Europe wins Solheim Cup after dramatic finish against the USA
Europe regained the Solheim Cup after one of the closest editions in recent years. At Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, in the Dutch province of North Brabant, the European team defeated the United States by an overall score of 15-13 after entering Sunday's singles matches tied at 8-8. The decisive difference came in the final session: Europe collected seven points from the 12 singles matches, enough to break the balance that had marked the first two days of competition. According to official Solheim Cup data, this was the 20th meeting between Europe and the USA and the first edition held in the Netherlands. The trophy therefore returns to Europe two years after the American team won it with a 15.5-12.5 victory in Virginia in 2024.
The deciding point was delivered by Carlota Ciganda, one of the most experienced players on the European team. The Spaniard defeated Jennifer Kupcho 4 and 2 in the penultimate singles match, lifting Europe's total to an unreachable 15 points. The Ladies European Tour states that Ciganda had a long eagle putt on the 16th hole that did not drop, but Kupcho then missed her birdie opportunity and conceded her opponent's short finishing putt. That ended the battle for the trophy, although the remaining matches were still being completed. The final score of 15-13 confirmed that Europe was more successful on the greens at the most important moment of the weekend and steadier across a series of matches unfolding simultaneously on different parts of the course.
Ciganda once again at the heart of Europe's victory
Ciganda's role in the outcome carried additional symbolism because she had also been a key figure for the European team three years earlier. At the 2023 Solheim Cup at Spain's Finca Cortesin, she defeated Nelly Korda in a singles match and helped Europe to an overall 14-14 result, which at the time was enough to retain the trophy. Now, according to the official website of the tournament organizers in the Netherlands, she has become only the second player in the history of the competition to twice secure the point that confirmed her team's final success. Before her, that had been achieved by Catriona Matthew, one of the most important players in European Solheim Cup history.
The match between Ciganda and Kupcho also had a direct connection to Saturday's drama. In the final four-ball match of the second day, Jennifer Kupcho and Lindy Duncan managed to turn around their match against Ciganda and Céline Boutier and earn the USA the point that tied the score at 8-8. According to the Solheim Cup report, Kupcho holed an exceptionally long birdie putt on the 17th hole, then converted another demanding putt on the 18th to complete the American comeback. That allowed the Americans to enter Sunday feeling they had stopped Europe's momentum after Europe had earlier taken a 7-5 lead on Saturday. But just one day later Ciganda had the opportunity to respond against the same opponent in singles, and she took that opportunity with a convincing victory.
For the 36-year-old Spaniard, the Solheim Cup has held a special place in her career for years. In the team format, her ability to perform under pressure has repeatedly stood out, and this year's edition once again placed her at the center of the European story. NBC Sports and Golf Channel emphasized in their reports after the finish that Ciganda has developed a reputation in this competition as a player who performs particularly well in matches of high emotional intensity. In the Netherlands, that was evident both on Friday, when she and rookie Julia López Ramírez earned half a point against Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin, and on Sunday, when she finished the job against Kupcho.
Europe took control on Sunday
The 8-8 score after two days left both teams without any margin for error. A total of 28 matches are played in the Solheim Cup format: the first 16 are spread across foursomes and four-ball matches on Friday and Saturday, while on the final day all 12 players compete in singles matches. Under the competition rules, at least 14.5 points are needed to win the trophy, while in the event of an overall tie the trophy remains with its previous holder. Because the USA arrived in the Netherlands as the defending champion from 2024, a 14-14 result would have been enough for the Americans to retain the cup, while Europe had to reach at least 14.5.
The European team led by captain Anna Nordqvist responded to that pressure with a very strong start to Sunday's singles. Charley Hull opened the program with a victory over Megan Khang, and Linn Grant soon convincingly defeated Angel Yin. In the middle of the lineup, Nanna Koerstz Madsen beat Allisen Corpuz, Nastasia Nadaud defeated Andrea Lee, and Julia López Ramírez got the better of Yealimi Noh. Lottie Woad then defeated Auston Kim to bring Europe to a total of 14 points, while Ciganda's match was already leaning strongly in Europe's favor. That run allowed the home team to enter the closing stages with a clear advantage even before the final matches had been completed.
