Welcome to this weekโs Golf Insider, everyone.
On Sunday, Team Europe showed its singles match prowess once again and defeated Team USA in the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, 15-13. Star performances from veterans and rookies alike kept the match close but then broke the tournament open when needed most.
Help shape what’s next for The IX Sports! Take our short reader survey:
I said in my preview last week that predicting the winner of the 20th edition of the Cup was going to be difficult precisely because the squads were so evenly matched. That inclination proved true after the first two days.
For the first time in the Solheim Cupโs 36-year history, the Europeans and Americans split the first two sessions on Friday. The morning and afternoon sessions both ended with each team nabbing two points a piece. Then, on Saturday morning, Team Europe rode the wave of home crowd energy and lights-out pairings to build a 7-5 lead over Team USA. But in Saturday afternoonโs four-ball matches, the Americans clawed back to tie the Cup 8-8.ย
In this Saturday afternoon display of American grit, Jennifer Kupcho was the catalyst.
Playing with Solheim Cup rookie Lindy Duncan, Kupcho holed a 92-foot putt to tie their match against Carlota Ciganda and Cรฉline Boutier on the 17th hole. On No. 18, with a point up for grabs, Kupcho sank a nearly 30-foot putt for birdie to win it.
When Team USA needed it most, Kupcho was there. If weโre thinking retrospectively, the American near-comeback on Sunday would have been almost impossible if the two sides didnโt enter the final day tied 8-8. But, again, thatโs in hindsight.
In those Sunday singles matches, the Europeans reasserted their dominance on home soil and took charge. Part of this dominance was European captain Anna Nordqvistโs ability to send the right players out at the right times. Her connection to her players and their games was apparent from the minute she sent Charley Hull out first.
โYeah, this was the no-brainer to put Charley first,โ Nordqvist said during a post-tournament press conference on Sept. 13.
โWe saw the stats yesterday, and Charley and Lottie were actually top-four players that made the most birdies for the week.โ
Sometimes you do need to look at the score numbers rather than the points earned in match play, especially considering singles pairings. When players get hot, it doesnโt matter if theyโre in a match or counting strokes. Theyโre essential to a good singles start.
And Hull proved that, as she tends to do time after time in her Solheim Cup career. Hull improved to 3-3-1 in singles matches at the Solheim Cup with her 3 and 2 win over Megan Khang. This advantage was crucial for Europe, as Khang had never lost a singles match in her Solheim Cup career. So, from American captain Angela Stanfordโs point of view, Khang was a great option to put out in the first group. This match just went the European way, setting the tone for the rest of the day. The European captains and vice captains could sense even before the first group teed off that things were going to trend in their direction.
โI don’t know what it was this morning. Me and Anna were talking. Like, not one of us needed to speak to any player, really,โ European vice captain Mel Reid said in a post-tournament press conference on Sept. 13.
โThey just kind of knew what their job was today in a very calm, passionate, and fierce way. The horses are ready, just let them go, and they delivered.โ
Linn Grant was another standout for the Europeans and not just in her Sunday singles match. With a win over Angel Yin 4 and 3, Grant went undefeated this week, contributing four points for the European side. It was a vast improvement from her last Solheim Cup showing, where she went 0-4-0. Grant flipping the script was essential to Europeโs success.
The sixth, seventh and eighth matches that went out on Sunday each had a Team Europe rookie, and each rookie won their matches. Captainโs pick Nastasia Nadaud added to her memorable campaign with a 3 and 2 win over Andrea Lee. Nadaud became the sixth-youngest player in Solheim Cup history to earn three or more points in an event, joining a pretty elite group of players to do the same. Her singles win helped her to a 3-1-0 record for the tournament.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the womenโs sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of womenโs sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
But Nadaudโs impressive showing wasnโt exclusive to her singles performance. She and Mimi Rhodes became the first rookie pair in Solheim Cup history to win two matches together. They defeated Allisen Corpuz and Auston Kim in four-ball on Friday afternoon and Andrea Lee and Auston Kim in foursomes on Saturday.
โThe first day I sent out Nastasia and Mimi a lot of people questioned why would you send out two rookies, but I said why not. And they delivered. They delivered again on Saturday morning. And today too,โ Nordqvist said.
Julia Lopez Ramirez continued to carry the Spanish torch with a win over Yealimi Noh 3 and 2, and Lottie Woad defeated American Solheim Cup debutant Auston Kim 2 and 1. Woadโs putt sealed the deal for Team Europe, and this was fitting. Her cool, calm demeanor may not be as rowdy as youโd like for a Solheim Cup, but it certainly helps her get the job done. Consistently, Woad plays like sheโs been here before. Her first Solheim Cup campaign is evidence that sheโll be a staple for the European team in the years to come.
โI feel really old and I’m glad Iโm retiring now because these girls are just so good,โ Nordqvist said, praising her rookie selections.
But it was none other than Nordqvistโs close friend and Solheim Cup all-timer Carlota Ciganda who once again nailed the American coffin shut. In what was informally a rematch of the Saturday afternoon American rally, Ciganda defeated Jennifer Kupcho 4 and 2. Despite the emotions and passion, it was all class from each side.
โI mean, Kupcho, she’s a fighter. I’ve played with her many times,โ Ciganda said during a post-tournament press conference on Sept. 13.
