Solheim Cup: How Europe claimed their only victory on American soil with record-breaking 2013 win | Golf News

Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist and Charley Hull all featured in the European team at Colorado Golf Club in 2013, along with Catriona Matthew; the visitors dominated the final-day singles, winning them 7.5-4.5; watch this year’s Solheim Cup singles live on Sky Sports Golf from 4.30pm

Team Europe will be aiming to create more Solheim Cup history this week, eight years on from their only previous victory on American soil.

Catriona Matthew’s side will take a 9-7 lead over the United States into the singles at Inverness Club in Toledo, where they will have the chance to claim back-to-back wins and become only the second European team ever to claim an away Solheim Cup success.

Matthew was a stalwart of the European team at Colorado Golf Club in 2013, while Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist and Charley Hull, who was making her debut at the age of 17, were also in the team.

The Friday morning foursomes in 2013 went a similar way to this year’s with Europe taking an early 3-1 lead thanks to victories for Nordqvist and Hedwall, Suzann Pettersen and Beatriz Recari, and Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher, with Morgan Pressel and Jessica Korda picking up the USA’s only point.

The afternoon fourballs were then shared 2-2 as Europe led 5-3 overnight, although there was some controversy in the top match.

An incorrect ruling helped Ciganda save par at the 15th and, alongside Pettersen, she went on to beat Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson 1up.

Ciganda hit her second shot into a water hazard but rather than put the ball back two club lengths from the hazard she was allowed to go back 40 yards and then holed a 15-foot par putt to halve the hole.

Nordqvist and Hedwall prevailed once again in the Saturday morning foursomes, but USA edged the session 2.5-1.5 courtesy of victories for Lewis and Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang.

There was further controversy in the afternoon fourballs as rookie European pairing Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Hull claimed a surprise 2up win over Creamer and Thompson.

At the seventh, with the match level and Creamer about to face a bogey putt, one of the European caddies attempted to concede the hole to the Americans on the advice of assistant captain Annika Sorenstam.

A lengthy delay followed while a decision was made as to whether Team Europe should be handed a penalty and although caddies are not allowed to concede holes, no punishment was given and Thompson holed her putt to win the hole for the hosts.

However, they eventually lost the match as Europe swept the fourballs, winning 4-0 with Munoz and Ciganda, Hedwall and Masson, and Recari and Icher all triumphing as the visitors took a 10.5-5.5 lead into the final day.

Nordqvist halved the opening singles match on Sunday, but wins for Hull, Ciganda and Hedwall – the latter making it five wins from five matches, the first time a player from either team had done so – took Liselotte Neumann’s team to 14 points and ensured the trophy would return to Europe.

Matthew then registered the winning moment just minutes later, holing a four-footer at the last against Gerina Piller to claim the half-point required for outright victory.

Europe would go on to win the contest by a record-breaking margin, claiming seven and a half of the available points on the final day – Ewart Shadoff and Recari also won, while Lang and Thompson were the only victorious Americans – to complete a convincing 18-10 victory.

Can Team Europe make it back-to-back Solheim Cup victories and enjoy a historic away success? Watch the final-day singles live on Monday from 4.30pm on Sky Sports Golf!