The Solheim Cup remained highly competitive as Team United States rallied to even the score at 8-8 against Team Europe after Saturday’s fourball and foursome matches at Bernardus Golf. The two sides entered Sunday’s singles matches deadlocked, setting up a decisive final day.
Jennifer Kupcho played a pivotal role in the U.S. comeback, sinking two remarkable putts in her match. Her first came from approximately 90 feet off the green on the 17th hole to square the match, and she followed with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th to secure an unexpected victory. These putts halted Europe’s momentum and prevented the team from entering the last day with a lead.
Europe’s captain, Anna Nordqvist, acknowledged the difficulty of countering such clutch shots but expressed optimism about the upcoming singles. The U.S. captain, Angela Stanford, credited Kupcho’s resilience for turning the tide and urged her team to stay focused, noting that the tie kept their chances alive to defend the trophy and end a long drought of winning overseas, their last such victory coming in 2015.
Europe had started strongly with standout performances from rookies Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud, who teamed well in the fourballs, and Swedish pair Maja Stark and Linn Grant, lifelong friends who defeated the previously undefeated U.S. duo of Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz. Stark and Grant’s success was notable given their difficult personal seasons: Grant has faced health challenges including endometriosis, while Stark has managed anxiety since capturing the 2025 U.S. Open.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire also marked a milestone by becoming the fastest player to achieve ten Solheim Cup wins in terms of matches played, reaching the milestone in her 14th match after a narrow win alongside Esther Henseleit.
Despite early victories, Europe suffered a major setback when the pair of Charley Hull and Lottie Woad lost 6&5 to Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin, a result that tied the largest margin of defeat in Solheim Cup history. This outcome prompted questions about Nordqvist’s decision to field the duo again in the afternoon session, where they fell once more to Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee by one hole.
Saturday’s matches ended with the following results: in foursomes, Grant and Stark defeated Corpuz and Korda 3&2, Henseleit and Maguire prevailed over Rose Zhang and Kupcho by one hole, and Rhodes and Nadaud bested Andrea Lee and Auston Kim 4&3. In addition to Hull and Woad’s losses, Carlota Ciganda and Céline Boutier were narrowly defeated by Kupcho and Lindy Duncan.
Both teams will enter Sunday with everything to play for. The U.S. needs 14 points to retain the Solheim Cup on foreign soil for the first time in more than a decade, while Europe requires 14.5 points to reclaim the trophy. The final singles matches promise to be closely contested following a day of high drama and standout performances.