DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — U.S. golfer Jennifer Kupcho had already been shushing Europe fans at the Solheim Cup on Saturday when she rolled in two late birdie putts — one, outrageously, from 90 feet — to leave pretty much everyone speechless.
With her two sucker punches on Nos. 17 and 18, Kupcho earned the Americans an unlikely point from the last match on the Bernardus Golf course to tie the score at 8-8 after four sessions.
Over to the Sunday singles
to determine the destination of the crystal trophy, with the United States needing 14 points to keep possession.
Kupcho gave the visiting team renewed hope in the most memorable of circumstances.
She and Lindy Duncan were 1 down as they walked to the 17th green, with the balls of European rivals Carlota Ciganda and Celine Boutier both inside 12 feet. Kupcho putted from off the back of the green and it kept rolling and rolling, and into the cup.
Cue huge celebrations from Kupcho — “Vamos! Let's go!” she screamed — and the the rest of the U.S. team gathered beside the green. Ciganda and Boutier then both missed.
There was more to come from Kupcho, a Colorado native, on No. 18. With the last putt of the match, she poured in a 25-footer to complete a 1-up win and secure a 3-1 victory for the Americans in the four-balls.
There was another bold celebration, too, as she cupped her ear to the spectators around the green.
“That was huge,” U.S. captain Angela Stanford said of Kupcho's exploits. “It's absolutely turned the tide.”
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