Team Europe’s captain, Anna Nordqvist, was swift to dismiss any notion that the Bernardus Golf course had been deliberately arranged to favor the host side during the recent Solheim Cup. The European squad secured a narrow 15‑13 win over the United States after a dramatic final day of singles matches in the Netherlands.
After two tightly contested opening sessions that left the teams dead‑locked at 8‑8, the competition came down to the final day. USA captain Angela Stanford later voiced the belief that her players had been hampered by the pace of the greens, suggesting that the course conditions were not what she had anticipated.
"Europe played well. I don’t think we played badly; we just missed too many putts," Stanford said at the post‑tournament press conference.
She added, "If you’ve heard me before, you know I always say Europeans tend to putt better. I still can’t explain why that is.
I have a theory, but I’m not ready to share it now." Stanford went on to admit that she may not have built a strong enough relationship with the course superintendent, which could have given her team better insight into the green speeds. When pressed about whether the greens were slower than expected, she replied, "Even when we arrived in July they were faster than what we were used to. I don’t think rain was a factor either.
Ultimately, it’s my job to prepare the team for whatever conditions we face." She expressed personal frustration, saying, "I wish I had pushed the point about putting harder more aggressively. It’s hard to change a player’s putting routine mid‑tournament, and I feel I let that slip." Nordqvist, who was asked about the comments during her own press conference, seemed surprised by the implication that the greens had been set up to disadvantage the Americans. "We’re playing in Europe in September, so we’re all familiar with how variable the weather can be," she said.
"I don’t think the course was tailored for Europe. These players compete on the same venues week after week, and they adapt." She noted that the team arrived in July during an unusually hot and dry spell, which made the course play faster and firmer. "When we got here it was very dry, so the course behaved a bit differently. Then, over the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a lot of rain, which softened the ground.
The greens ended up playing softer than we expected, but that’s just the weather doing its thing – we can’t control that." The American side had a moment of triumph on Saturday evening when Jennifer Kupcho sank two clutch putts to clinch a late win, tying the overall score at 8‑8 and preventing Europe from entering the final day with a 9‑7 lead. Stanford cautioned against reading too much into that emotional surge. "You never want to dampen a team's high after a big moment," she explained. "The worst thing I could have done would be to tell them to pull back.
They deserved to enjoy that feeling." She added, "We probably won’t see a moment like that again in this competition, and they handled it admirably. I spoke with Kupcho and the rest of the team, and they said they felt rested but also needed a minute to settle after such an intense high." Looking ahead, the Ladies European Tour will shift its focus to Spain, with the La Sella Open kicking off on Thursday at La Sella Golf Resort.
Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour will take a brief hiatus before resuming with the Walmart N Arkansas Championship from September 25‑27. The next Solheim Cup is slated for 2028 at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, scheduled for September 8‑10. Fans can stay updated on Sky Sports offers or stream the action on NOW without a contract.
Golf enthusiasts are also encouraged to explore booking options at over 1,700 courses throughout the UK and Ireland.