Key events
Nanna Madsen gets super-aggressive with a putt from the fringe on 11. Her ball rolls 12 feet past. This match is getting away from Europe. See also the lead match, where Charley Hull sends Europe’s tee shot into the heather down the right of 12. Lottie Woad can’t get good contact on the ball, hitting it heavy and dunking it into a creek short of the green.
Lauren Coughlin walks in the eagle putt on 10 to double USA’s lead in match two. Esther Henseleit misses a short putt on 9 to gift a hole to the USA. And in the lead match, both teams get up and down from the side of the green, but once again it’s Lottie Woad grinding it out, rolling in a staunch six-footer to halve the hole. Without those two big putts on 10 and 11, Europe would be in a world of pain. Woad may be 3DOWN but she’s been mighty impressive on debut.
3UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (11)
2UP Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (10)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (9)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 4UP (8)
Allisen Korpuz pulls her tee shot at the par-three 11th towards the gallery. She gives a couple of loud shouts of fore. Plenty of other professionals, please take note. Korpuz gets a lucky bounce back towards the green, karmic reward for her thoughtful etiquette. Lottie Woad misses on the other side of the hole, her ball ending up in a large, flat bunker. Meanwhile trouble for Europe back on the par-five 10th, with Celine Boutier seemingly not having turned a corner, sending the ball into thick heather with Team USA on the green in two.
Charley Hull chips up from a swale to the back of the par-five 10th. Not particularly convincingly. She leaves her partner six feet short. With Nelly Korda having sent the USA’s third to tap-in distance, it’s a must make for Lottie Woad … and make it she does, walking in the gentle left-to-right slider to match America’s birdie. Hole halved, and Europe remain 3DOWN, but the alternative was much worse. That was a huge display of moxie from the rookie Woad.
3UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (10)
1UP Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (9)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (8)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 4UP (7)
Jennifer Kupcho pulls a short par putt to the left of the cup at 7, and the US are in all sorts of trouble in the final match of the morning. They’re 4DOWN with just seven holes played. Meanwhile Celine Boutier’s redemption shot on 9 did indeed prove enough to salvage a half and keep Europe within touching distance in the second match.
3UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (9)
1UP Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (9)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (7)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 4UP (7)
Some world-class effing and jeffing from Celine Boutier as she carves her drive at 9 into deep nonsense. You didn’t need to be a lip-reader. Marvellous scenes, which of course nobody wants to see, won’t everyone think of the kids, etc. But how she makes up for her mistake, because Nanna Madsen gets her back onto the fairway, from where the 2023 Evian champ wedges from 100 yards to kick-in distance. For a second that looked like a hole-out. But it’ll be a par, and whatever the US team do by way of response, that will hopefully have given the struggling European duo a much-needed boost. What an approach!
Nanna Koertz Madsen and Celine Boutier are beginning to make egregious errors. Madsen already with that chunked tee shot at 6. Now Boutier knifes a bunker shot at 8, a mistake which Madsen compounds by thinning the next chip back across the green. Alison Lee gets a bit heavy handed with the USA’s second – this hasn’t been a short-game masterclass – but it doesn’t really matter because Madsen and Boutier have gifted this hole to the American duo, all tied up with an ostentatious bow. Birdie for Maja Stark on 6 meanwhile, and Europe win that one as expected.
3UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (9)
1UP Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (8)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (6)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 3UP (6)
Europe could do with some good news after a few rocky moments. And they get it in spades on the par-three 6th, where Lindy Duncan finds the drink. Then in the following match, Linn Grant hits the shot of the day so far, an arrow over water and into the heart of the difficult, undulating green to ten feet. Jennifer Kupcho doesn’t have a response, carving her effort onto the bank to the right of the green, from where the ball pings into the water.
3UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (8)
Coughlin/Al. Lee A/S Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (7)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (6)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 2UP (5)
Charley Hull races the birdie putt four feet past. She’s had a bit of a shocker on this hole. Lottie Woad tidies up for par, but Nelly Korda isn’t missing her birdie chance, and that’s three holes in a row for the pairing that boasts a four-and-zero record in this format. A wee shame for Lottie Woad that her miraculous wedge from the heather didn’t get rewarded, but here we are.
3UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (8)
Coughlin/Al. Lee A/S Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (7)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (5)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 2UP (4)
Lottie Woad powers out of the heather. But it’s measured power, and measured almost to perfection. There’s a bunker between her awful lie and the pin, and she whips over it with inches to spare, her ball rolling out to eight feet. From where she was, that is miraculous. A birdie chance. However a not insignificant caveat: Allisen Corpuz splashes out from the greenside bunker on the other side to three feet. Some big putts coming up here.
The par-four 8th is drivable for the bigger hitters. Nelly Korda is certainly one of those, and she finds the bunker to the right of the green with her tee shot. Over to Charley Hull, but the pressure is beginning to take its toll on the European pair, and she hoicks her drive way left, into an outrageously thick clump of heather. This match is in danger of getting away from Europe in short order.
Allisen Corpuz and Nelly Korda are historically flawless in Solheim Cup foursomes. Four wins out of four. They’re beginning to show why, bouncing back from an early deficit to go two holes up now, thanks to Korda’s approach at 7 to four feet. Charley Hull tried her best to respond, knocking her approach to eight feet, but Lottie Woad raced her birdie effort past on the low side, and the USA are beginning to pick up a head of steam after a sluggish start.
2UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (7)
Coughlin/Al. Lee A/S Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (6)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (4)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 2UP (4)
From the dropzone on 6, Celine Boutier sends a wedge dancing around the flag. But Lauren Coughlin had found the centre of the green with her tee shot, and when Alison Lee nearly drains her birdie putt, the hole is America’s. Things beginning to move in Team USA’s direction now.
1UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (6)
Coughlin/Al. Lee A/S Koerstz Madsen/Boutier (6)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (4)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 2UP (4)
European travails on the par-threes. Esther Henseleit finds a bunker to the left of 4. Leona Maguire can’t splash out close, and Europe’s lead is cut in half. Meanwhile on 6, Nanna Koerstz Madsen mishits her tee shot woefully, duffing it into the water. That never looked like getting over the pond. The pressures of Solheim Cup golf writ large.
Lottie Woad can’t get close with her chip back up on 6. The ball picks up speed as it passes the hole and Charley Hull can’t make the one coming back from 15 feet. Allisen Corpuz wedges to kick-in range, and that’s the first splash of US red on the board. But it’s better news for Europe on 3, as Linn Grant sends a gentle fade into the green from a tricky spot atop some heather down the left. She sets up a six-footer for Maja Stark and Europe go two up in the morning anchor match.
1UP Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad (6)
Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier 1UP (5)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (3)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 2UP (3)
There’s a bit of a nip in the air and the wind is picking up. So the tee shot over water onto a severely sloping green at the par-three 6th is a testing one. Nelly Korda looks to have passed that test, landing in the middle of the green, but the slope takes her ball off down a swale back-left. Korda looks disgusted with the outcome. But it’s better than Charley Hull’s effort, which sails off in the same direction, but with a harsher bounce, and Lottie Woad will be left with an awkward chip back up from semi-rough and a downhill lie. This looks like a really fun hole.
Birdie for Linn Grant and Maja Stark on the par-five 2nd, and suddenly Europe are up in three of the four matches. A chance for more good news for the hosts on 4, but Celine Boutier leaves a straight 12-foot birdie chance a couple of turns short. The greens on the slow side at Bernardus.
Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (4)
Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier 1UP (4)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (2)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant 1UP (2)
Strike that about Europe having just a slight advantage. Celine Boutier and Leona Maguire roll a couple of mid-range birdie efforts confidently into the cup, at 3 and 2 respectively, and suddenly Europe enjoy more of a buffer. The hosts looking collectively confident early doors.
Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (4)
Coughlin/Al. Lee v Koerstz Madsen/Boutier 1UP (3)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 2UP (2)
Zhang/Kupcho A/S Stark/Grant (1)
Linn Grant and Jennifer Kupcho take turns to pop their wedges on 1 near the flag. The hole halved in birdie. Up on the first par-three, the 4th, neither Nelly Korda nor Charley Hull go particularly close with their tee shots, and that one’s halved in par. All the matches properly up and running now, Europe with a very slight advantage after the early exchanges.
Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (4)
Koerstz Madsen/Boutier A/S Coughlin/Al. Lee (2)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (1)
Zhang/Kupcho A/S Stark/Grant (1)
Lottie Woad sends her tee shot at 3 into heather down the left. Charley Hull does well to advance the ball to greenside, but Europe are out of position while the US are on the green in regulation. Allisen Corpuz has a 15-footer for birdie and the hole, but leaves it short, and Hull, having been left a tricky six-footer by Woad, tidies up for par and the half. That’s a big save.
Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (3)
Koerstz Madsen/Boutier A/S Coughlin/Al. Lee (2)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (1)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant
Andrea Lee gives her long birdie putt on 1 a good rap. It looks like it’s heading in, and she walks after it excitedly, but the ball pings off the pin and stays out. She grins nonetheless. But that’s cost the USA the hole, because Leona Maguire isn’t missing Europe’s birdie chance from a couple of feet.
Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (2)
Koerstz Madsen/Boutier A/S Coughlin/Al. Lee (1)
An. Lee/Duncan v Henseleit/Maguire 1UP (1)
Zhang/Kupcho v Stark/Grant
Lindy Duncan is one of two American rookies this week. The 35-year-old from Florida looks a wee bit nervous as she sends her approach at 1 a good 40 feet to the right of the pin. The British Open runner-up Esther Henseleit had put the pressure on by knocking Europe’s second close. Advantage Europe early doors, but can they convert? Meanwhile back on the tee, the final morning foursomes match emerges from the tunnel. Rose Zhang, Jennifer Kupcho, Linn Grant and Maja Stark the stars. No bespoke chorus of Baby Shark, because Dancing Queen is blaring from the speakers. Everyone having the time of their lives.
Europe do indeed escape from their travails on 1 with a half. Alison Lee leaves her birdie putt short, and Nanna Koertz Madsen tidies up. But the USA strike back on 2, Nelly Korda wedging close with her approach on the par five, and Lottie Woad can’t save the day with her 15-foot right-to-left putt. All square in the opening two matches.
Corpuz/Korda A/S Hull/Woad (2)
Koerstz Madsen/Boutier A/S Coughlin/Al. Lee (1)
Boutier makes up for her opening error by wedging Europe’s third delicately to a couple of feet. A chance for Europe to escape with a half. Meanwhile back on the tee, Andrea Lee, Lindy Duncan, Esther Henseleit and Leona Maguire turn up for work. Lee and Maguire take turns to send fairway finders down the track.
Koertz Madsen is right up against a tree, almost bent double. As she prepares to punch out, she clips a hanging branch with her practice backswing. A penalty? The match referee comes over and allays her fears. But she can only hack back out onto the fairway, and after Lauren Coughlin sends the USA’s second into the heart of the green, Europe are suddenly up against it on the opening hole.
Nanna Koertz Madsen and Celine Boutier join Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin on the 1st tee, and the second match is under way. Lee splits the 1st fairway with her opening drive, but Boutier hooks nervously into thick heather down the left. Trouble there. Koertz Madsen might not even have much of a swing, the ball sitting down, near a tree.
Corpuz goes close with her 20-foot birdie opportunity, but the ball sticks stubbornly on the lip. No shame in an opening par, but it’s not good enough for Team USA, because Woad calmly rolls in her putt, and what a way to announce yourself on your Solheim Cup debut! Farnham’s finest smiles warmly and saunters off in her trademark no-fuss style. Europe wasting no time at all!
Corpuz/Korda v Hull/Woad 1UP (1)
Korda and Corpuz have a perfect record in Solheim foursomes. Played four, won four. They’re not hanging about, as Korda eases the first approach shot of the week over the flag to 20 feet. Hull quickly follows, landing her iron pin high, a similar distance to the right of the flag. A couple of half-decent birdie chances there. Back on the tee, the strains of Club Tropicana by Wham! ripples out as Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin arrive for match two. A disclaimer: drinks at Bernardus are not free. Fun and sunshine a definite possibility, though.
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz are announced to the crowd. The starter can be barely heard over the chanting of the gallery. Then the noise doubles, triples as the European duo of Charley Hull and Lottie Woad are introduced. Corpuz takes the opening shot of the tournament: straight down the middle. Woad, making her Solheim Cup debut, sends a slightly nervous drive into the semi-rough down the left of the 364-yard par-four 1st. This is on.
