Tag: Ally Ewing

How each American, European player fared at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

Three players went unbeaten over the three days but only one earned 4 points over the five sessions.

CASARES, Spain — The 2023 Solheim Cup couldn’t have been closer.

The 18th edition of the biennial bash between the United States and Europe was all square at 8-8 entering Sunday singles, and after the final 12 matches – five won by the both teams and two ties – the competition ended in a 14-14 tie, and the Europeans retained the Cup.

In the event’s 23-year history, the Americans have taken home the trophy on 10 occasions, with the Europeans earning the other eight. Team Europe hasn’t lost since 2017 in Iowa.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was the only player to score four points this week (4-0-0) and was one of four players who went unbeaten, joining Gemma Dryburgh (0-0-2), Megan Khang (3-0-1) and Cheyenne Knight (2-0-1). Two players went winless for each team, but only one failed to earn a point.

Here’s a breakdown of how each player fared this week by event at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

MORE: Sunday singles results | Best shots | Crazy fans

European records

Player Overall (W-L-T) Singles (W-L-T) Foursomes (W-L-T) Fourball (W-L-T)
Celine Boutier 0-3-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 0-0-0
Charley Hull 1-2-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 1-0-0
Linn Grant 3-2-0 0-1-0 1-1-0 2-0-0
Georgia Hall 1-2-1 0-0-1 0-2-0 1-0-0
Leona Maguire 3-2-0 1-0-0 0-2-0 2-0-0
Carlota Ciganda 4-0-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 2-0-0
Anna Nordqvist 1-3-0 1-0-0 0-2-0 0-1-0
Maja Stark 2-1-1 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-0-1
Madelene Sagstrom 1-1-1 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-0-1
Gemma Dryburgh 0-0-2 0-0-1 0-0-0 0-0-1
Emily Pedersen 2-2-1 0-1-0 1-1-0 1-0-1
Caroline Hedwall 1-1-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0

American records

Player Overall (W-L-T) Singles (W-L-T) Foursomes (W-L-T) Fourball (W-L-T)
Lilia Vu 1-3-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-2-0
Nelly Korda 2-2-0 0-1-0 2-0-0 0-1-0
Allisen Corpuz 2-1-1 0-1-0 2-0-0 0-0-1
Megan Khang 3-0-1 1-0-0 2-0-0 0-0-1
Lexi Thompson 3-1-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 0-1-0
Jennifer Kupcho 0-2-1 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-1
Ally Ewing 1-3-0 0-1-0 1-0-0 0-2-0
Rose Zhang 0-3-1 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-1
Danielle Kang 2-2-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 0-1-0
Angel Yin 2-1-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-1-0
Andrea Lee 1-2-1 0-0-1 1-1-0 0-1-0
Cheyenne Knight 2-0-1 0-0-1 1-0-0 1-0-0

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See which Solheim Cup captain’s picks have come up big in Spain and which have been on the bench

Cheyenne Knight (2-0-0) is undefeated so far in Spain.

Solheim Cup captains are always judged in part by their captain’s picks. The composition of the two 12-person teams are different in that Suzann Pettersen selects four players for Europe compared to Stacy Lewis’ three picks for Team USA.

So far, the European captain’s picks have combined for 4½ points to Team USA’s four points. While Pettersen has practically hidden two of her picks with Caroline Hedwall and Gemma Dryburgh only playing in one match apiece, she has leaned heavily on one pick: Emily Pedersen. The Dane is one of three European players to tee it up in all four matches. No American, however, will play every session.

Solheim Cup: 5 things we learned from Saturday

Here’s a look at how all seven captain’s picks have fared so far this week:

2023 Solheim Cup Friday morning foursomes pairings feature struggling Lexi Thompson out first

World No. 2 Lilia Vu is on the bench for the opening matches, as is rising star Rose Zhang.

CASARES, Spain — The opening tee shots of the 2023 Solheim Cup are just hours away and the first group of pairings have officially been announced.