โI said yesterday, it was unbelievable. I know I celebrated and I probably pissed off all the Americans, but that’s just how I am. I can’t help it. But at the same time, I told her like, great match, great last two holes. And, yeah, today I was really motivated to beat her because I knew it was going to be important.โ
Thatโs something I really took notice of during this edition of the Solheim Cup. These two teams both had chemistry within their groups, but they also were extremely cordial to one another. Nelly Korda was seen congratulating Ciganda after Europeโs win, calling her โMrs. Solheim Cup.โ Angel Yin and Charley Hull had a laugh about Yinโs Evel Knievel outfit. These athletes have an incredible way of balancing national pride and intensity with maturity and compassion. I love that about this sport and this event.
Your business can reach women’s sports fans who share your passion!
Here at The IX Sports, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, you should reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com to discuss ways to work together in 2026.
But what does this loss mean for the Americans? Theyโve failed to win on European soil yet again. Despite that, Stanford was pleased with how her group fought throughout each day. But she expressed disappointment in how she prepared the team for the competition, specifically the change in green speeds.
โEven when we showed up in July here, they were faster. And I don’t think it had anything to do with the rain either,โ Stanford said in a post-tournament press conference on Sept. 13.
โNow, saying that, it’s my responsibility to get the team ready. This is the one thing I am kicking myself is that I just didn’t keep pushing, you know, we got to figure out how to hit our putts a little bit harder, which is really difficult, like, to change the way you putt. So I’m a little frustrated with myself that I didn’t drive that point home.โ
When you lose by as small a margin as this American team did, itโs hard to pin down one specific problem. Was it that the Americans didnโt make their putts, or were the Europeans sinking everything under the sun? The European crowds are famously energizing to their home side as well.
It also seems like American golf is going through a bit of a generational shift concerning the Solheim Cup roster. There are players that have been on several teams and players making their first appearances. Some of those newcomers, like Lauren Coughlin, proved to excel under pressure, and some donโt really make a mark. Some of the veterans, like Megan Khang, continue to be keystones for the group. But is it time for some of them to move on? When certain players qualify through a pretty empirical points system and certain players are specifically chosen by the captain, itโs hard to assess the actual success of the roster and who could have been replaced.
Maybe it comes down to pairings and preparation. Then again, this yearโs group wasnโt so different from the group that dominated at Robert Trent Jones two years ago. And Stanford really emphasized how much her team gelled.
โI mean, I think they did great. Like I said, they never wavered. Going into Saturday afternoon, it got tough, and they came together, and they pulled through, and they have stuck together the whole time,โ Stanford said.
โThe good news is they can show back up in Kentucky in a couple years and make it right.โ
Does this mean weโll see a similar lineup at Valhalla in 2028? Iโm not sure. Iโm curious to see how American leadership handles this loss at Bernardus. Camaraderie doesnโt solely make you a legendary American Solheim Cup team when youโve got one win in the last five editions. Whether leadership makes changes to the lineup or not, thereโs always the hope that the American crowd (and American green speeds) will be on their side. The pressure is on you now, Europe, and youโve got two years to get ready for it.
See you next week, golf fans.
“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
This week in women’s golf
Solheim Cup News
Inside course preparation for the 2026 Solheim Cup
Carlota Cigandaโs experience is guiding Europeโs Solheim Cup rookies
U.S. squad builds chemistry ahead of 2026 Solheim Cup
Allisen Corpuz, Nelly Korda prove lethal as partners at Bernardus
โChillโ combo of Lauren Coughlin, Alison Lee win big in foursomes on Solheim Cup Saturday
Alison Lee rallies from 4-down to cap perfect Solheim Cup performance
Linn Grant goes undefeated as Team Europe reclaims Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup returns to Europe with 15-13 victory in the Netherlands
LET News
Past champion Briem back at La Sella
Watch live: 2026 La Sella Open
LET No. 1 Alexander has eyes on the prize
Shannon Tan wins Player of the Month for August
Epson Tour News
Carla Bernat Escuder wins 2026 Guardian Championship for her first professional title
Mirabel Ting clinches LPGA Tour card: A dream that was never just hers
Field breakdown: 2026 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
NCAA News
Wake Forest senior All-American Macy Pate to compete in The ANNIKA as sponsor invite
UCLA first-year Michelle Xing wins ANNIKA Intercollegiate for first career win in first tournament
Wake Forest opens season with win at ANNIKA Intercollegiate
Florida State wins Folds of Honor Collegiate
Virginia Tech, Delon victorious at Nittany Lion Invitational
Miami takes team, individual titles at Boilermaker Classic
Rep The IX Sports at your next game!
Shop the logo collection or special “Womenโs Sports are Front Page News” collection now on Shopify.
Five at The IX: Top five moments from the 2026 Solheim Cup
Maja Stark holes out for eagle
Angel Yinโs Evel Knievel outfit
Jennifer Kupcho to extend the matchโฆ
โฆand then to win the match
Carlota Ciganda from wayyyy downtown
She does not miss. It was hard to choose just one putt!
Solheim Cup rookie Lottie Woad, who plays like sheโs been here before, holes the winning putt for Team Europe
Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Womenโs Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Gymnastics: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer
