WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lexi Thompson set the tone by rallying from four holes down. The rest of the Americans took it from there and restored their dominance in the Solheim Cup
“I was just, like, ‘I just have to go all in and go for it all,'” Thompson said.
Her U.S. teammates followed her lead and the Americans finished off their most-decisive Solheim Cup victory in over 20 years, beating Europe 16 1/2-11 1/2 on Sunday at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.
Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer won key matches, and Gerina Piller sealed it with a birdie putt that put her 3 up over Florentyna Parker with three to play in a 4-and-2 victory.
“They just bonded. They believed in each other. They played for the person behind them and in front of them. And they played some amazing golf,” said Juli Inkster, who joined Judy Rankin as the only U.S. captains to win the Solheim Cup twice.
The Americans are 10-5 in the biennial tournament after their biggest win since a 17-11 triumph in 1996 in Wales. They rallied to win in Germany in 2015, and have taken five of the last seven matches.
Kerr beat Mel Reid 2 and 1 for her record-extending 21st point in the competition, and Creamer edged Georgia Hall 1 up to raise her total to 19 1/2 — second on the U.S. career list.
Thompson ended up halving with Anna Nordqvist, and Angel Yin halved with Karine Icher as the teams split the 12 singles matches. Lizette Salas and Danielle Kang also won for the U.S. Salas edged Jodi Ewart Shadoff 1 up, and Kang beat Emily Pedersen 3 and 1.
For Europe, Catriona Matthew beat Stacy Lewis 1 up, Caroline Masson topped Michelle Wie 4 and 2, Charley Hull edged Brittany Lang 1 up, Carlota Ciganda beat Brittany Lincicome 4 and 3, and Madelene Sagstrom defeated Austin Ernst 3 and 2.
“We just got outplayed, no doubt about it,” European captain Annika Sorenstam said. “I’m just so proud of how hard they fought. What can I say? Just congratulate the USA because they played some awesome golf.”
Her team five points down entering the day, Sorenstam tried to keep the mood light by dressing up in a blue and yellow Viking hat and wig and dancing for the cameras before play began.
Nordqvist did her best to set the tone for the Europeans in the opening match, winning the first four holes.
But after a birdie on No. 10, Thompson holed out from 112 yards for eagle on the 11th hole — a shot so impressive that even Nordqvist was compelled to high-five her.
The 22-year-old Thompson followed with an eagle putt on the 15th hole, and a birdie on 16 put her ahead for the first time. Though Nordqvist rallied, earning the half-point by sticking her 154-yard approach on No. 18 within a foot, an American win was inevitable after Thompson’s run.
“To me, that was like six points,” Inkster said. “It’s probably fitting they both got half a point. Both played amazingly. It just shows the heart of her and her determination. You think she’s out of it and then the switch goes off.”
Nordqvist went 3-0-1 during the week to lead the Europeans.
Creamer was 3-1 filling in for the injured Jessica Korda, matching Kang and Salas for the top U.S. records. Creamer kept her celebration muted following Hall’s missed 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole. But this was a huge bounce back event for Creamer after her recent struggles kept her off the U.S. roster until Korda got hurt.
“For Juli to play me four matches, you know — I knew my game was there, but obviously it didn’t look like it was,” Creamer said.
The 47-year-old Matthew was 3-1 after replacing the injured Suzann Pettersen.
PGA:
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Henrik Stenson kept making birdies on the back nine Sunday at the Wyndham Championship. They added up to a tournament record — and his first victory of the year.
Stenson closed with a 6-under 64 for a one-stroke victory in the final event of the PGA Tour regular season.
The 2013 FedEx Cup champion finished at 22-under 258 at Sedgefield Country Club, breaking the course’s 72-hole record set by Carl Pettersson in 2008 and matched last year by Si Woo Kim.
The Swede earned $1,044,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points for his sixth win on tour and his first since the 2016 British Open.
“It’s certainly a good time to start firing,” Stenson said. “We know the kind of damage you can do in the playoffs. … If you get hot and keep on playing well, you have a chance to challenge.”
Stenson said he left his driver in his locker all week — “he’s a little anxious to get out there and start getting some air time next week,” he quipped of the club — and certainly didn’t need it on the par-70 Sedgefield course.
For the second straight day, he had four birdies in a five-hole stretch of the back nine.
Ollie Schniederjans shot a 64 to finish second. Webb Simpson was 18 under after a 67.”
“I had to keep on making birdies,” Stenson said, “because Ollie was surely not backing down.
Stenson had three consecutive birdies on Nos. 15-17 — leaving a 20-foot eagle putt on the 15th hole about a foot short — after he and Schniederjans were both at 19 under.
Stenson’s 30-foot birdie putt on No. 17 moved him to 22 under.
