Team USA and Team Europe each won two of four foursome matches on Day 2 of the 15th Solheim Cup on Saturday morning at Des Moines Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, allowing the Americans to carry a 7 1/2-4 1/2 points lead into the afternoon session.
Both of Team USA's wins were decisive and by the same 5-and-3 score in the foursome (alternate shot) competition. First Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr led from start to finish and rushed past Team Europe's Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England and Caroline Masson of Germany.
Then Americans Paula Creamer and Austin Ernst easily defeated Europe's Mel Reid of England and Emily Pedersen of Denmark, winning after Team Europe claimed the first two holes.
The Europeans came back with a victory by Sweden's Anna Nordqvist and England's Georgia Hall over Team USA's Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller by a score of 2 and 1.
Team Europe also won the fourth match of the morning as Catriona Matthew of Scotland and Karine Icher of France beat Team USA's Michelle Wie and Danielle Kang 2 and 1 in a match that saw the Europeans bounce back from an early two-hole deficit. The Americans had just one birdie in the match, which ended on the 17th hole.
The teams went back to the course in the afternoon for fourball (better ball) competition, which the Americans swept on Day 1.
The lineup for the afternoon is Reid/Carolta Ciganda of Spain (EUR) vs. Brittany Lang/Brittany Lincicome (USA); Nordqvist/Ewart Shadoff (EUR) vs. Lizette Salas/Angel Yin (USA); Icher/Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden (EUR) vs. Creamer/Ernst (USA); and Matthew/Hall (EUR) vs. Kerr/Thompson (USA).