The Americans also produced several very strong individual performances. Nelly Korda defeated Mimi Rhodes, Lauren Coughlin beat Leona Maguire, and Rose Zhang earned a point against Céline Boutier. Alison Lee stood out in particular, producing one of the biggest comebacks of the tournament against Esther Henseleit. According to the official website of the Dutch edition of the Solheim Cup, Lee came back from four holes down and won on the final hole, completing the competition with a perfect 4-0-0 record. Despite those American victories, the distribution of points meant that the USA could no longer catch the European team after Ciganda's triumph.
Linn Grant from 0-4 to a perfect week
One of the biggest individual stories of the winning team was Sweden's Linn Grant. The official Solheim Cup 2026 website states that she finished the week with a 4-0-0 record, meaning four victories in four appearances. Particularly interesting is the fact that at the previous Solheim Cup in 2024 she had the exact opposite record and lost all four matches. The organizers point out that she thus became the first player in the history of the competition to follow a tournament without winning a point by collecting at least four at her next appearance.
Grant achieved much of her success alongside Maja Stark. On Friday they defeated Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho together in the foursomes format, and on Saturday morning they beat Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz. That same afternoon they also defeated Megan Khang and Lauren Coughlin in four-ball before Grant completed her perfect individual record on Sunday with a 4 and 3 victory over Angel Yin. For the European team, that was particularly important because Grant carried a large share of the points burden in a competition in which several other well-known names produced inconsistent results.
The rookies also made an important contribution. France's Nastasia Nadaud finished with three wins and one loss, and together with Mimi Rhodes became part of the first rookie pairing that, according to the organizers, managed to win two matches together in Solheim Cup history. Julia López Ramírez did not play in every session, but she earned half a point alongside Ciganda on Friday and then a major full point in Sunday's singles against Yealimi Noh. Such performances from the younger players added further value to captain Nordqvist's decision to build the European team as a combination of experience and youthful freshness.
Saturday's American comeback did not turn into Sunday momentum
The first two days showed just how evenly matched the teams were. On Friday, both blocks of matches ended without either side gaining an advantage: the morning foursomes produced two points for each side, and the afternoon four-ball also ended 2-2. According to the official Solheim Cup report, it was the first time in the history of the competition that Europe and the USA had split the points in both sessions of the opening day. The score after Friday was 4-4, so neither side managed to build an early cushion before Saturday.
Europe made its biggest move in Saturday morning's foursomes session. Grant and Stark defeated Korda and Corpuz, Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit beat Kupcho and Rose Zhang, while rookies Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud convincingly defeated Andrea Lee and Auston Kim. The only American point in that session was delivered by Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin against Charley Hull and Lottie Woad. Europe therefore moved 7-5 ahead and created a more noticeable gap for the first time.
The American team led by captain Angela Stanford responded that same afternoon. The USA won three of the four four-ball matches and tied the overall score at 8-8. The most dramatic was the final match, in which Kupcho and Duncan came from behind late against Ciganda and Boutier. The American side therefore closed Saturday with a powerful emotional moment, but Sunday showed that momentum in match-play golf does not necessarily last longer than a single session. Europe immediately re-established control of the score in the singles matches.
Nordqvist wins the trophy in her first appearance as captain
For Anna Nordqvist, the victory in the Netherlands was particularly significant because this was her first Solheim Cup as captain. The Swede had for years been one of the most recognizable names on the European team and also played in the 2024 edition. Before the tournament, organizers emphasized that both Nordqvist and American captain Angela Stanford were leading their teams as head captains for the first time, although both had extensive experience in the competition itself. Stanford was an assistant captain for the American team in 2024, while Nordqvist had repeatedly been a key figure for Europe during her playing career.
Nordqvist's team responded particularly well when it needed points from the middle and lower parts of Sunday's lineup. The decision to send Charley Hull out first proved effective because the Englishwoman delivered an early European point, while the lineup placing Ciganda near the very end allowed one of the team's most experienced players to potentially decide the trophy. After the victory, Nordqvist emphasized the team's togetherness and the contribution of every player, while reports from the closing press conference stressed that Europe looked more organized and calmer in the key moments on Sunday.
