Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz found themselves in an early hole after going 2 down through the first three holes of their eagerly anticipated Saturday foursomes match against Europe's Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda.
Struggling to find their rhythm at Robert Trent Jones GC, the U.S. pairing saw the Europeans win two of the first three to take an early advantage. But Korda and Corpuz clawed their way back over the next six holes, managing to halve that stretch and get back to 1 down.
A crucial momentum shift came on the 10th when the Americans claimed their first win of the match, tying the score. They continued that push by taking the 13th as well to pull square heading to the par-5 14th. It was there that Corpuz stole the show with a magical shot that even she could hardly believe.
Allisen and Nelly convert the EAGLE to go 1 Up! 📈🦅 pic.twitter.com/4kJQlchPG6
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 14, 2024
From 170 yards out, Corpuz barely made contact with her approach. Yet to the amazement of all watching, the ball refused to land and just kept rolling, eventually ending up just 20 feet from the cup. Korda converted the gift for eagle, giving the U.S. its first lead during a pivotal stretch.
Witnessing is believing, and those present at the 14th hole on Saturday surely couldn't believe their eyes when Allisen Corpuz's approach barely left the ground yet still found the bottom of the cup.
With water guarding the left side of the green and the pin tucked tightly away, Corpuz's ball refused to stop rolling after an unintentional top, eventually coming to rest an unbelievable 20 feet from the pin.
Corpuz still not sure how it got there? European captain Catriona Matthew certainly appreciated the shot, calling it "A good Scottish shot there under the breeze."
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Gold medalist Nelly Korda took full advantage, draining the eagle putt to hand the U.S. its first lead of the match. The timing could not have been better, coming just a hole after Europe led three of four matches.
With the boost from Corpuz's magic, Korda and Corpuz would close out their tight battle with Pedersen and Ciganda, winning 1 up. Momentum had suddenly and decidedly shifted in favor of the home team, setting the tone for a decisive afternoon session where the red and blue dominated. It's safe to say Corpuz's improbable shot sparked the Americans at just the right time. Even Korda called it "could be the top three best shots I’ve ever seen in my entire life." High praise indeed for this bit of Solheim Cup magic.