He needed it, because Schniederjans kept the pressure on him. The 24-year-old former Georgia Tech player made a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 17 and added another birdie on the par-4 18th hole after placing his second shot 2 feet from the pin.
“I thought I had a two-shot cushion … and as I walked over (to the 18th hole and) looked around, ‘Oh, OK, (Schniederjans) birdied it as well,” Stenson said. “So I better scramble a par here to get the win.”
With Schniederjans watching the television broadcast and hoping for a tie, Stenson rolled a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 18 off the right edge of the cup, then made a 3-footer to end it.
“When I stuffed it (on No. 18), I thought that’s probably going to be a playoff,” Schniederjans said. “And he birdied 17 and got par on 18. Hat’s off to him — he had a great finish, too. Just one short.”
Low scores and tight leaderboards once again were the norm at Sedgefield. With seven holes left for the final pairing, four players — Stenson, Schniederjans, Ryan Armour and Kevin Na — shared the lead at 18 under.
“It was anyone’s tournament on the back nine,” Stenson said.
Stenson moved to 19 under with a birdie on the 13th and Schniederjans joined him with a remarkable recovery for birdie on the 15th. His second shot careened off a canopy covering the gallery and landed in a greenside bunker, but he chipped to 2 feet of the flagstick and converted the putt.
The other subplot at Sedgefield was the push by the bubble players to qualify for the playoffs that start next week at The Northern Trust for the top 125 on the points list.
Geoff Ogilvy, who was at No. 125, finished at 11 under and earned enough points to move to No. 116.
And Martin Flores, who started at No. 139, jumped to No. 118 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after a 63 highlighted by a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th. J.J. Henry, Harold Varner III and Rory Sabbatini also played their way into the top 125.
“I was very aware of where I was all day but I knew that I needed to be somewhere inside the top 10, have to,” Flores said. “So I was able to get off to a great start and I was able to just keep it going all day.”
DIVOTS: Ben Crane was the first player this week to ace the 16th hole, earning 1 million rewards points from the tournament’s title sponsor. “Billy Horschel and I did a lot of choreography work beforehand and nailed it, did the right high fives,” Crane said about his post-ace celebration.
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CHAMPIONS TOUR
ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) — Scott McCarron birdied the final three holes to beat California childhood rival Kevin Sutherland by a stroke Sunday in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.
McCarron closed with an 8-under 64 a day after shooting a 61 at En-Joie to join Sutherland atop the leaderboard entering the final round in the PGA Tour Champions event.
“To go low like I did the last couple days, I’ve never played that kind of golf for two days,” McCarron said. “My hat’s off to Kevin. He played such good golf and it just got to be match play. It was like we were back in high school playing against each other, it was so much fun.”
The 52-year-old McCarron matched Sutherland with a birdie on the par-4 16th, took the lead with a 12-footer on the par-3 17th and won with a 15-footer on the par-4 18th after driving well right and hitting an approach over trees. He finished at 20-under 196.
“To birdie that last hole from where I drove it, I drove it so bad, I think they’re going to put a plaque out there,” McCarron joked.
Sutherland birdied the 16th and 18th in a 65.
“I played really well this week, no complaints,” Sutherland said. “Scott played fantastic. It was a lot of fun. I’ve known Scott since junior golf, so it was a lot of fun.”
McCarron has three victories this year and five in the last two seasons on the PGA Tour Champions. The three-time PGA Tour winner won the Allianz Championship in February and the major Senior Players Championship in July.
Sutherland missed a chance for his first senior title — and another chance to top his old Sacramento rival. Sutherland’s lone PGA Tour victory came in 2002 at La Costa in the Accenture Match Play Championship, when he beat McCarron 1 up in the 36-hole final.
“I know if I keep doing what I’m doing, eventually it will happen,” said Sutherland, who shot a PGA Tour Champions-record 59 three years ago at En-Joie. “But I did a lot of good things today and I can build on that.”
Sutherland holed out from the fairway for eagle on the par-4 ninth to tie McCarron for the lead, and pulled ahead with a birdie on the par-5 12th. McCarron tied it again with a birdie on the par-4 13th.
“I needed to birdie one more hole the last three and he got it done,” Sutherland said. “That’s the difference, he birdied the last three and I birdied two of the last three.”
John Daly (66), local favorite Joey Sindelar (69) and Woody Austin (68) tied for third at 13 under.
Charles Schwab Cup leader Bernhard Langer was 12 under after a 69. The 59-year-old Langer has a tour-high four victories, winning three of the five major championships.
WEB.COM TOUR
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Talor Gooch rallied to win the News Sentinel Open on Sunday to wrap up a PGA Tour card for next season with his first Web.com Tour victory.
