When Jennifer Kupcho drained two birdie bombs to flip her and Lindy Duncan’s four-ball match against Europe’s Carlota Ciganda and Celine Boutier and tie the Solheim Cup score at 8-8 on Saturday evening, the giddy celebrations that ensued seemed to direct the momentum firmly to the Americans’ corner.
But, on Sunday, a commanding performance by the Europeans in singles stymied the Americans’ charge at Bernardus Golf, as Europe secured the necessary points to reclaim the Cup with three matches still undecided on the course.
The U.S. needed six points from the 12 singles matches to reach 14 total points and retain the Cup while Europe needed 6.5 points to reach 14.5 and wrest it back. The Europeans managed that, and then some.
Europe’s Sunday charge began with the first match of the day. Charley Hull, who together with Europe’s other best-ranked player, Lottie Woad, came into singles with only a half-point earned across four team matches, made an early statement.
Hull took the lead from the first hole onward and never relented, dispatching Megan Khang 3 and 2 to earn her first full point of the Cup. The result wasn’t a given, either. Hull became the first player to take Khang down in singles. Europe’s Linn Grant was next on the board, defeating Angel Yin 4 and 3 in the third match out, bringing Grant to 4-0 for the week.
Behind Hull and Grant was a sea of blue on the leaderboard, with multiple Europeans holding leads of 2-, 3- and even 4-up leads. While the Americans fought hard, the result seemed inevitable. The few bright spots for the U.S.: Nelly Korda, who posted a 4 and 2 victory over Mimi Rhodes, and Alison Lee, who was an MVP for the U.S. team during the team matches, and who clawed her way back to a tie on the 17th tee in singles after being 4 down through 11. After winning the 17th with a birdie, Lee put the first singles point on the board for the U.S., defeating Esther Henseleit 1 up — the biggest Solheim Cup comeback since 2013.
With two American victories on the board, the score was again tied, 10-10, with the next four consecutive matches in Europe’s favor, and six of the remaining eight.
Europe’s Nastasia Nadaud posted the next point, rolling in a birdie on the 16th green to defeat Andrea Lee 3 and 2. Nadaud’s point was quickly followed by Europe’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen, who beat Allisen Corpuz 2 and 1.
That made the score 12-10 in Europe’s favor with six matches remaining.
With Americans Lauren Coughlin and Lindy Duncan holding leads of 3 up and 4 up, respectively, against Leona Maguire and Maja Stark, the two matches ahead of them took on an outsized importance: American Yealimi Noh was 2 down on 16 to Julia Lopez Ramirez, though Auston Kim had cut her deficit to 1 down to Lottie Woad on 15. At least one of those matches were must-wins if the U.S. was going to have a chance of victory coming down the stretch.
It wasn’t to be. Noh fell 3 and 2 to Ramirez. The score was 13-10 to Europe.
Then Woad won the 16th to go 2 up and guarantee a half point. Meanwhile, Lauren Coughlin, who never trailed in her match and had amassed a 3 up lead on Europe’s Leona Maguire at one point, also secured a half point, going 2 up with two to play. Behind her, Lindy Duncan was 3 up on 16, Jennifer Kupcho was 3 down to Carlota Ciganda, and Rose Zhang was tied with Celine Boutier.
The job was done when Woad secured Europe’s 14th point with a win on the 17th green, which meant Ciganda, who was 3 up on Jennifer Kupcho with three holes to play, had guaranteed the half-point Europe needed for victory.
Though three other matches remained on the course, they were rendered moot.
The Solheim Cup record now stands at 10-9 to the Americans, with the next edition scheduled for 2028 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
