USA crush Europe to retain Solheim Cup

LOS ANGELES, California: The United States won the Solheim Cup on Sunday, thwarting Europe’s comeback bid to triumph 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 in the women’s match-play showdown.

The Americans took a commanding five-point lead into the day’s 12 singles matches at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa.The scoreboard showed the 14 1/2 points needed for an outright victory when Lizette Salas sank a par putt at the 18th for a 1-up win over Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England.

Indeed the moment was little more than a formality, with the Americans already assured of the win thanks to the number of matches on course in which they were leading.They had been hurtling toward victory ever since Lexi Thompson’s remarkable rally to halve the opening singles match with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.

With captain Annika Sorenstam’s Europe needing the biggest final-day comeback in Solheim Cup history to snatch the prize, Nordqvist set an early tone, winning the first four holes as Thompson struggled.But the American came alive on the back nine with a gutsy display that included holing out for an eagle at the 11th and an eagle at 15 to square the match.

Thompson, who was six-under on the back nine, won the 16th with a birdie to take a 1-up lead that she took to 18 after both players bogeyed the par-three 17th.The world number two was on the green in two at the last when Nordqvist fired her approach to within two feet. Thompson conceded the birdie putt, and when she couldn’t get her own long attempt to drop the match ended halved.

The United States continued to edge closer to their goal as veteran Cristie Kerr closed out a 2 & 1 victory over England’s Mel Reid and Paula Creamer defeated Georgia Hall 1 up.Germany’s Caroline Masson helped stem the tide with a 4 & 2 win over Michelle Wie.

And Scottish veteran Catriona Matthew, pressed into playing duty only when Suzann Pettersen pulled out late with an injury, rallied from 3 down through 11 holes to beat Stacy Lewis 1 up.But when 18-year-old Angel Yin halved her match with France’s Karine Icher, with Salas and Gerina Piller assured of at least halving theirs, the Americans were home and dry.