Lucky or just plain good, Wie and Kerr prevail

• By Randall Mell
• Sep 23, 2011 7:12 AM ET

DUNSANY, Ireland – Cristie Kerr holed a 100-foot bunker shot for birdie at the ninth hole in the Solheim Cup’s morning foursomes to help the Americans win the first point of the matches.

Kerr and Michelle Wie teamed to defeat Europe’s Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist, 2 and 1, at Killeen Castle.

“It was so unexpected, I am sure, for the other team,” Kerr said. “It was a change of momentum.”

There were a few unexpected shots in the match that shifted momentum, including a batch of awful ones for the Euros.

At the 12^th hole, Hjorth hit a fat wedge from less than 100 yards into the creek guarding the front of the green. After taking a penalty and drop in the alternate-shot format, Nordqvist shanked a short chip into the same creek to help the Americans go 2 up.

Still, the Euros closed to all square before giving it back at the 16^th when Nordqvist bladed a sand wedge out of the greenside bunker there, rocketing her shot over the green and into the pond.

Though it seemed as if the Euros were intent on handing the match to the Americans with chunk, shank and skull shots all coming on the back nine, Nordqvist saw it differently.

“I think that we put pressure on them all the time, and we weren't really able to make the putts, the momentum putts,” Nordqvist said. “But I think we played great. They managed to have the luck on their side today.”