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz arrive at the 1st tee. A lot of whooping and hollering. Nelly taking a few selfies with her phone as she emerges from the tunnel. Charley Hull and Lottie Woad follow soon after. More of the noise and bedlam. A party atmosphere in the stands. The 2026 Solheim Cup is about to happen!
A reminder of the format
For the benefit of folk who fancy following events at Bernardus this weekend but don’t always keep tabs on the greatest sport in the world, we usually cut and paste the following explainer. Hey, if it’s worth reading once, it’s worth reading a dozen times. Here we go …
The Solheim Cup is a matchplay event. Each match is worth a point. There are 28 points available over the three days, so the first team to get to 14.5 points will win the Cup. Should the scores be tied at 14 points apiece, the USA will retain the trophy as current holders.
Match-play explained for those dipping their toe into the murky world of golf for the first time: In common-or-garden championship golf, such as the Evian or the British Open, tournaments are scored using the stroke-play system. Whoever takes the fewest shots over all four rounds in a championship wins. All shots count and are added up for a cumulative total. So if, say, in next year’s Dinah Shore (Chevron Championship-speak for hipsters), Nelly Korda shoots 63-63-63-63 and Charley Hull shoots 87-87-87-87, Nelly will have taken 252 strokes, and beaten Charley by 96 shots. (Good luck if you bet large on this exact outcome.)
Anyway, in match play, each player or team wins a hole for every hole they better their opponents. So if Nelly takes five shots at the 1st, but Charley needs only three, Charley goes 1up. If Charley wins the next hole too, she’s 2up. If the pair share the same number of shots on the 3rd, the hole is halved, and Charley remains 2up. It doesn’t matter if Nelly took 13 shots on her way to losing the 2nd, by the way; a bit like the unwritten rule of visits to wallet-sewer-interface-venue Las Vegas, what happens on each hole stays on each hole. There is no knock-on effect.
So let’s say Hull wins the first nine holes of our make-believe match. With nine played, and nine remaining, she is 9up. Nelly can only tie at best; Hull can’t lose. This is known as dormie. (And more specifically, in this slightly ludicrous example, as dormie nine.) If Nelly wins the next nine, the game will end all square, and each team will get half a point to their overall total. But if Charley wins the 10th, she’s 10up with eight holes to play. She has won 10&8. If the 10th hole is halved, Charley would be 9up with eight to play. She’s won 9&8. Similarly Nelly can be said to have lost 9&8. Europe would add a point to their overall total. I’ve probably made this sound way more complicated than it needs to be, but there it is anyway.
There will be three types of match: foursomes (teams of two players use one ball, taking alternate shots); fourballs (teams of two players play a ball each and take the best score, known as the better ball); and singles (this is when it gets quite wild and everyone across two continents starts with the shallow breathing and chest clutching). And these matches are arranged in a schedule like this:
Today: four matches of morning foursomes; four matches of afternoon fourballs.
Tomorrow: four matches of morning foursomes; four matches of afternoon fourballs.
Sunday: 12 singles matches.
Preamble
The Solheim Cup has delivered in spades recently. Bronte Law leading the charge as Europe snatched victory from under the USA’s nose at Gleneagles; the Leona Maguire Show; ♫ Maja Stark, doo doo doo doo doo doooo, doo doo doo doo doo doooo, doo doo doo doo doo doooo, MA-JA STARK! ♪♫; Lilia Vu’s birdie-birdie finish to hold off an unexpected European comeback and finally reclaim the cup for America. Any repeat of any of the above … yes please, we’ll take it!
… and this year’s tournament is off to a flyer, with Europe’s two biggest draws facing the world number one and a former US Open champion in the opening foursomes. This promises to be epic. It’s early, so make yourself a strong cup of tea and strap in, because … it’s on!
6.40am (BST): Allisen Corpuz and Nelly Korda v Charley Hull and Lottie Woad
6.52am: Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin v Nanna Koertz Madsen and Celine Boutier
7.04am: Andrea Lee and Lindy Duncan v Esther Henseleit and Leona Maguire
7.26am: Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho v Maja Stark and Linn Grant
