Team Europe entered the Sunday singles of the Solheim Cup dead‑locked with Team USA at 8‑8, a situation created by a series of strong performances from Sweden's Maja Stark and Linn Grant and a pair of setbacks for Charley Hull and Lottie Woad. The competition, which has been a roller‑coaster over the past two days, saw Anna Nordqvist's squad split the Friday sessions evenly before seizing the morning foursomes, taking three of the four points available and establishing a slim lead. That advantage was quickly erased when the United States edged the afternoon four‑ball matches, setting the stage for a dramatic final day.
Stark and Grant continued their flawless run, delivering a decisive 2&1 victory over the previously unbeaten duo of Megan Khang and Lauren Coughlin. This marked their third straight win as a pair, reinforcing Europe’s momentum.
In contrast, Hull and Woad suffered a heartbreaking loss on the final hole to Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee, highlighting the thin margins that have defined the tournament. Both Hull and Woad made history by becoming the first partnership ever to contest all four sessions together, yet they managed to contribute only half a point to their side’s tally. Their effort was further undermined when Rose Zhang and Auston Kim secured a 3&2 triumph over Leona Maguire and Nastasia Nadaud, widening the gap for the United States.
The climax of Friday’s action arrived when Carlota Ciganda earned a dramatic half‑point with a clutch putt in the closing moments of the four‑ball session. She was then thrust back into the spotlight on the 18th hole of the subsequent match, where Jennifer Kupcho produced a spectacular 90‑foot birdie on the par‑four 17th.
That shot pulled Kupcho and her partner Lindy Duncan level with the Europeans, setting up a tense finish. Kupcho’s heroics did not end there. On the 17th green she holed a more than 20‑foot putt to secure a 1‑up win over Ciganda and Celine Bouter, prompting jubilant celebrations on the final green.
Her performance left Team USA needing six points on Sunday to retain the Cup—two years after their home‑soil victory in Virginia—while Europe required 6.5 points for an outright win, the first since 2021. The Swedish stars opened the day again, having already broken the perfect foursomes record of Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz earlier. Stark produced an extraordinary eagle by holing out from the first fairway, her second eagle of the competition. Lauren Coughlin responded with a string of birdies from the third hole onward, briefly giving the United States the lead for the first time this week.
The match then saw a back‑and‑forth exchange of holes until Grant seized the 11th and 12th with birdies, regaining the advantage. Stark added to the drama by sinking a 20‑foot putt on the 13th, pushing Europe two points ahead.
Coughlin answered on the 16th with a long‑range birdie, completing Europe’s third win of the week. The defeat marked Khang’s first loss in ten Solheim Cup appearances, ending a six‑match winning streak that fell just short of the tournament record. It also represented the first ever loss for Team USA in a Solheim Cup match.
"We really turned it on during the back nine," Grant reflected. "We got our things together and played the way we wanted to. It was a great match – they were right on our heels." Hull and Woad’s historic participation in all four sessions without earning a point underscored the difficulty of the event; they never led during their match, even as Noh produced an eagle and four birdies on the front nine to go two up.
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 last hole. Meanwhile, Nastasia Nadaud, paired with Mimi Rhodes for two sessions, teamed up with Leona Maguire in the third match; Maguire chipped in for an eagle on the eighth and birdied the ninth before the Americans unleashed a three‑hole surge to claim victory.
In the closing stages, Ciganda won consecutive holes from the 13th, only for Duncan to take the next, and Kupcho to deliver an unforgettable birdie on the 17th. Her final‑hole birdie completed a stunning comeback, allowing the United States to win the four‑ball session 3‑1 and leaving the overall score tied after two days – the third consecutive Solheim Cup on European soil to finish level heading into the decisive singles. "That was huge," USA captain Angela Stanford said.
"It completely turned the tide. Jennifer [Kupcho] never gives up; she’s a fighter, and now her team has seen that firsthand." The singles are slated to begin at 11:10 a.m. local time (10:10 BST) on Sunday, with heavy rain forecast for much of the day.
Historically, the three Solheim Cups that have been tied after two days on European ground have all resulted in European victories. Fans can watch the final day live from 9 a.m. on Sky Sports Golf, with the opening singles match kicking off at 10:10 a.m.
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