The chant "They drink on Saturday, we drink on Sunday!" rang out through the Team Europe bus on Sunday evening, a jubilant echo after another home victory in the Solheim Cup that saw Anna Nordqvist defeat Team USA on the final day and reclaim the trophy for Europe. The match had been finely balanced heading into a rain‑soaked singles session at Bernardus Golf, with the Americans appearing to have seized the momentum after a dramatic Saturday fourball round that pulled the overall score back to an 8‑8 tie. Jennifer Kupcho’s heroics on the final two holes – holing a 110‑foot putt and then sealing the win with another long putt – gave the United States a narrow edge, as she and Lindy Duncan beat Carlota Ciganda and Céline Boutier. Team USA captain Angela Stanford declared that moment a "turning point" in the competition.
However, a video that later surfaced of the American squad raising glasses on their bus proved to be a premature celebration, providing Team Europe with an extra burst of motivation. Europe responded emphatically, winning six of the eight singles matches and swinging the contest back into their favor. Lottie Woad’s decisive point clinched the Cup, pushing Europe to 14 points, while Ciganda had already secured at least a half‑point, cementing the final score at 15‑13. The victory was celebrated in a boisterous fashion both on the course and off, highlighted by a viral clip of Dame Laura Davies handing beers to the European players on the bus, their revelry stretching deep into the night.
The final tally of 15‑13 does not fully convey the dominance displayed by Nordqvist’s side on the last day. Team USA’s top order, aside from Nelly Korda and Alison Lee, failed to build on the excitement of the previous evening, allowing Europe to apply relentless pressure.
Few players have embraced the Solheim Cup as passionately as Carlota Ciganda. She began the tournament as Europe’s first‑tee supporter in the opening session, then delivered clutch performances throughout the week.
On Friday, a dramatic par on the final hole earned her and Julia Lopez Ramirez a vital half‑point that prevented the United States from taking the lead after day one. Although she fell to Kupcho’s birdie‑birdie finish the following day, Ciganda exacted revenge in the singles, closing out her eighth Solheim appearance with a point that made her only the second player in history to secure the clinching point in two separate Cups.
"I was really happy to see that I was playing against Kupcho," Ciganda said after her win. "She’s a fighter, I’m a fighter. I knew she had no chance.
I was like, ‘I want to kill you,’ so I had it very clear in my mind." The partnership of Charley Hull and Lottie Woad also made history, 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 holes in a Saturday morning foursome, both players found form later in the week. Hull, who had struggled with putting, finally broke through in the singles, while Woad’s steady play earned her the crucial point that sealed the victory.
Nordqvist, who faced criticism for not rotating Hull out of the pair on day two and for sending her into the singles, defended her choices as "no‑brainers" once Hull delivered Europe’s first point of the day. 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 next edition. Her 4‑0 record – three wins alongside Maja Stark and a commanding 4&3 singles triumph over Angel Yin – placed her among an elite group of only nine players to achieve such a sweep. Grant’s resurgence was remarkable given her pre‑tournament form, which included five missed cuts in six starts.
Her teammate Maja Stark praised the chemistry between the two Swedes, noting that the decision to pair them was obvious for Anna Nordqvist. All of Europe’s captain’s picks contributed meaningfully, each delivering at least 1.5 points. Leona Maguire, in particular, set a new record by becoming the quickest player to reach ten Solheim Cup match wins, achieving the milestone in just fourteen matches – one fewer than the previous record holder.
Although she briefly held the highest winning percentage in Cup history, a loss alongside Céline Boutier in the fourballs ended that streak. Meanwhile, Esther Henseleit’s runner‑up finish at the Royal Lytham qualifying event propelled her ahead of Chiara Tamburlini on the European points list, freeing an extra captain’s pick that ultimately went to a rising star. That pick proved decisive: the rookie duo of Holly Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud became the first rookie pair to win two matches together at a Solheim Cup, capturing a 4&3 foursome victory on Saturday morning and a 3&2 singles win for Rhodes over Andrea Lee. Their chemistry, bolstered by a strong friendship off the course, translated into on‑course success, with Rhodes describing the experience as "absolutely crazy" and expressing excitement for future European selections.
The depth of Europe’s talent pool was evident as four rookies made an immediate impact, underscoring the team’s strength even without regulars such as Georgia Hall, Emily Kristine Pedersen, and Madelene Sagstrom. Notably, this was the first Solheim Cup since 2007 in which Anna Nordqvist did not compete as a player, having announced her mid‑season retirement and ruling herself out of a captain’s pick. When asked whether she might return as captain for the 2028 edition, Nordqvist responded, "You never say never. I don’t know what my future holds." Looking ahead, the next Solheim Cup will be contested from September 8‑10, 2028, at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.
Europe will aim to replicate the home‑soil success they enjoyed in 2019, when Catriona Matthew led them to victory before guiding the team to an away win in the subsequent edition. Whether Nordqvist or another leader steers the ship, the focus will be on maintaining the momentum built by this year’s triumphant squad and continuing to develop the next generation of European talent.