Anna Nordqvist could not hide her admiration for the entire European contingent after Team Europe secured a dramatic victory in the Solheim Cup, and she made it clear that placing Charley Hull at the top of the singles lineup on Sunday was an obvious decision. The Swede reflected on the week’s relentless effort, the supportive environment created by the staff, and the confidence that each player and caddie brought to the first tee.
The competition reached its climax at the rain‑soaked Bernardus Golf Course, where Europe captured seven of the twelve points on offer in the final day’s singles, edging out the United States 15‑13. After a nail‑biting finish the previous day, when Jennifer Kupcho’s clutch birdies forced a tie and threatened to swing momentum back to the Americans, the Europeans rallied and clinched their first outright Solheim Cup win since 2021.
"This win feels amazing," Nordqvist told Sky Sports. "We’ve put in an incredible amount of work over the past week and the last two years, not just me but the whole support team behind us.
The staff have been phenomenal, making everything run smoothly so the players could focus on their games. The atmosphere in the camp has been positive all week, and everyone has been a great teammate." She went on to praise the professionalism of the field: "Leaving the course yesterday, we were buzzing for today’s matches, and I was genuinely impressed by every single player and caddie who stepped up to the first tee ready to compete." Nordqvist highlighted the strong starts that set the tone for the tournament: "We saw a lot of early momentum on the board. We talked a lot about the fast starts this week, given how the course was playing, and I’m extremely proud of our players for both starting and finishing strongly." The decision to send Charley Hull out first in the Sunday singles was described by Nordqvist as a "no‑brainer". Hull had previously thrashed her opponent, Klára Korda, 6&4 in the 2022 singles, and despite contributing only half a point in the first four sessions alongside teammate Lottie Woad, she proved her worth by securing a full point in the decisive singles.
"We looked at the statistics after Saturday and saw that Charley and Lottie were among the top‑four players with the most birdies throughout the week," Nordqvist explained. "Even though they hadn’t amassed many points yet, they were playing incredibly tough matches. People often underestimate how good these players are and the quality of golf we’ve seen over the last three days." Both Hull and Woad had been on the brink of a dubious record: they were close to becoming the first Solheim Cup participants to appear in five sessions without a win, after suffering a record‑tying 6&5 loss in the Saturday foursomes. Hull, however, turned the tide with a 3&2 victory over Megan Khang, delivering her first full point of the competition and helping Europe achieve six wins out of the first eight singles matches—a historic first for the team.
Hull reflected on her performance: "I’ve given myself many chances this week, and it’s been frustrating at times. I didn’t make a lot of birdies today, but I stayed steady and hit a lot of greens. The weather was miserable, yet I kept my composure.
After talking with Mel Reid, our vice‑captain, she reminded me that I was the third‑most birdie‑rich player this week, and I was up against Yealimi Noh, who has been on fire lately. It’s match play – sometimes you play well but don’t convert enough putts. I’m just happy to have secured a point, even if it’s only one and a half of the total. Anything is better than nothing!" Lottie Woad also broke her personal duck, defeating Auston Kim and pushing Europe to 14 points, which sparked jubilant celebrations among the European camp.
She later secured the decisive putt against Carlota Ciganda, sealing the home victory. Woad described the emotional rollercoaster: "Winning was crucial for me.
I was disappointed for a while, feeling like I was playing good golf but not earning points, and I thought I was letting the team down. Then the captains spoke to me and pointed out that I was third on the birdie leaderboard, confirming that I was indeed playing well.
Golf can be like that – you have to trust the process. In the end, I made the winning putt." Looking ahead, the Ladies European Tour will travel to Spain for the La Sella Open at La Sella Golf Resort, starting Thursday. Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour will pause for a brief break before the Walmart N Arkansas Championship scheduled for September 25‑27.
The next Solheim Cup is slated for 2028 at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, set for September 8‑10. Fans can stay up to date with the latest Sky Sports offers or stream the action without a contract on NOW.