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Europe leads U.S. after Day 1 of Solheim Cup

 
Published Aug. 17, 2013

PARKER, Colo. — Europe took an important step Friday toward winning the Solheim Cup on American soil.

Carlota Ciganda of Spain salvaged an unlikely par from a hazard on the par-5 No. 15 to keep her and Suzann Pettersen from falling behind. Pettersen won the next hole with a birdie, sending them from 2 down at the turn to a 1-up victory in a fourball match that staked Europe to a 5-3 lead.

A long day at Colorado Golf Club ended with Stacy Lewis, on the losing end of that match, having a heated discussion with an official over the official's use of a laser to determine the right drop. Lewis was also upset with how long the ruling took.

The laser was used to make sure Ciganda's options would be equal distance from the hole. That was moot, however, when Ciganda dropped from a different spot. She hit her fourth shot just off the green and holed a 15-footer.

"The explanation was about as bad as the ruling, I thought," Lewis said. "I don't think it was correct. … It killed the momentum of the matches behind us, and it's just not what you want the rules officials to ever do."

Lewis lost the match alongside Lexi Thompson. Lewis and Lizette Salas also dropped the morning foursomes match to Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall, 4 and 2.

Nordqvist and Hedwall were part of what European captain Liselotte Neumann of Sweden called her "Swedish Vikings" to lead off the warm, sunny opening session.

The day was not a total loss for Meg Mallon's U.S. squad.

Seminole's Brittany Lincicome teamed with Brittany Lang to beat Nordqvist and Giulia Sergas 4 and 3 in the afternoon. In the morning, the lone American point came from Morgan Pressel and Jessica Korda, a 20-year-old rookie.

PGA: Rookie leads

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Patrick Reed listens to wife Justine. And with good reason: She's carrying his clubs.

With his wife as caddie, the PGA Tour rookie shot 6-under 64 for a one-stroke lead in the Wyndham Championship at 11-under 129.

"I don't mind her having all the attention," Reed said after six birdies. "Less attention for me, which means I can just focus more on my game."

John Huh (62) had the best round of the day to get to 10 under. John Deere winner Jordan Spieth was 9 under after 66. Spieth also is a tour rookie, and Huh is in his second year.

Organizers moved up today's third-round tee times to try to dodge a threat of rain, with players going off in threesomes at the first and 10th tees.

Champions: Kenny Perry shot 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y. Perry had three birdies over the final four holes to surge past Bart and Brad Bryant and Joel Edwards.

U.S. Amateur: For the first time in the tournament's 113 years, no Americans made the semifinals as Australians Brady Watt and Oliver Goss, Canadian Corey Conners and Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick advanced in Brookline, Mass. Watt, a co-medalist in stroke-play qualifying, beat 17-year-old Scottie Scheffler of Dallas 1-up. Brandon Matthews of Dupont, Pa., lost 5 and 3 to Goss; Fitzpatrick beat Adam Ball of Richmond, Va., 4 and 3; and Conners beat top seed Neil Raymond of England 5 and 3.