Solheim Cup: Friday morning foursome matches predictions

Team Europe: Carlota Ciganda & Caroline Masson over Danielle Kang & Lizette Salas

Tee Time: 8:22am local time (CT)

Team Europe’s pairing, Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Masson, puts two experienced Solheim Cup and match play competitors on the field together for the first time. While Masson does not have a strong foursome performance record, Spain’s Ciganda will more than compensate for her partner’s weaknesses in the format.

Ciganda, who manages to channel her golf idol, Seve Ballesteros, at crucial competitive moments, is a fierce and dangerous competitor. Team USA’s Lizette Salas and her rookie partner, Danielle Kang, will have their work cut out for them in this match.

Salas’ strength off the tee comes with her accuracy, and that may be the only advantage Team USA has in this match, although Salas is also ranked inside the top 20 in putting. Rookie Kang’s high spot in the world rankings comes from her recent victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Her long-term performance stats don’t match Salas’ and the rookie, who’s been howling for blood, will need to let Salas take the lead in this pairing.

Ciganda, who’s ranked 21st, has a game that looks remarkably like Salas’ on paper, but she delivers her game with a fiery passion and confidence that Lizette Salas lacks. Masson is a careful, methodical player and while she’s not particularly competitive on the putting surface, she’s among the best players in the women’s game when it comes to moving her ball from tee to green efficiently.

I look for Ciganda and Masson to play with a unique synergy and to bring out each other’s strengths. Salas is tasked with breaking in the rookie.