Harry HowWEST DES MOINES, IA – AUGUST 18: Stacy Lewis of the United States and caddie Travis Wilson line up a putt on the 18th green with Gerina Piller and Brian Dilley during the morning foursomes matches of the Solheim Cup at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 18, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)DES MOINES, Iowa — The Europeans won the morning, winning two matches, halving one and losing one. It was a bit of a surprise, as the Americans came into the event as the favorites. But no matter how strong a group of individuals is in stroke play, there’s no way to predict how they will fare in the difficult team match play formats of the Solheim Cup. Friday morning was foursomes, also known as alternate shot. In the afternoon, it was four-ball. And four-ball suited the Americans much better.
No European team led a match at any time in the afternoon.
The first match to finish was Lizette Salas and Angel Yin, who defeated Carlota Ciganda and Emily ..

FacebookPinterestChris KeaneDoug Ghim (shown here) will face Theo Humphrey in a U.S. Amateur semifinal match Saturday at Riviera Country Club. (Copyright USGA/Chris Keane)

Match play — once Tiger turned pro, at least — is susceptible to what often is described as vagaries, which, in golf circles, means only that anything can happen. Nonetheless, a favorite has emerged in the U.S. Amateur heading into Saturday’s semifinals.
It is Doug Ghim, 21, a senior at Texas, who was a 2-and-1 winner over Connor Syme of Scotland at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Friday. Ghim has momentum that includes a victory this summer in the Pacific Coast Amateur. He is the highest-ranked player left in the field, No. 7 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. And on the experience front, he once reached the final of a USGA event, the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2014.
His next opponent will be Theo Humphrey, who defeated Chun An Yu of Chinese Taipei, 1 up, on Friday. In the other semifinal ma..

Harry HowWEST DES MOINES, IA – AUGUST 18: Danielle Kang of Team USA plays with the crowd on the first tee during the morning foursomes matches of the Solheim Cup at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 18, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)DES MOINES, Iowa — “I want it to be so loud that I can’t hear my caddie,” Danielle Kang said in her Solheim Cup press conference on Wednesday. The statement got laughs from the media and her teammates, but Kang wasn’t kidding. Her shoulders must be sore from all of the times she lifted her arms in the air, coaxing cheers from the fans on Friday. On the first tee in the morning match, she wouldn't address her tee shot, the first shot she’d ever hit in a Solheim Cup, until the fans were cheering loud enough. Once the crowd hit a volume she liked, she launched it down the center.
Kang is a Solheim Cup rookie, but she appears right at home.
It makes sense that she’s comfortable at her first Solheim Cup. First..

Jared C. TiltonGREENSBORO, NC – AUGUST 18: Webb Simpson lines up his putt on the ninth green during the second round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 18, 2017 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)For some PGA Tour pros, certain courses on the schedule just fit their eye. A prime example would be Webb Simpson and Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., a place he has had nothing but success in his career. After missing the cut in the 2009 Wyndham Championship, his seven appearances since have included his first PGA Tour victory in 2011, three top 8s and two top 25s.
It's no surprise that after 36 holes Simpson is at the top of the leader board once again, tied with Ryan Armour at 13-under 127 after posting a second-round six-under 64 on Friday.
Simpson, 32, began with birdies on his first two holes Friday, rolling in putts of 20 and 14 feet. He added six more on the round, including four on his first six holes of..

Stuart FranklinCHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 13: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the second tee during the final round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 13, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)After posting a final round three-under 68 to finish T-22 at the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy left his FedEx Cup Playoffs availability up in the air, suggesting his lingering rib injury was not fully healed.
Whether or not he is 100% healthy remains unclear, but according to a report from James Corrigan of the UK Telegraph, a member of McIlroy's management team confirmed he will play in the Northern Trust in Old Westbury, N.Y., next week. The report also confirmed that McIlroy's good friend Harry Diamond will be back on the bag at the Glen Oaks Club.
When the Northern Irishman tees it up next Thursday, he'll be defending his FedEx Cup crown, which he won after capturing the second and final legs of the ..

Stuart FranklinWEST DES MOINES, IA – AUGUST 18: Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson of Team USA bump fists during the morning foursomes matches of The Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 18, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)DES MOINES, Iowa — Lexi Thompson started the first match of the Solheim Cup by ripping her 3-wood onto the green of the drivable par 4. Kerr made the eagle putt and it felt like the tone for their alternate-shot match against Charley Hull and Mel Reid had been set. Kerr and Thompson have both won on tour this year and both have higher world rankings than their European opponents, so it felt like there was a good chance the dominant first hole was going to be one of many during the match. But by the fifth hole, Hull and Reid were 1-up. The American team continued to trail.
“Alternate shot is a very hard format, but we hit it solid,” said Thompson. “We tried to stay positive throughout the day and we know half a p..