The 2026 Solheim Cup is perfectly poised after the opening day at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, with the United States and Europe tied 4-4 after eight matches. It was only the second time in the event’s 36-year history that the teams finished the first day level, setting up a tense weekend in the 20th edition of the biennial competition.
The decisive moment came in Friday’s final four-ball match. Europe’s Carlota Ciganda and Julia Lopez Ramirez were tied with Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin heading to the par-4 18th. Ciganda’s tee shot veered right, forcing her to play her second from the adjacent first hole, but she recovered with a pitch to roughly 10 feet. After the Americans made par and Lopez Ramirez dropped a shot, Ciganda converted the pressure putt to halve the match and secure a crucial half-point for Europe.
“I love playing for the team, for my teammates,” Ciganda said afterward. “We had a tough match against Nelly and Lauren, very consistent, but we fought hard and at least we got half a point, which I think is really important.” The result denied Korda and Coughlin, who had chances to close out the match, and gave Lopez Ramirez a dramatic introduction to Solheim Cup competition alongside fellow Spaniard Ciganda.
The Americans still produced several commanding performances. Korda and Allisen Corpuz defeated Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 4 and 3 in the morning session, extending their unbeaten record as a partnership to five matches, while Megan Khang posted a 5-and-3 victory in the afternoon to improve her Solheim Cup record to 8-3-3. Saturday’s foursomes begin with Corpuz and Korda against Maja Stark and Linn Grant, followed by Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang against Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit, Andrea Lee and Auston Kim against Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud, and Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin against Hull and Woad.