Team Europe entered the Sunday singles of the Solheim Cup dead‑locked with Team USA at 8‑8, a situation that was shaped by a mix of continued brilliance from Maja Stark and Linn Grant and renewed struggles for Charley Hull and Lottie Woad. The tie came after a dramatic Friday that saw Europe split the morning foursomes, seize a small lead, then watch the United States claw back in the afternoon four‑ball, setting the stage for an electrifying final day.
On Friday morning, Anna Nordqvist’s European side held steady, matching the United States in both sessions before taking three of the four points available in the foursomes. That early advantage was short‑lived, however, as the Americans edged the four‑ball later that day, leaving the overall score perfectly balanced heading into the singles.
The pivotal moments of the day were provided by the Swedish duo of Stark and Grant, who recorded a decisive 2&1 victory over the previously unbeaten pair of Megan Khang and Lauren Coughlin. This marked their third consecutive win in as many sessions together, underscoring their chemistry and clutch performance under pressure.
Hull and Woad, meanwhile, endured a heartbreaking final‑hole loss to Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee. Their partnership is historic in its own right: they are the first pair ever to compete in all four Solheim Cup sessions together, yet they have contributed only half a point to the European tally.
Their fortunes did not improve when Rose Zhang and Auston Kim, representing the United States, defeated Leona Maguire and Nastasia Nadaud 3&2, further widening the gap. The drama intensified on the Friday four‑ball when Carlota Ciganda secured a dramatic half‑point with a clutch putt on the final hole. She was then thrust back into the spotlight on the 18th, where a 90‑foot birdie by Jennifer Kupcho at the par‑four 17th forced a tie between Ciganda and Lindy Duncan. Kupcho’s heroics did not stop there; she holed a 20‑plus‑foot putt on the 18th to clinch a 1‑up win over Ciganda and Celine Bouter, prompting jubilant celebrations on the green.
Those late‑day heroics left Team USA in a position where they must capture six points on Sunday to retain the Cup, two years after their home‑soil triumph in Virginia. Europe, on the other hand, needs 6.5 points for an outright victory – their first since 2021 – meaning every single match will be critical. The morning foursomes on Saturday saw the Swedish stars again take the lead.
After ending Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz’s perfect foursomes record earlier, Stark produced an astonishing hole‑in‑one from the first fairway, earning her second eagle of the day. Lauren Coughlin responded with a string of birdies from the third hole onward, briefly putting Europe behind for the first time that week. The match swung back and forth until Grant seized the 11th and 12th holes with birdies, giving Europe a two‑hole cushion. Stark then rolled in a 20‑foot birdie on the 13th, extending the lead to two.
Coughlin answered by holing a long‑range birdie on the 16th, sealing Europe’s third win of the competition. The defeat marked Khang’s first loss in ten Solheim Cup appearances, ending a six‑match winning streak that had left her one win shy of the tournament record. It also represented the first ever loss for Team USA in a foursomes match.
"I think we really turned it on during the back nine," Grant reflected after the round. "We really got our things together and started playing like we wanted to. It was a really good game – I think they were just right behind us." Hull and Woad’s partnership continued to make history, albeit in a less flattering way. They are the first pair to contest all four opening sessions without securing at least a half‑point, and they never led during their match, which saw Noh fire an eagle and four birdies on the front nine to move two strokes ahead at the turn.
Europe captured the first hole of the back nine but surrendered the 13th to an Andrea Lee birdie. Woad matched Lee’s birdie on the 15th and added another on the 17th, yet the United States closed the match with a final‑hole par, taking the point. In another session, Nastasia Nadaud, paired with Mimi Rhodes, won two earlier sessions before joining Leona Maguire in the third match. Maguire’s aggressive play produced an eagle on the eighth and a birdie on the ninth, but the Americans responded with a three‑hole surge that secured the win.
The final four‑ball showdown saw Ciganda dominate the 13th and 14th holes, only to be answered by Duncan on the 15th. Kupcho then delivered an incredible birdie on the 17th, followed by a dramatic birdie on the 18th that completed a stunning comeback and gave the United States a 3‑1 victory in the session.
This result left the overall competition level after two days – the third consecutive Solheim Cup on European soil to finish in a tie heading into the final singles. Team USA captain Angela Stanford praised Kupcho’s tenacity, stating, "That was huge. It absolutely turned our tide. She just doesn't give up and she's a fighter.
Now her team has seen that in person." Sunday’s singles are scheduled to begin at 11:10 a.m. local time (10:10 BST), with heavy rain forecast for much of the day, adding another layer of difficulty to the already high‑stakes matches. Historically, the last three Solheim Cups that were tied after two days have all resulted in European victories on home turf.
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