The chant "They drink on Saturday, we drink on Sunday!" rang out through the Team Europe bus on Sunday evening, capturing the exuberant mood after another home‑soil Solheim Cup victory. Anna Nordqvist clinched the decisive point on the final day, allowing Europe to reclaim the trophy from Team USA. Heading into the rain‑soaked singles session at Bernardus Golf, the match had been teetering on a razor‑thin edge.
The Americans appeared to have seized momentum after a dramatic Saturday four‑ball session that pulled the overall score level at 8‑8. Jennifer Kupcho’s spectacular finish—holing a 110‑foot putt on each of her last two holes—secured a win for the United States alongside Lindy Duncan, who beat Carlota Ciganda and Celine Boutier.
Team USA captain Angela Stanford hailed that moment as a turning point in the competition. However, a video that surfaced later that night, showing the American squad raising beers on their bus, turned out to be a premature celebration.
The footage became a rallying cry for the Europeans, who responded by winning six of the eight singles matches and ultimately regaining control of the event. Lottie Woad’s match‑winning putt will be remembered as the stroke that sealed the Cup for Europe, pushing the team’s total to 14 points. Ciganda had already secured at least a half‑point, but it was the Spaniard who closed out her match, making the victory official.
The celebrations spilled over onto the course and into the trophy ceremony, highlighted by a viral clip of Dame Laura Davies handing out beers to the European players on the bus, with the festivities extending well into the night. While the final tally read 15‑13 in Europe’s favour, the score did not fully reflect the dominance displayed by Nordqvist’s side on the final day. Team USA’s top order—aside from Nelly Korda and Alison Lee—failed to build on the high spirits of the previous evening, leaving Europe to shoulder the pressure.
Carlota Ciganda, perhaps the most passionate Solheim Cup participant, transitioned from opening‑day supporter on Europe’s first tee to a clutch performer throughout the week. She was instrumental on Friday, where a dramatic par on the final hole earned her and Julia Lopez Ramirez a half‑point that prevented the United States from taking the lead after day one. The following day, she faced Kupcho’s birdie‑birdie finish, but in the singles she exacted revenge, clinching her eighth Solheim Cup appearance with a decisive win. Ciganda’s triumph made her only the second player in the event’s history to secure the winning point in two separate editions.
"I was really happy to see that I was playing against Kupcho," Ciganda said afterward. "She’s a fighter, I’m a fighter.
I knew she had no chance. I was like, ‘I want to kill you,’ so I kept that image in my mind." Charley Hull and Lottie Woad made history by becoming the first pair to compete together in all four sessions of a Solheim Cup. Despite a rough start that saw them lose six‑and‑five in the Saturday morning foursomes, they eventually turned their fortunes around, each delivering crucial points in the singles. Their early struggles highlighted the depth of Europe’s roster, as they managed to stay within the top four for European birdies despite only contributing half a point overall.
Nordqvist faced criticism for not rotating her pairings on day two and for placing Hull in the singles lineup—a decision she defended as a "no‑brainer" after watching the 30‑year‑old secure Europe’s first point of the day. Hull described the week as "frustrating," noting that both she and Woad were on the brink of becoming the first players to compete in five sessions without a win. Nordqvist, however, praised Hull’s steadiness and Woad’s perseverance, emphasizing the importance of leadership and confidence within the team. Linn Grant emerged as Europe’s standout performer, becoming the first player to go from zero points in the previous Solheim Cup to at least four points in the current edition.
Her 4‑0 record placed her among an elite group of nine players who have achieved a perfect or better score in a Solheim Cup. Grant’s partnership with Maja Stark yielded three victories, and she capped the week with a commanding 4&3 win over Angel Yin in the singles. Grant’s resurgence was remarkable given her pre‑tournament form—she had missed five of six cuts leading up to the event. Her turnaround was credited to the familiarity and chemistry she shares with Stark, both Swedes who have previously paired together in 2023.
Stark noted, "Having a player like Linn on the team gives you confidence. You know her game inside and out, and for Anna it was a no‑brainer to put us together." All of Europe’s captain’s picks contributed at least 1.5 points each. Leona Maguire, in particular, set a new record by becoming the fastest player to reach ten Solheim Cup match wins, achieving the milestone in just 14 matches—one fewer than the previous record holder. Maguire briefly held the highest winning percentage in the event’s history before a loss alongside Celine Boutier in the four‑balls.
Meanwhile, Julia Lopez Ramirez, who had been left out of the Saturday lineup, finished unbeaten in her two matches. Team USA captain Angela Stanford defended her selections, stating, "From the beginning, my picks were solid. The course demanded high‑ball hitters, and that’s exactly what we got." The tournament also highlighted the impact of rookies. After a strong showing at the AIG Women’s Open, Emily Rhodes earned a spot on the European team and immediately made her presence felt.
Partnering with Nastasia Nadaud, the duo became the first rookie pair to win two matches together at a Solheim Cup, delivering a 4&3 foursomes victory that matched the largest margin ever recorded by a rookie pairing. Nadaud, who was ranked outside the world’s top 150 just a year ago, described her experience as "absolutely crazy" and expressed excitement about future selections. Her singles triumph over Andrea Lee—a critical moment when Team USA threatened to regain momentum—underscored the depth of Europe’s talent pool.
Looking ahead, many of Nordqvist’s victorious teammates are still under 30 and could form the core of the 2028 Solheim Cup squad, which will be contested at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky from September 8‑10. The emergence of four impactful rookies this year demonstrates Europe’s robust pipeline, especially considering the absence of recent regulars such as Georgia Hall, Emily Kristine Pedersen, and Madelene Sagström. Nordqvist, who announced her retirement mid‑season and ruled herself out of a captain’s pick, confirmed she is not completely closed to future involvement.
"You never say never," she said at the post‑victory press conference when asked about a potential captaincy in 2028. "I don’t know what my future holds." When Europe last won on home soil in 2019, Catriona Matthew returned as captain to guide the team to an away victory in the following edition. Whether Nordqvist or another leader will steer the Europeans in Virginia remains to be seen, but the focus will undoubtedly be on building on this year’s success and maintaining the momentum for the next Solheim Cup.