The United States captured their first Solheim Cup victory since 2017 as they won by 15 ½ points to Europe’s 12 ½ points at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
Heading into the final day, the U.S. Team had a four-point lead over Europe as they led 10-6 in Gainesville, Virginia.
The U.S. Team were in pole position early on and only needed one and a half points to secure the Solheim Cup outright.
However, Europe fought back hard as many matches headed down 18 but it wasn’t enough as Lilia Vu tapped in the putt to clinch the point needed for the U.S. to be victorious.
Here’s a recap of the final day…
Charley Hull vs. Nelly Korda
Charley Hull made the best possible start for Europe with her 6 and 4 victory over the World No.1 Nelly Korda.
She won the second hole with a birdie, before Korda brought the match back to all square after five.
With a hot putter, Hull then won the sixth, seventh, eighth, 11th, 13th and 14th, hitting it close on the par-5 14th before her eagle putt was conceded.
She closed out her victory to put the first singles point on the board and taking the overall scores to 10-7.
Hull said after her match: “I knew that you had to play unbelievable to beat her, and to beat Nelly, she’s a great player. I played my heart out, and I think I was like seven-under through — I don’t know how many holes we played. I did what I had to do, and yeah, it was a pretty cool moment.
“I just love playing under pressure. I absolutely love it. That’s why I always feel like I play well in the majors. I love big events, playing in front of crowds, and on hard tough golf courses. That’s something I just love doing.
“I knew I had to go out there and shoot a low score, and Suzann said to me they always knew I was going to play Nelly out first, and if anyone could beat her, I can, and that’s what she said to me.
“It gave me good confidence. I shot 8-under with my own ball yesterday, and today I was 7-under through 14 holes. I know I have what it takes to play Nelly, and I feel like I left a few shots out there, as well, a few putts, but it was a good match, and I felt like we gave the crowd what they wanted to see.”
Emily Pedersen vs. Megan Khang
Megan Khang, known as the spark plug of the United States team because of the way she fires up the crowds, earned the first singles point for the Americans when she beat Emily Pedersen 6 and 5.
Khang won the first, second, eighth, ninth, 11th and 12th holes to take the scores to 11-7.
After going undefeated for the second Solheim Cup, she said afterwards: “I mean, the atmosphere is just electric. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting the crowd very much involved. My voice can clearly be the victim of that. But I’d do it a million times over.
“You get the people going, they get down, they’re right there to lift you up. I enjoyed this week, and just trying to play my best golf for not only myself but my teammates, my captains, and the fans and our country, just try to do one match at a time like Captain Lewis said. We came out here with the score 0-0 mindset.
“I love this course. I didn’t get a chance to see it beforehand like some of the girls did, but I think this course is very gettable. I think captain definitely put it in our favour in the sense of some holes being a little softer than others and the par-5s being reachable for all of us.
“I think it’s something about being on home soil, as well, that has something to do with it. I grew up on bentgrass, so hopefully that helped to play a little part in how I played today or this week.”
Georgia Hall vs. Alison Lee
Hall made a statement of intent when she won the first, second, fourth and seventh holes to go 4 up. She lost the 10th but then unexpectedly won the par-3 11th with a birdie after Lee hit her tee shot close to within six feet, and missed the putt.
After an amazing hole-out for eagle from Lee on 12, Hall was back to 3-up, but then won the 14th. She hit her second shot into the bunker in front of the 14th green, then played an excellent sand shot to within five feet and holed it for birdie to win the hole and go four up.
On the par-4 15th hole, her second putt was conceded, and she won the match 4 and 3 with the scores poised at 11-8.
“I’m really happy with the way I played. I played really solid and I didn’t really let her come in at all.,” said Hall.
“I played well this week, and obviously disappointed to lose a couple of my first few matches. It was all in my control, and I love match play, and my fifth Solheim Cup, and it’s such an honour to be part of Team Europe, and just tried to get my point today for the team.”
Anna Nordqvist vs. Allisen Corpuz
Allisen Corpuz won the second and fourth holes to take the early momentum, before Nordqvist holed her third shot for an eagle on the fifth. Corpuz then took the seventh, with Nordqvist winning the ninth hole. The American took control on the back nine, winning the 11th, 12th and 14th holes. She won 4 and 3 taking the scores to 13-8.
Speaking about Captain Lewis’ words to her before her singles match, Corpuz said: “She said go out there, take care of your match, and don’t worry about anyone else, anything else. Just made sure we were ready for the day, had everything we needed, and yeah, I got off to a pretty fast start.
“Anna is such an awesome player. I grew up watching her play. We both played really well. She holed out on five for an eagle and it was just a really fun match. I think we both played really well.”
Carlota Ciganda vs. Rose Zhang
Carlota Ciganda won the first hole, but Zhang won the second, third, fourth and fifth. Ciganda made a birdie to win the par-3 ninth, but Zhang then took the 10th, 11th 12th and 14th holes. After a concession on the 14th green, Zhang won 6 and 4 taking the scoreline to 12-8.
Zhang said: “I was really excited. Carlota is such an incredible player and I saw her clinch that Cup last year. I was really just looking forward to coming out here and seeing what I could measure up.
“Turns out the day was great, and I’m glad to be gaining a point for Team USA. I just feel like the Solheim Cup reignited my passion for the game, and it was so fun to see so many people out here supporting. My teammates have been incredible.