Friday morning’s foursomes pairings and matches at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast were released during the opening ceremony Thursday night at nearby Marbella Arena, with none other than U.S. star Lexi Thompson, who has struggled this year, set to take the first swing alongside Megan Khang against European and Swedish rookies, Linn Grant and Maja Stark.

Notably on the bench for the American side are world No. 2 Lilia Vu, who won two major championships this season, as well as rising star Rose Zhang, who has a penchant for match play.

“I wanted to get off to a good start. I wanted to get out four really good pairings and that’s kind of been my focus this whole time,” said U.S. captain Stacy Lewis. “So it was more about who matched up together versus even — I didn’t even look at who was sitting, to be honest. I wasn’t even worried about who was sitting. It was more just what are my best four options.”

“For my sake, I feel like I’ve had these four pairings down on paper for quite a few months now,” added European captain Suzann Pettersen. “It was more like in what order do you play ’em.”

Check out the four matches and pairings, as well as the eight players who will ride the pine pony for the first session of matches at the 2023 Solheim Cup. (Note: Spain is six hours ahead of Eastern Time in the U.S.)

MEET THE TEAMS: Europe | USA

Solheim Cup players, captains explain the test provided by the hilly host, Finca Cortesin

A drivable par-4 1st hole sets a unique tone for what fans should expect to see this week in Spain.

CASARES, Spain — When’s the last time you saw a drivable par 4 on the first hole of a golf course?

Fans who tune in to the 2023 Solheim Cup this week at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast will be treated to the rarity as the opening hole will provide a risk-reward option for players right from the jump.

A lot of the pre-match discussion this week from both players and captains has been about the unique test that this year’s host course will provide. The course at Finca Cortesin offers wide fairways and will bless the good shots and penalize the poor ones. Not only that, the heat and hills will make the 18th matches between the United States and Europe an equal parts physical and mental test for players and their caddies.

Here’s what the stars of the week had to say about this year’s host course as the Solheim Cup is held in Spain for the first time in its nearly two-decade history.

What to watch for as LPGA returns to Cincinnati for the Queen City Championship

There are just eight events left on the LPGA’s 2023 schedule.

After consecutive events on the West Coast in Vancouver and Portland, the LPGA is back in the midwest for the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Kenwood Country Club in Madiera, Ohio, is officially the host venue for the second playing of this event. Ally Ewing won the inaugural tournament a year ago.

Thirteen of the top 25 LPGA golfers in the CME points race are in the field, as is No. 28-ranked Rose Zhang. There will be 144 players in the field competing for a purse of $2 million, with $300,000 going to the winner.

Check out some of the top storylines to follow this week, courtesy of Golfweek’s USA TODAY partner, the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Strong field

There have been 18 different winners on the LPGA in 2023 and 12 of them have made their way to the Queen City. The highest-ranked golfer in the field is No. 2 Ruoning Yin (KPMG Women’s PGA champ). She’s joined by No. 6 Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Open champ) and No. 15 Linn Grant, who won her first LPGA tournament earlier this year in Toledo. Last week’s winner on the LPGA, 19-year-old Chanettee Wannasaen, who won the Portland Classic as a Monday qualifier, will also be there.

In the homestretch

The Queen City Championship is one of the final eight events of the 2023 LPGA season. Since the U.S. Women’s Open in early July, the tour has held 10 events that took golfers to six different countries. Many golfers haven’t had a free weekend since June.

However, after this week, there is a break of about a month, with the LPGA returning Sep. 29.

Grant on a hot streak

Grant, a 24-year-old from Sweden, enters her first Kroger Queen City Championship playing the best golf of her career. She is currently No. 15 in the Rolex Rankings and No. 17 in the CME Rankings. Since her win in the Dana Open, she’s logged six consecutive top-20 finishes and had a top 10 in the CPKC Women’s Open and the Portland Classic

“I feel like it hasn’t changed at all. Obviously, I feel a bit more confident playing the regular weeks now, but kind of just kind of shake off that win and still be able to perform after that without being too excited about it,” Grant said. “I think I’m pretty good at every week kind of reset and figure out how I’m feeling, how my game is feeling, and kind of adjust to that.”

