DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — Megan Khang was dancing on the first tee in a white, star-spangled cowboy hat as the Solheim Cup opened Friday morning.
In the afternoon, the effervescent golfer was more reserved as she raised her putter in celebration after she and foursomes partner Alison Lee overturned a 2-down deficit to seal a 5-and-3 victory over Celine Boutier and Nanna Koertz Madsen, for the biggest win of Day 1.
It gave the United States its first point of the afternoon at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, a 3-2 lead and another step toward a personal Solheim Cup record for Khang.
It stretched her unbeaten streak to nine matches, tying the second-longest in the tournament’s history. She's never lost a singles match.
She matched Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Lexi Thompson and Carin Koch. She has only Paula Creamer – with a 10-match unbeaten run – in front of her.
Khang was left out of the morning foursomes that were shared 2-2, but was teamed with Lee and together they provided a spark the U.S. needed in the afternoon.
Khang won three holes with birdies, but credited Lee for winning a key hole with an eagle on the par-5 10th hole.
“The back nine easily kicked off with her eagle. That was so cool to see," Khang said. "It’s always nice seeing a big bird and it definitely took the lid off for us.”
Lee is the only mom on the U.S. team, making her first Solheim appearance since her son, Levi, was born in April last year. She's the first mom to play for the U.S. since Kerr in 2017.
Khang and Lee have a chemistry that can look a little tense at times, even to team leader Angela Stanford, but they say they're both having fun.
“We always joke that we bicker like sisters. To a point where I think Angela even asked if we actually do like each other in the practice round," Khang said. "But it’s really fun, I’ve known Alison for such a long time. She’s such a great partner. We never get too down on ourselves. It’s hard not to have a good time out there.”
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