“We’ve been having so much fun, not only off the golf course but even on it. It’s just been an incredible ride.
“We’re overall aggressive players, but I think we know where to place the ball, and we allow the slopes to do their thing and just allow the golf balls to ride with it. I think that’s been pretty pivotal with everyone. We’ve been pretty creative with how we’ve been playing the hole and able to get the job done.”
Esther Henseleit vs. Andrea Lee
In a close match, Esther Henseleit won the first hole, but there were several lead changes. European rookie Henseleit had a two-hole lead evaporate on the back nine, settling for a tie, taking the scoreline to 13 ½ – 8 ½.
Celine Boutier vs. Lexi Thompson
Top-ranked European Celine Boutier was 3-down through 11 holes, but fought back to win her match 1-up.
Boutier birdied the 15th to tie the match with three to play and her birdie putt ended millimetres from dropping on front edge on 16th green.
Tied coming to 18, Thompson missed her birdie putt on the 18th green. Boutier then made her putt and won her point to keep the European team’s hopes alive. 13 ½ – 9 ½.
“It feels amazing,” said Boutier. “I definitely feel like we had to work for it. It was a great match. She played awesome.
“Just happy that I came out on top. It was definitely very nerve-racking the last few holes, but very needed point, so very lucky to be able to bring one to the European team.”
Leona Maguire vs. Ally Ewing
Leona Maguire continued her perfect record in the Solheim Cup singles with a 4 and 3 victory over Ally Ewing. The first seven holes of the match saw Maguire go into a 1-up lead twice, but it was brought back by Ewing who battled hard.
However, the Irish woman sparked into her sublime match play form after that with birdies on eight and nine to go 2-up, before another birdie on 14 put her 3-up and she sealed the result with a par on 15.
“I felt like I played great golf today,” said Maguire. “I feel like I’ve been playing really great golf all week in practice, and it was a bitter pill to swallow to be sat out for as many sessions as I was, but I thought I got a point to prove today, and I love the Solheim Cup, I love match play, and I really wanted to deliver a point for the team today, and nice to do that.”
13 ½ – 10 ½
Maja Stark vs. Lauren Coughlin
American rookie Lauren Coughlin from Virginia overcame a three-hole deficit on the back nine to earn a crucial half point for the U.S. side.
Stark was 3-up after 10 holes, but lost the 11th, 12th and 14th, after hitting her second shot into the lake in front of the green.
On 18, Stark’s long birdie putt ran past the edge of the hole and Coughlin faced a birdie putt to win but missed it. Stark then holed a gutsy par putt to tie the match and the contest continued, with the scores at 14-11.
“I knew it was a pretty straight putt, and I was pretty confident in my ability to at least roll the ball on line. I just trusted that and just tried to get it all the way to the hole,” Stark said.
“I mean, it’s huge. Having the putt to not lose Solheim, for now at least, it’s so much pressure. I’ve been so nervous coming up these last few holes, and managing to come out with a half a point is really nice.”
Albane Valenzuela vs. Lilia Vu
It was a close contest between Valenzuela and Vu which proved to be the pivotal moment of the afternoon as the American was 1-up through 10 holes. However, the European rookie birdied 12 from three feet to get the match back to all square.
The Swiss star then birdied 13 to go 1-up and went 2-up with three holes to play, but Vu rolled in a superb putt on 17 to claw Valenzuela’s lead back to 1-up.
The U.S. star hit a superb clutch approach shot to within three feet of the hole meanwhile the Swiss player’s birdie putt came up short as Vu made a brilliant birdie putt on the last to win the half point needed to win the Solheim Cup for the United States.
14 ½ – 11 ½
Vu said: “I can’t even put it into words. I felt like I didn’t do my part this week and I wanted to get something done. I said to my caddie on 16, I felt like I haven’t done anything for this team, and then 16 comes, and I’m in the back bunker.
“I feel like, oh, no, I have to make up-and-down, and she’s been making one-putts on almost every single green, so I thought she was going to birdie that hole too. She didn’t, and the then I ended up making up-and-down from the bunker and somehow birdied 17 and got it done on 18 to get the half point.
“On the 18th hole in the middle of the fairway. I saw that we were at 14, I was like, oh, shoot. I better birdie this. Let me try my best.”
Linn Grant vs. Jennifer Kupcho
With the Solheim Cup back in the hands of the United States, Jennifer Kupcho closed out her match on 17 to record a 2 and 1 victory over Linn Grant. The American was 3-up after three holes, but the Swede brought it back to tied through 11.
Grant missed a chance to go 1-up on 12 before Kupcho won the par-5 14th to go 1-up and she stayed ahead to wrap up the match.
15 ½ – 11 ½
Madelene Sagström vs. Sarah Schmelzel
It was a tight battle between Madelene Sagström and Sarah Schmelzel at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club which went all the way to the 18th green.
The Swedish player went 1-up with a par at the second and then 2-up with a birdie at the fourth, but the U.S. rookie fought back with a birdie on six and a hole-out from the bunker on seven to level the scores.
Sagström then had back-to-back birdies on eight and nine to go 2-up again before Schmelzel holed her chip shot on 10. The American made a long putt on 14 to tie the match with four holes to play, but Sagström fought back winning the 17th hole to go 1-up and both players parred the last to secure the final point for Europe.
15 ½ – 12 ½
Follow all the action on our socials – @LETgolf and @solheimcupeuro on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook – #RaiseOurGame #TeamEurope.
