DEN BOSCH — Megan Khang and Alison Lee rallied from 2 down to defeat Celine Boutier and Nanna Koertz Madsen 5-and-3 for the biggest victory of Day 1 at the Solheim Cup on Friday, giving the United States its first point of the afternoon and a 3-2 lead at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Khang, who danced on the first tee in a white, star-spangled cowboy hat as the competition opened Friday morning, was left out of the morning foursomes that were shared 2-2 before teaming with Lee to provide the spark the U.S. needed. Khang won three holes with birdies but credited Lee for the turning point, 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."
The victory stretched Khang's unbeaten streak to nine matches, tying the second-longest run in Solheim Cup history. She matched Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Lexi Thompson and Carin Koch, with only Paula Creamer — with a 10-match unbeaten run — ahead of her. Khang has never lost a singles match in the competition.
Lee is the only mom on the U.S. team, making her first Solheim Cup appearance since her son, Levi, was born in April last year. She is the first mom to play for the United States since Kerr in 2017.
"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 of her chemistry with Lee, noting even team leader Angela Stanford had questioned their dynamic. "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."