ST. LEON ROT, Germany -- When darkness called a halt to play on Friday evening it was as if the moon had called timeout for the Americans. It was not just that they trailed the Europeans 4-2, but that Carlota Ciganda had holed an outrageous 9-iron from 135 yards for an eagle on the 17th hole to pull level with partner Melissa Reid against Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson.
The American partnership had never once been behind in the fourball match and had birdied No. 13 and 14 to take a two-hole lead. But a European birdie on the 16th and Ciganda's remarkable approach shot wiped out the advantage to leave the visitors reeling in the gathering gloom.
When the sun re-emerged early Saturday morning (in theory at least; in actual fact it was still hiding behind thick gray clouds), Reid lashed her approach to 15 feet and holed for birdie, prompting scenes almost as ecstatic as the previous night when she had leapt into Ciganda's arms. It left Thompson with a 12-foot birdie putt of her own to halve the match. Was she cool, calm and collected in the chill of early morning?
"Oh no," she said, "there was just a lot of adrenaline. I made sure I took a lot of deep breaths before, after all the screaming that had gone on with Mel making that putt. I knew I had to top her. I had a good read on it. I had a perfect spot to aim my putt. I just had to commit."
Kerr was in awe about her partner's performance. "Lexi hit two beautiful shots up there," she said. "They made the putt on us and she didn't let it bother her. Then she just made the most clutch putt I think I've ever seen her hit."
The ball never looked like it would find anything but the bottom of the cup. Thompson launches the ball a mile from the tee, hits towering approach shots and chips with finesse. At times, however, her putter lets her down.
But not at this moment. Not when it mattered.
As the four players embraced there was a genuine sense of them understanding that they had been involved in something protracted, but special. Both pairs had played the 18 holes in 11-under-par. Thompson, in particular, had shined, making seven birdies and one eagle. It was a dazzling display that had lit up the gloom of late evening and early morning.
It was also confirmation that she had come of age in the Solheim Cup. Two years ago at Colorado Golf Club she was ignored in the foursomes, suffered defeat in both of her fourballs, and although she claimed a first point in the singles, it arrived when the overall result was done and dusted.
On a long golf course that plays to her strengths, as an attacking golfer made for match play golf, it was surely inevitable that her fortunes would change this week. The question was who to pair her with. Which player could transform that potential into results?
The answer arrived long before the start of this week -- to be precise it came last July, at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland, during the LPGA International Crown. The inaugural team event saw Thompson paired with Kerr and something clicked, as teammate Stacy Lewis explained at the conclusion of Saturday's play: "Juli was there that week doing commentary for Golf Channel. She saw what they had. She saw they combined. She saw they were good together."
"We ham and egg it," agreed Kerr. "We're both South Florida, pretty much 45 minutes away from each other, we've grown up with similar backgrounds, it works. That first time we played, I just felt there was chemistry."
On Friday (and early Saturday) it reaped rewards with victory over Karine Icher and Azahara Munoz in the opening foursomes and that crucial half point in the fourballs. They sat out Saturday's foursomes and had to watch from the sideline as Europe took them 3-1 to take an overall lead of 8-4. Inkster was holding them back for the fourballs, but she hadn't anticipated such a deficit. Penning them in at the top of the fourballs was key: It told her girls that she trusted them to initiate the recovery, and they didn't let her down.
"We know how to feed off each other," said Thompson. "We're always pumping each other up. If one of us hits a bad shot, we're always there for her."
"No matter what happens out there," added Kerr, "I think the most important thing is we never let ourselves get down in a match, and down on any bad shots. I hit it like 25 yards left with a 6-iron in the water on No. 12 but she's like, 'Don't worry, I've got you.' I mean, that's huge. And you know what? If this girl stays loose, she's hard to beat, and I'm proud to be her partner."
For all the talk of reacting well to bad shots you might imagine that it was a battle out there. Well it was no picnic: They were up against Munoz, now a seasoned Solheim veteran, and Ciganda, who was undefeated in her two matches. The Spaniards were 7-under when the match ended, not a poor score, but no match for the Americans, who made five birdies apiece in the 3 and 2 victory.
Ciganda had finally been downed, Thompson and Kerr had upped their record to 2-0-1 and Inkster's hunch had paid off. It had been vital for the Americans to post an early point, cutting Europe's lead to 8-5 and providing hope for those behind. Although those matches are uncompleted, the U.S. leads by one hole in two and trail by the same score in the fourth. There is realistic hope of going into the singles with a minimal disadvantage and maybe even level.
"I think everyone on our team is starting to feel it," said Kerr. "We're starting to feel the momentum shift in our direction and I think everyone will go out there, stay positive, stay aggressive and stay loose tomorrow."
Earlier in the week, Kerr talked of being "a bit of a cheese-ball" in admitting that she reads inspirational quotes. "Cheese-ball" might not be the words many associate with the 37-year-old, but when she highlighted her favorites she was being prophetic about her performance this week.
"There are two quotes that I really take away from what I've looked at the last couple of days," she explained. "Joan of Arc actually said: 'We were born to do this, be not afraid.' And the second one is Babe Ruth: 'You just can't beat the player that never, never, never gives up.'"
Kerr and Thompson lived up to those words early , and late, on Saturday. If America is to regain the Solheim Cup on Sunday, its teammates need to follow suit.
