Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 22, 1994 TAG: 9411150005
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.VA. LENGTH: Medium
Out to prove that its 1992 title was no fluke, the European team won three of five matches over the U.S. Friday in the opening day of competition at the Solheim Cup.
U.S. team members never claimed to be fond of Friday's alternate-shot format, but won the other two matches outright and trail 3-2 entering today's fourball play at The Greenbrier.
Each match is worth one point with halved matches earning a half-point. The first team to 101/2 points will win the Solheim Cup, a biennial match-play competition between U.S. members of the LPGA and European members of the WPGET (Women Professional Golfers' European Tour).
``All in all, I'm very pleased with how we stand,'' U.S. team captain JoAnne Carner said. ``It's not our favorite form of play. We never play it. Alternate shot is very difficult for our team.''
Dottie Mochrie and Brandie Burton won the opening match 3 and 2 over the strong European team of Helen Alfredsson and Liselotte Neumann. Mochrie said the Americans were still in control despite the score.
``I think tomorrow is our stronger, if not strongest, suit,'' she said. `` ... I feel like [the score] is basically even because [Friday] was our weakest. [Today] is game day. It's when the whole tournament really starts.''
The U.S. lost the middle three matches before Patty Sheehan and Solheim Cup rookie Sherri Steinhauer took a 2-up victory over Pam Wright and Trish Johnson.
``I think our match was a big boost after losing three in a row,'' said Sheehan, an LPGA Hall of Fame member.
Sheehan and Steinhauer never trailed in their match and were 2-up after two holes. Wright and Johnson won the next two holes to get back even, but found themselves down by two again with four holes to play.
Wright and Johnson won No. 15 to get to 1-down and could have halved the match by winning No. 18. The Europeans were on the green in regulation, but Sheehan's third shot found the right bunker, about 60 feet from the hole. Steinhauer blasted out to about four feet and the Europeans conceded the match.
In an upset match, Europeans Annika Sorenstam and Catrin Nilsmark defeated Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon of the U.S. Daniel and Mallon were 2-up through eight holes, but bogeyed Nos. 9 and 11 to fall to even.
Sorenstamm and Nilsmark birdied No. 16 and held on for the 1-up victory.
Europeans Dale Reid and Laura Fairclough used a birdie on No. 17 to secure a 2 and 1 victory over Tammie Green and Kelly Robbins, while Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas won the Europeans' third point with a 2 and 1 victory over Betsy King and Donna Andrews.
King and Andrews, a Lynchburg, Va. native, were down by two after three holes but rallied to get back to even after birdies on the par-3 third hole and the par-5 eighth.
Another bogey by the Americans on the par-4 15th hole gave Davies, a three-time winner on the LPGA tour this season, and Nicholas a 1-up lead. They went 2-up with a birdie 3 on No. 16.
The Europeans appeared to have the match in hand when Davies hit her tee shot to within six feet on No. 17, a 160-yard par 3. Andrews calmly knocked her tee shot inside of Davies', but Nicholas made her putt to end the match.
``It was nip-and-tuck all the way,'' said Davies, who has won six of seven matches in the Solheim Cup. ``On the 16th and 17th, I gave Ali two chances and she kept making them.
``A 3-2 lead is brilliant, but we still have a long way to go.''
Europe stunned the heavily-favored American team 11.5 to 6.5 at the last Solheim Cup in 1992 at Dalmahoy Hotel Golf and Country Club in Scotland. The U.S. won the first title 11.5 to 4.5 at lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, Fla.
by CNB