Team Europe entered the Sunday singles of the Solheim Cup dead‑locked with Team USA at 8‑8, thanks to a series of strong performances from Maja Stark and Linn Grant and a few setbacks for Charley Hull and Lottie Woad. The match‑play drama that unfolded over the first two days set the stage for a decisive final day, with both sides needing a half‑point more than half of the available points to claim the trophy.
On Friday, Anna Nordqvist’s European squad managed to split the morning sessions, but they surged ahead in the early foursomes, capturing three of the four points on offer. That early lead was quickly challenged when the Americans edged the afternoon four‑ball matches, leaving the overall score level and guaranteeing a nail‑biting finish. Stark and Grant continued their flawless run, delivering a convincing 2&1 victory over the previously unbeaten duo of Megan Khang and Lauren Coughlin. Their win marked their third straight point in as many sessions, reinforcing the Swedish pair’s chemistry and confidence.
In contrast, Hull and Woad suffered a heartbreaking loss on the final hole to Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee, a defeat that highlighted the fine margins that often decide Solheim Cup matches. Hull and Woad made history by becoming the first partnership to compete in all four sessions of a Solheim Cup without earning a single point. Their 0.5‑point return underscores how unforgiving the competition can be, especially when faced with the relentless pressure of elite opponents.
Rose Zhang and Auston Kim further widened the gap for the United States by beating Leona Maguire and Nastasia Nadaud 3&2, a result that added another half‑point to the American tally. The drama peaked on Friday evening when Carlota Ciganda secured a dramatic half‑point with the final putt of the four‑ball session. She was then paired again for the bottom match, where a 90‑foot birdie by Jennifer Kupcho on the par‑four 17th forced a tie with Lindy Duncan. The momentum swung back to the United States when Kupcho, displaying her trademark composure, holed a 20‑plus‑foot putt on the 18th to win the match 1‑up over Ciganda and Céline Bouter.
The crowd erupted in celebration, and the United States found themselves needing six points on the final day to retain the Cup, two years after their home victory in Virginia. Europe, meanwhile, required 6.5 points for an outright win – their first since 2021. The Swedish duo was again dispatched first, having already broken Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz’s perfect foursomes record earlier. Stark produced an exhilarating hole‑in‑one from the first fairway, securing her second eagle of the day and setting an aggressive tone.
Lauren Coughlin answered with a string of birdies from the third hole onward, briefly giving the United States a lead for the first time that week. The teams then traded holes until Grant seized the 11th and 12th with consecutive birdies, regaining the advantage.
Stark added to the excitement by sinking a 20‑foot birdie on the 13th, pushing Europe two points ahead. Coughlin responded on the 16th with a long‑range birdie, completing the third European win of the tournament.
The loss marked Megan Khang’s first defeat in ten Solheim Cup appearances, ending a six‑match winning streak that had placed her on the cusp of a record. It also represented the first ever loss for Team USA in this edition of the Cup.
"We really turned it on during the back nine," Grant reflected after the match. "We got our things together and played the way we wanted to. It was a great game – they were right on our heels." Hull and Woad’s historic participation – playing every session without securing a point – was a sobering reminder of the competition’s intensity.
Their effort was eclipsed when Noh fired an eagle and four birdies on the front nine, pulling two ahead and never looking back. Europe captured the opening hole of the back nine but surrendered the 13th to an Andrea Lee birdie. Hull matched Lee’s birdie on the 15th and added another on the 17th, yet the United States clinched the final point with a par on the 18th. Nastasia Nadaud, partnered with Mimi Rhodes, had previously won two sessions before being paired with Leona Maguire in the third match.
Maguire’s spectacular eagle chip on the eighth and a follow‑up birdie on the ninth gave Europe a brief surge, but the Americans answered with a three‑hole run that secured the win. In the closing stages, both teams fought fiercely.
Ciganda won two consecutive holes from the 13th, only for Duncan to take the next, while Kupcho delivered an incredible birdie on the 17th. A final‑hole birdie completed a stunning comeback for the United States, allowing them to take the four‑ball session 3‑1 and level the overall score after two days – the third consecutive Solheim Cup on European soil to finish in a tie. Team USA captain Angela Stanford summed up the moment: "That was huge. It turned the tide for us.
Jennifer just doesn’t give up; she’s a fighter. Seeing that resilience up close inspires the whole team." The final day’s singles are slated to begin at 11:10 a.m.
local time (10:10 BST) on Sunday, with heavy rain predicted for much of the afternoon. Historically, the last three Solheim Cups that were tied heading into the final day have all resulted in European victories on home turf. Fans can watch the decisive singles live on Sky Sports Golf from 9 a.m., with the opening match kicking off at 10:10 a.m.
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