On the American side, Stanford pointed after the defeat to problems converting opportunities on the greens. Golf Channel reported her assessment that her team simply had not made enough putts and that the Americans needed to adapt better to the slower greens at Bernardus. That analysis describes the difference in the finish well: the American team had several spectacular individual moments during the week, above all Kupcho's Saturday putts, but Europe more often converted opportunities into points across a greater number of matches on Sunday.
First Solheim Cup in the Netherlands
The 2026 edition also had historic significance for the host nation. The Netherlands hosted the Solheim Cup for the first time, and the competition was held at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, near the city of 's-Hertogenbosch, also known as Den Bosch. According to official information from the organizers, the course was designed by American architect Kyle Phillips, opened in 2018 and, before the Solheim Cup, hosted the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The combination of water hazards, strategically placed bunkers and the course's heathland character was designed to test precision, while changing weather conditions had an additional impact on the final day.
The competition was played from September 11 to 13, and the final Sunday began in rainy conditions. As the day progressed, the weather improved, but playing decisions and green speed remained important factors. Organizers also placed strong emphasis on sustainable spectator transport, with shuttle buses and cycling options from Den Bosch to the course. Associated Press reported that thousands of fans traveled to Bernardus by bicycle, giving the event a distinctly Dutch character while at the same time reducing traffic pressure around the course.
The Solheim Cup was founded in 1990 and is named after Karsten Solheim, founder of golf-equipment manufacturer PING, who together with his wife Louise was among the key driving forces behind the competition. The format is similar to the Ryder Cup: two teams of 12 players compete over three days in foursomes, four-ball and singles matches. According to the competition's official statistics, after this year's edition the USA still leads the all-time series with 11 victories to Europe's eight, along with one tie. However, the more recent period has been considerably more favorable for Europe.
Europe again confirms its strength on home soil
With victory in the Netherlands, Europe continued its run of strong results on European soil. The most recent American victory in an away Solheim Cup remains the one from 2015 in Germany. Since then Europe won in Scotland in 2019, retained the trophy in Spain in 2023 after a 14-14 tie, and has now won again in the Netherlands in 2026. In the meantime, the European team also won on American soil in Ohio in 2021, while the USA ended Europe's run in Virginia in 2024 and captured the trophy.
That is precisely why the final 15-13 score at Bernardus carries broader significance than simply regaining a trophy. The European team entered the final day without a lead, against an opponent that would have retained the title with a tie, but took seven of the available 12 points from the most important session. Both veterans and rookies contributed, while Grant and Ciganda provided two different forms of leadership: one through a perfect week, the other through experience and the decisive singles match.
The next edition of the Solheim Cup is scheduled to be held in the United States in 2028, and the competition's official website lists Valhalla as the next destination. Until then, Europe will once again hold the status of defending champion. After three days in which neither team managed to pull away from the other until the final Sunday, the Netherlands delivered a dramatic first Solheim Cup, while the European team secured a victory that will be remembered above all for its strong singles run and another decisive role from Carlota Ciganda.
Sources:
- Solheim Cup - official data on the final score, competition history and results of previous editions (link)
- Solheim Cup 2026 - official report on Europe's 15-13 victory, Linn Grant's performance, the rookies and Carlota Ciganda's decisive point (link)
- Ladies European Tour - report on the final day, Ciganda's victory over Jennifer Kupcho and the outcome on the 16th hole (link)
- Solheim Cup - official reports on Saturday's foursomes and four-ball matches and the 8-8 tie before singles (link)
- Solheim Cup - official report from the opening day and context on Ciganda's 2023 appearance (link)
- Golf Channel / Associated Press - Angela Stanford's comments on putting, green speed and the American defeat (link)
- Bernardus / Solheim Cup 2026 - official information about the course, its design and previous professional tournaments (link)
- Associated Press - report on bicycle transport for spectators and event organization in the Netherlands (link)