Ohio native Hammond has promising future

Earlier this summer, just five months after her 15th birthday, Mia Hammond made her LPGA debut, winning her qualifier to become the youngest player in the field at the Dana Open.

Hammond, a New Albany, Ohio, native and a sophomore at New Albany High School, tied for 26th as the only amateur in the field. Hammond’s father, Tom, is her coach and caddie and will be on the bag this week at the Kenwood Country Club. Hammond was given a sponsor invite.

“My goal remains the same: Just make the cut after the first two rounds and go from there. I’m just trying to take this experience all in and just enjoy it as much as possible,” Hammond said. “I don’t really have very high expectations for myself going into this week. Just to go out and have fun and just soak it all up.”

Xiyu Lin hopes to breakthrough

Last year, a 21-under 267 was not enough for Xiyu Lin of China to hoist the hardware as she fell by one stroke to Ewing. Lin, 27, is a top 15 golfer in the world, but has yet to win an LPGA event. In addition to Cincinnati last year, Lin’s been a runner-up four times over the last two years.

Charley Hull, Lilia Vu tied for lead, Ally Ewing stumbles at AIG Women’s Open

Catch up on the action here.

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Ally Ewing was in complete control after her Friday 6-under 66 at the AIG Women’s Open, leading by five shots. But after stumbling to a 3-over 75 at Walton Heath in England, Ewing will tee off two shots out of the lead Sunday.

Charley Hull made one of the moves of the day, firing a 4-under 68 to grab a share of the 54-hole lead with Lilia Vu. Vu, who won the Chevron Championship earlier this season, was one better than Hull on Day 3, shooting a 5-under 67.

“I think today was really about for me just in terms of confidence,” Vu said after her round. “It’s been a while since I played — I say awhile. It’s been since Chevron that I actually felt pretty decent about my game and where it’s at.

“So I’m just going to do the same thing I did today, just focusing on tee shots and giving myself a good opportunity for birdies, and just do that tomorrow, not think too much about the wind. Because every time that happens, it just slips away from me.”

The pair, at 9 under, is one shot clear of their closest chasers, Hyo Joo Kim and Angel Yin. Kim shot a third-round 68 while Yin signed for a 67.

There are several big names lurking a few shots back, including Linn Grant (6 under), Nasa Hataoka (4 under) and Nelly Korda (4 under).

“Tee-to-green really well. Putting, I’d probably give myself a D,” Korda said. “It was — I started off pretty well and then on the back nine, I just kind of started making more mistakes with the short stick.

“But overall, I would say I moved up on moving day, and conditions were tough and I’ll take that.”

Jin Young Ko is 1 under and eight back, while Rose Zhang slid down the board thanks to a 3-over 75 and will tee off Sunday 11 back of the leaders.

Final round coverage will be broadcasted on USA Network 7 a.m.-12 p.m. ET Sunday before switching to Golf Channel from 12-2 p.m. ET.

Ally Ewing draws inspiration from Open winner Brian Harman at AIG Women’s Open

An American holding a big lead at an Open Championship is a storyline we’ve seen recently.

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Ally Ewing carded seven birdies en route to a 6-under 66 to take a five-shot lead after 36 holes at the AIG Women’s Open.

An American holding a big lead at an Open Championship is a storyline we’ve seen recently.

Brian Harman also led by five after two rounds at Royal Liverpool three weeks ago. He never faltered and went on to win his first major. Ewing, who says she doesn’t know Harman personally, said: “I obviously know his story, winning The Open everything and. But yeah, incredible tournament he played.”

The similarities don’t stop there.

“He’s a Bulldog,” she said, before clarifying. “He’s a Georgia Bulldog. I’m a Bulldog, I’m a Mississippi State Bulldog. I guess we have that in common. But yeah, it’s pretty cool, southern guy, I’m southern, just a little Mississippi girl. It is inspiring what he did.

“I think a lot of people, I wouldn’t say they were rooting against him but a lot of people were rooting for other people. I can kind of attest to that in some sense but yeah, certainly happy with where I am through 36 holes.”

