Solheim Cup completely level: Europe and USA tied 8:8 before decisive singles matches
The 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands enters the final day without either team holding any points advantage. After four team sessions, Europe and the United States are tied at 8:8, meaning all 12 singles matches on Sunday, September 13, will decide the winner of the 20th edition of one of the most important team competitions in women's golf. Europe won Saturday morning's foursomes session 3:1 at Bernardus Golf and moved ahead 7:5, but the Americans responded with exactly the same score in the afternoon fourball. They thereby neutralized Europe's advantage and ensured that the final day begins from zero, at least in practical terms. The only difference is that, because of the competition rules, the defending champions from the USA need six more points to retain the trophy, while Europe needs six and a half points to regain the Solheim Cup.
The competition is being held at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, near 's-Hertogenbosch in the Dutch province of North Brabant, from September 11 to 13. This is the first Solheim Cup held in the Netherlands, and according to official information from the LPGA and the organizers, this year's edition offers a total of 28 points: eight each through foursomes and fourball during the first two days and 12 in Sunday's singles matches. Each match won is worth one point, while a tied match gives half a point to each side. The USA currently holds the trophy after a 15.5:12.5 victory at the 2024 edition in Virginia, while Europe retained the trophy a year earlier in Spain after a 14:14 tie. That is precisely why a final score of 14:14 this year would be enough for the Americans, while Europe must reach at least 14.5 points.
Europe took control in Saturday's foursomes
Saturday morning belonged to Europe, which after a completely level opening day made the first significant move on the overall scoreboard. According to the official Solheim Cup report, Maja Stark and Linn Grant opened the session with a 3 and 2 victory over Allisen Corpuz and Nelly Korda. The American pair was particularly dangerous because of its previous run of success in this format, but the Swedish combination took the initiative early and remained in control until the closing stages. Europe thereby secured an important first point of the morning, and the result carried additional weight because Korda is currently the world's top-ranked player. Stark and Grant thus confirmed that they are one of the most reliable European combinations at Bernardus.
Even more dramatic was the match between Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit and Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang. The Americans held the advantage for much of the first half of the match, but the European pair gradually reduced the deficit, drew level and ultimately secured victory on the final hole. The official report states that Henseleit made the crucial par putt on the 18th hole after an American mistake, giving Europe another point. In the third match, Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud were even more convincing: they defeated Andrea Lee and Auston Kim 4 and 3 after taking the lead on the very first hole and never relinquishing it. That result further highlighted the contribution of Europe's rookies at a moment when the team was looking for depth beyond its best-known names.
The only American point in the morning session was won by Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin. They defeated Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 6 and 5, the most convincing result of Saturday's foursomes matches. The American pair built a substantial advantage around the middle of the opening nine and ended the match after just 13 holes. Hull and Woad, the two highest-ranked Europeans before the tournament according to their world rankings at the time, were unable to find the rhythm expected of them even in that combination. Nevertheless, Europe's overall 3:1 performance meant that captain Anna Nordqvist's team went into the break with a 7:5 lead and a genuine opportunity to put the defending champions under even greater pressure.
American response in fourball brought everything back to square one
The afternoon session produced a completely different picture. The USA won three of the four fourball matches and erased Europe's entire advantage from the morning session within a few hours. In fourball, each player plays her own ball, with the better score of the pair counting on each hole, which creates more room for aggressive play and individual runs of birdies. It was precisely in that format that the Americans found the pace they needed. Europe took only the first point of the session, after which three consecutive American victories changed the balance of power on the overall scoreboard.
Stark and Grant continued their excellent day by defeating Megan Khang and Lauren Coughlin 2 and 1, which at one point moved Europe into an overall 8:5 lead. But Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee then beat Hull and Woad 1 up, while Rose Zhang and Auston Kim defeated Maguire and Nadaud 3 and 2. That reduced the American deficit to just one point before the final match on the course. For Hull and Woad, the defeat meant they had completed four joint appearances at this Solheim Cup without a win, with one tie and three losses. That run became one of Europe's biggest difficulties over the first two days, particularly because both players entered the tournament as members of the world's elite.
The final fourball, in which Jennifer Kupcho and Lindy Duncan played against Carlota Ciganda and Céline Boutier, proved crucial to the final 8:8 score. The European pair led late in the match, but Kupcho holed an exceptionally long birdie putt on the 17th hole, measuring about 28 meters according to reports from the Associated Press and American sports media. That brought the match level before the final hole. On the 18th, Kupcho made another birdie, and the American pair turned a deficit into a 1 up victory. That final point secured a 3:1 afternoon-session win for the USA and completely leveled the overall score.
Kupcho thus became the central figure of the American comeback on the second day. According to the Associated Press report, her two closing putts together were longer than 33 meters, while American captain Angela Stanford described the final point as extremely important for the team's mood ahead of the singles matches. Such an ending to Saturday changes not only the score but also the psychological context of Sunday: only a few hours earlier Europe had led 8:5, while the USA enters the final day after winning three consecutive points. Nevertheless, the singles format does not directly carry over any advantage from the pairs, meaning each of the 24 players will have her own opportunity to influence the final outcome.
The opening day finished 4:4, so neither team has yet led after a full day
The 8:8 tie continues a pattern that began on Friday. The opening foursomes session ended 2:2, and the afternoon fourball produced the same result, leaving the overall score at 4:4 after the first day. In the morning, the Americans collected points through the pairings of Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz and Alison Lee/Lauren Coughlin, while Europe won through Esther Henseleit/Leona Maguire and Maja Stark/Linn Grant. According to Golf Channel and the official Solheim Cup, Korda and Corpuz at that point recorded their fifth consecutive victory together in foursomes, a competition record for the same pair. A day later, Stark and Grant ended that streak and further strengthened their status as one of Europe's main assets.
