retaining the trophy fell to Nicole Castrale when she defeated Bettina Hauert three and two.

Collated: (USA led 6 1/2-5 1/2 overnight): EUROPE 12 USA 16 Fourballs: Europe 3 USA 1 @Linda Wessberg and Maria Hjorth halved with Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome, Trish Johnson and Iben Tinning halved with Juli Inkster and Stacy Prammanasudh, Becky Brewerton and Laura Davies bt Natalie Gulbis and Nicole Castrale 2 holes, Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen bt Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel 3 and 2, Singles: Europe 3 1/2 USA 8 1/2 Catriona Matthew bt Laura Diaz 3 and 2, Sophie Gustafson lost to Pat Hurst 2 and 1, Pettersen lost to Prammanasudh 2 holes, Tinning lost to Inkster 4 and 3, Brewerton halved with Sherri Steinhauer, Johnson lost to Angela Stanford 3 and 2, Sorenstam lost to Pressel 2 and 1, Davies bt Lincicome 4 and 3, Bettina Hauert lost to Castrale 3 and 2, Hjorth lost to Creamer 2 and 1, Wessberg bt Kerr 1 hole, Gwladys Nocera lost to Gulbis 4 and 3