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After a birdie on the third hole, Ewing strung together four straight birdies on Nos. 6 through 9 to make the turn in 30.

“I didn’t really even know until I signed my scorecard that I had four birdies in a row,” she said, cognizant of the zone she was in during her round. “I would probably say that stretch from like 6 to 11 is kind of a little bit of a blur but yeah, I was very in the present on all of those shots.”

Her lone blemish came with a bogey on the par-4 closing hole.

Despite that, she’s at 10 under, the only golfer in double digits under par. Harman was also at 10 under through two rounds.

There’s one other similarity between Harman and Ewing.

“I actually do some hunting. I know that’s probably not going to be interpreted well by the media but I do, yes.

“My husband and I, we do mostly deer hunting, so venison. That’s most
of what we do.”

With a commanding lead, Ewing is now the hunted and knows there’s still plenty of golf left to be played.

“Nothing that I’ve done through 36 holes can do anything for me for the next 36, so I’m just going to be mentally prepared for each individual day that presents itself. Each shot is going to be different.”

Charley Hull, Minami Katsu and Andrea Lee are tied for second at 5 under. There are four golfers two back at 4 under, including Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda is tied for 28th at 1 under after scores of 73 and 70.

Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai is 3 over and is among the notable names who missed the cut.

Ally Ewing makes late eagle, grabs solo lead at 2023 AIG Women’s Open

Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

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Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

In May, at the Bank of Hope Match Play, she finished 17th. Then she missed a cut at the Mizuho Americas.

A tie for eighth at the Meijer LPGA Classic was followed by a missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

A solo 11th at the U.S. Women’s Open was followed by a missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship.

She posted a T-9 a week ago in the Women’s Scottish Open but looks to be in good shape to buck the missed-cut-every-other-event trend this week at the AIG Women’s Open.

Ewing rebounded from back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England.

“The ball was sitting down a bit,” she said after her drive on 16 ended up in the rough. “But I happened to see both my playing competitors hit shots and noticed how firm it was up in front of the green and so I was actually able to learn a little bit there. It was kind of a gouge-type shot and I just let it chase and it just so happened to chase to like five feet. It was one of those where you’re trying to give yourself an eagle chance and it just so happened to be a five-footer, so definitely happy to walk away with an eagle.”

Her 4-under 68 elevated her into the solo lead after one round of the final LPGA major of 2023.

There’s a logjam in second at 3 under between Jeongeun Lee6, Emily Kristine Pedersen, Perrine Delacour, Jaravee Boonchant and Amy Yang. They all shot 69s.

There’s even a bigger cluster at 2 under, with 12 golfers tied for seventh after shooting 70. That group includes Carlota Ciganda, who was disqualified from the last LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship, for signing an incorrect scorecard, an incident that arose out of a two-stroke penalty for slow play. Also at 2 under is U.S. Open champ, Allisen Corpuz.

As for the other 2023 LPGA major champs: KPMG Women’s PGA champ Yin Ruoning, even; Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu, 1 over; Amundi winner Celine Boutier, 2 over.

Other notable scores: Danielle Kang (E), Stacy Lewis (E), Jin Young Ko (1 over), Nelly Korda (1 over), Lydia Ko (2 over), defending AIG champ Ashleigh Buhai (2 over), Brooke Henderson (3 over) and Lexi Thompson (4 over).

Thirty-three golfers broke par on the first day.

Ally Ewing catches fire in final round, wins LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati

It’s Ally Ewing’s third career LPGA victory.

MADEIRA, Ohio ‒ Ally Ewing’s Sunday started with eight straight pars as she watched her 54-hole lead disappear to Xiyu Lin in the final round of the Kroger Queen City Championship at Kenwood Country Club.

But, a little patience paid off for Ewing on Sunday.

“The first eight holes it was just pars,” Ewing said. “I don’t think I missed any greens. I was just kind of two-putting. I hit a couple good putts, but think a big putt for me was that par putt I made on 7. It was a six-footer, but I saw a six-footer go in and was able to get to 9 and roll in an 18-footer down the hill.

“Kind of calmed me down. But I struggled with nerves all day because I just haven’t been able to put this together for a full tournament this year.”

Ewing’s first birdie came at the ninth hole, foreshadowing what was about to happen on the back nine.

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Ewing birdied five holes in a row ‒ Nos. 12-16 ‒ to shoot 31 on the back nine and secure her third career LPGA Tour victory.

Lin made it interesting, though. Trailing Ewing by two shots on the 72nd hole, Lin birdied the difficult par-4 18th, forcing Ewing to get up-and-down from just short of the green to hang on.

Ewing put together four consecutive rounds in the 60s in Cincinnati to finish 22 under, one shot better than Lin, who finished alone in second place.

Over four rounds at Kenwood Country Club, Ewing, the 29-year-old American, made only four bogeys and none on Sunday.

Ally Ewing holds a one-shot lead over Maria Fassi at the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship

It’s a tight leaderboard with 18 holes to play.

MADEIRA, Ohio – American Ally Ewing was welcomed with chants of “Let’s go Ally” as she approached the 18th green on Saturday at Kenwood Country Club as the 54-hole leader of the LPGA’s Kroger Queen City Championship.

Ewing followed up Friday’s 8-under round of 64 with a 5-under 67 on Saturday, turning a two-shot deficit when the day started into a one-shot lead going into Sunday’s final round.

Ewing put together a precise round on Saturday, hitting 13 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens in regulation and had only one bogey on her scorecard.

“My mindset going into today was just to play within myself and go out, execute shots, and I did that really well,” Ewing said. “Unfortunate bogey on 18. It’s a tough hole and didn’t get a ball up and down. Really happy with how I played and how I handled myself and obviously in a good position for tomorrow.”

Kroger Queen City Championship: Leaderboard

The 29-year-old leads the tournament at 16 under. On Sunday, Ewing will be playing for her third career LPGA Tour win.

“There is a ton of golf left,” said Ewing. “I mean, as far as excitement, this is exactly what you want to do, exactly where you want to be after 54 holes.

“I am really excited, but I know tomorrow is going to have its challenges, and I’m going to have to not get ahead of myself. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

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The woman on Ewing’s heels is 24-year-old Maria Fassi, who eagled the par-5 15th on Saturday to get to 15-under, alone in second place thanks to a 5-under round of 67.

On the 15th hole, Fassi said she was trying to reach the green with her second shot.

“The second shot didn’t quite come out as we were expecting,” Fassi said. “We were kind of saying that it was honestly the worst spot I could have left myself for my third shot, and my only thought was just try to hit it as high as you can.

“Of course, the result was extra, but I hit a fantastic golf shot and just very happy that it just went in and I could get some momentum for the last few holes.”

This is Fassi’s best position heading into a final round, still in search of her first career LPGA Tour win.

“I’ve said it with my team and the people around me know that this has been a tough year,” Fassi said. “But the golf was there. The golf has always been there, and it was just ‒ for me to believe that it was there, for me to see that I was actually able to hit the shots that I’m able to hit this week, it’s been a huge reward because I’ve worked harder than ever this last year and a half.

“I haven’t seen the results yet, so I’m super excited to see what tomorrow holds, and keep doing what we’re doing of having a lot of fun on the golf course with Gary. I’m just excited that we get 18 more holes to do it again.”

Xiyu Lin, the first-round leader on Thursday, sits in third place at 14 under, and she’s followed by a group of four women – Megan Khang, Sarah Kemp, Ariya Jutanugarn and Jeongeun Lee6 – at 12 under.

“I have nothing to lose and already have three good days, so I’m just going to keep being positive and keep chasing,” said Lin.

There has already been one 9-under round of 63, two 8-under rounds of 64 and a 7-under round of 65 this week. That leaves the possibility of some fireworks from the leaders on Sunday. Last week, Gaby Lopez won the Dana Open in Toledo by shooting a 63 in the final round.

The LPGA is moving Sunday’s tee times up earlier to try and avoid any potential weather later in the afternoon. The leaders will tee off at 9:42 a.m.