On Friday afternoon, two tied matches also kept the score close. Charley Hull and Lottie Woad shared a point with Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin, while Carlota Ciganda and Julia López Ramírez tied with Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin. Europe earned a full point through Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud, while Megan Khang and Alison Lee delivered one for the Americans. That distribution of points showed just how evenly matched the teams were even before Saturday produced greater swings within the individual sessions. After 16 completed matches, there is no longer any room for calculations involving pairings: Sunday turns the Solheim Cup into 12 direct player-against-player contests.
Six points are enough for the USA, Europe needs six and a half
The mathematics of the final day is simple, but it creates substantially different objectives. Because the USA is defending the title, a total of 14 points would be enough to retain the trophy, meaning the Americans need six points from the 12 singles matches. Europe must reach 14.5 and therefore needs six and a half points. If Sunday's singles program ended exactly 6:6, the overall score would be 14:14 and the trophy would remain in American possession. Europe therefore must be at least half a point better in the final session.
That situation further increases the importance of the match order selected by captains Nordqvist and Stanford. Early points can set the tone for the entire day, but the final pairings could become just as important if the overall score remains uncertain. In match play, there is no need to total the overall number of strokes across the entire round: each hole is won, lost or tied separately, and the match ends when one player's lead becomes greater than the number of holes remaining. That is why a score such as 4 and 3 means a lead of four holes with three remaining, while "1 up" means the player or pair completed 18 holes with one more hole won. Such a system often allows sudden reversals and makes the Solheim Cup significantly different from traditional stroke-play tournaments.
Hull and Khang open Sunday, Korda faces Rhodes in the fourth match
According to the schedule published by the organizers and NBC Sports, the first singles match begins at 11:10 Central European Summer Time. Charley Hull will play Megan Khang, and 12 minutes later Esther Henseleit will tee off against Alison Lee. The third match features Linn Grant against Angel Yin, while Mimi Rhodes will play Nelly Korda in the fourth. Europe therefore sends out several players in the opening four matches who performed very well during the team sessions, but also Hull, who will be seeking a personal turnaround after a difficult first two days alongside Woad.
The fifth match features Nanna Koerstz Madsen against Allisen Corpuz, followed by Nastasia Nadaud against Andrea Lee. Julia López Ramírez will face Yealimi Noh, while Lottie Woad plays Auston Kim. The ninth match pairs Leona Maguire with Lauren Coughlin, while Maja Stark faces Lindy Duncan in the tenth. The penultimate match could become particularly important if the overall score remains close: Carlota Ciganda will play Jennifer Kupcho, the player who on Saturday evening secured the final point for 8:8 against Ciganda and Boutier. Céline Boutier and Rose Zhang are the last to tee off, beginning at 13:22.
The order means that all matches will overlap, and in the closing hours a large part of the course may simultaneously be deciding the fate of the trophy. The captains also no longer have the option of hiding or resting individual players, as they could during foursomes and fourball. All 12 members of each team must take part in the singles program. That particularly changes the situation for players who had less playing time during the first two days, but also for those who played almost continuously. On such a final day, physical freshness, emotional control and the ability to adapt to match-play pressure may be just as important as form from the previous sessions.
Bernardus hosts the first Dutch Solheim Cup
This year's tournament also carries broader organizational significance because the Solheim Cup is being held in the Netherlands for the first time. Bernardus Golf is located in a rural part of North Brabant, just minutes from 's-Hertogenbosch. Bernardus organizers state that it is also the first venue to host the senior Solheim Cup and the PING Junior Solheim Cup in the same year. The main competition runs from Friday through Sunday, while the full week's program included practice sessions, ceremonies and accompanying events. Sporting attention, however, is now focused entirely on the 12 singles matches that are expected to provide the final answer.
The USA arrives in the Netherlands as defending champion following its 2024 victory, the first overall American Solheim Cup win since 2017. Europe had previously won in 2019 and 2021, and in 2023 retained the trophy thanks to a 14:14 tie in Spain. According to LPGA data, the four editions before 2026 were decided by a combined margin of just six points, showing how evenly matched the rivalry has been in recent years. This year's 8:8 score after two-thirds of the program fits that pattern and leaves open the possibility that the 20th edition will once again be decided only in the final matches.
For both captains, this is their first edition in the leading role. Anna Nordqvist took charge of Europe after a distinguished playing career in the Solheim Cup, while Angela Stanford is leading the American team for the first time after previous roles as an assistant captain. On Saturday, their decisions produced completely different results in the two sessions: Nordqvist's Europe dominated the foursomes, while Stanford's USA dominated the fourball. Sunday, however, will no longer be a test of pairing combinations but of the depth of the entire team. After 16 matches the score is 8:8, and the remaining 12 points are enough to completely change the picture of the tournament.
Sources:
- Solheim Cup - official report on Saturday morning's foursomes and the schedule for the afternoon fourball (link)
- Solheim Cup - official information on the competition format, schedule and scoring rules (link)
- LPGA - overview of the 2026 Solheim Cup and information on the previous 2024 edition (link)
- Associated Press / iNFOnews - report on the closing stages of Saturday's fourball and Jennifer Kupcho's key putts (link)
- NBC Sports - confirmed pairings and tee times for all 12 Sunday singles matches (link)
- Bernardus Golf - information about the competition host and the historic double hosting of the Solheim Cup and PING Junior Solheim Cup (link)
- LPGA - statistical overview of the 20th edition and comparison of the results of recent Solheim Cups (link)