The vagaries of matchplay are undefeated. The format dictates that you should always expect the unexpected, but when it comes to what happened on the 18th hole with Lexi Thompson in the afternoon four-ball session, it would be tough to fathom what happened greenside for the American side.
A hard-fought match between Lexi and teammate Lilia Vu against Leona Maguire and Georgia Hall went to the final hole with the sides tied. The Americans seemingly had the advantage when Thompson’s second shot ended up just short of the green in the rough short of the hole. And Maguire’s third shot rolled off the green down a hill.
That’s when the vagaries of matchplay took over. Maguire chipped in for her latest Solheim Cup highlight moment, meaning that half a point for the Europeans was secured if Lexi got up and down.
Lexi almost took out her teammate, their caddies and even the cameraman with this shank 🫣 pic.twitter.com/EW72Cma9Z8
— Stephen Hennessey (@S_HennesseyGD) September 22, 2023
Just brutal. Lexi ended up hitting a brilliant fourth shot to within two feet, but a par wasn’t good enough after Maguire’s heroics.
Thompson secured a point earlier in the day alongside Megan Khang, quieting the critics who questioned why Stacy Lewis would send out Thompson first after the Solheim Cup veteran made only three cuts all year. But Lexi responded… until that third shot on Friday. Her American side will still take a 5-3 lead into Saturday’s sessions.
The opening day of the Solheim Cup had some of everything, from crazy to crescendo
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
