Europe reclaimed the Solheim Cup with a 15-13 victory over the United States at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, overturning an 8-8 tie with a decisive performance in Sunday’s singles. The Europeans won six of the first eight matches and established a lead the Americans could not overcome, securing the Cup before the remaining matches were completed.
The United States had entered Sunday with significant momentum after Jennifer Kupcho’s late four-ball heroics on Saturday leveled the contest. The team celebrated afterward, but captain Angela Stanford said the players had rested adequately and that the emotional high was not responsible for the defeat. Europe, led by captain Anna Nordqvist, responded with what assistant captain Mel Reid described as a calm but fierce display in the singles.
Stanford identified putting as the central problem, particularly on greens that played slower than the Americans expected. “Even when we showed up in July here, they were faster,” Stanford said, accepting responsibility for not emphasizing the need to strike putts more firmly. She added that she was “a little frustrated with myself” for not driving that point home, although she said the team did not complain about the conditions.
Nordqvist rejected any suggestion that Europe had sought an advantageous setup, attributing the softer greens to persistent September rain. “That’s obviously the weather, we can’t control that,” she said, adding that the course had been set up to showcase women’s golf rather than favor either team. The next Solheim Cup will be played in the United States at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky in 2028.