Five strokes back entering the day, Gooch closed with a 6-under 65 at Fox Den for a one-stroke victory over Jonathan Hodge.
Gooch earned $99,000 to jump from 20th to third on the money list with $271,316. The top 25 after the Portland Open next week will earn PGA Tour cards.
“It’s everything you’ve ever dreamed about,” said Gooch, the 25-year-old former Oklahoma State player. “This is as much about my family, my friends, Kelsey (Cline), my coach and so many people along the way that have helped. This is a culmination of everything right now.”
Gooch finished at 18-under 266. He hit 17 of 18 greens in regultion.
“It was a really easy round to be honest,” Gooch said. “The toughest part of the day was I had about a 50-footer on the par-3 16th, and I left it about 6 feet short for par, but outside of that everything was pretty close and pretty easy. That’s the type of round you wish you could have a lot more often.”
He won a week after finishing second in Springfield, Missouri.
Hodge closed with a 66. His chip from the greenside rough to force a playoff on 18 came up just short.
“That chip on 18 was in the really thick rough, but it was a decent lie and a decent chance and had a shot,” Hodge said. “I would have liked it to hit it harder, but I can’t complain. I’m super happy with how I played all week.”
The Knoxville native, moved up to No. 34 on the money list.
Keith Mitchell was third at 16 under after a 67.
US AMATEUR FINALS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Doc Redman stood over a 60-foot eagle putt on the 35th hole of the U.S. Amateur final, his hand in his pocket as usual. One hole earlier, he missed a 4-footer to fall two holes behind with two to play, and his championship chances probably rested on this long, tricky shot.
And if the 19-year-old sophomore from Clemson felt even a bit of that pressure, Redman never showed it while he holed that daunting putt and made an incredible comeback to win.
“I didn’t even think about it, really,” Redman said. “All that was going through my head was about making the putt and putting a good stroke on it. Honestly, I was just (thinking), ‘You’re going to make this. You’re going to make this.’ And it worked out well.”
Redman rallied past Doug Ghim and won on the first extra hole Sunday, claiming the Havemeyer Trophy in the 117th edition of the Amateur.
After Redman gave away his own lead with eight holes to play, Ghim was on the verge of victory with two holes left in the two-round final at Riviera Country Club. But Redman capped his phenomenal putting day by making that 60-footer and following with a short, tricky birdie putt on the 36th hole to force overtime.
“I always have a lot of confidence from mid-range,” said Redman, who puts his hand in his pocket before his stroke as part of his putting routine. “When I see one go in, I definitely get big eyes and I know I can make anything.”
Ghim put his tee shot in the rough and his second shot in the sand on the extra hole — Riviera’s famed 10th. After Ghim’s bogey putt missed, he conceded the hole and the title to Redman.
“It was a chess match, except your golf ball isn’t moving like a pawn should on the board,” Ghim said.
The 62nd-seeded Redman followed a thoroughly improbable route to become the second Clemson player to win the Amateur after Chris Patton in 1989. The Raleigh native had a solid freshman year with the Tigers and reached the final of the Western Amateur, but gave little suggestion he was ready to make history at Riviera.
Doc — that’s his given name, not a nickname — became the second-lowest seed to win the title since 1985. He is the first champion to advance through the playoff to match play since Steven Fox, the lowest seed ever to win the Amateur at No. 63, did it in 2012.
“It’s incredible to add my name to the list of all the incredible champions already, and to have conquered arguably the best field in amateur golf, and a really difficult grind, too,” Redman said. “I beat some of the best players in the world, and I hope this can vault me up into that conversation as well going forward.”
Class starts at Clemson on Wednesday, so Redman is headed home to school — but he’ll be right back in LA. Redman and Ghim, a senior at the University of Texas, will be teammates in Walker Cup competition in three weeks at Los Angeles Country Club, where a 10-man team of American amateurs will face a team from Britain and Ireland.
Redman also gets a full exemption into the 2018 U.S. Open and the next 10 U.S. Amateurs, and a probable invitation to the Masters along with Ghim.
Ghim and Redman advanced comfortably through match play during the week on the famed course in Pacific Palisades. When they began the final under cloudy coastal conditions Sunday morning, they were practically even for the first 30 holes, with neither player taking a lead larger than 2 up.
Redman was 1 up with eight holes left in regulation, but Ghim won the 11th when Redman missed a short putt. Ghim took the lead on the 13th and then went 2 up when Redman missed that short par putt on the 16th.
The trophy appeared to be in Ghim’s hands — but it was snatched away on the final holes. Ghim, a Chicago-area native who wore a Cubs cap Sunday, also got to the verge of winning the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links title before blowing his lead on the final hole.
“As good as Doc played, I felt like I was losing weight just thinking about the shots I was trying to hit,” Ghim said.