USA clinch first Solheim Cup victory in 7 years!

Lilia Vu clinched the crucial half-point America needed to win the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017.

The two-time major champion tapped home on the 18th at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club to halve with Albane Valenzuela and take Team USA to the 14.5-point threshold.

Team Europe, captained by Suzann Pettersen, retained the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Spain with a 14-14 draw in 2023. The continent had been bidding for a streak of four consecutive unbeaten Solheim Cups before Stacy Lewis’ side turned the tide in Virginia.

The Americans won both sessions 3-1 on Friday to hold a 6-2 lead ahead of the second day’s play. The Saturday foursomes was a draw, and so was the Saturday fourball session, creating the 10-6 scoreline in the USA’s favour.

The USA edged towards the magic 14.5-point mark with wins from Megan Khang, Allisen Corpuz and Rose Zhang. Charley Hull, Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire led the fightback on what gradually became a tense afternoon where although the United States reached 14 points with three matches left on the course, the final showdowns were nip-and-tuck.

Having been two down with two holes to play, Vu birdied 17 and 18 to flip the match on its head at a crucial stage of the afternoon in Gainesville. Minutes before, Maja Stark holed a gutsy, long putt for par to tie her match with Lauren Coughlin to secure a half and keep the match alive.

Read below for all of the key takeaways from the final day.

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Solheim Cup 2024 Day Three

How it went down in the Sunday singles

What did the captains say?

Stacy Lewis

“This is so cool. (It’s) so stressful to watch, it’s awful watching but just so proud of the players, it’s amazing how these things come down to half a point here and there.

“Fortunately, this time we were on the right side of it – it really could’ve gone either way. It’s crazy there at the end, how it all unfolded. I was just hoping and praying it went our way. I’m proud of the team and Lilia’s finish there was unbelievable and that’s what you expect from one of the best players in the world.”

Suzann Pettersen

“We gave them a run for their money. I don’t think anyone expected us to be here at 2.30 pm and still have a chance. It’s hard to believe that we actually had a chance but that poor of a start just gave them a headstart.

“But I had fun today, it’s always exciting on a Sunday. There were possibilities out there and several times, we thought we could get it done, and it came down to a couple of matches. I’m happy for Stacy obviously, on home turf.

“But we’ll come back hungry.”

The swing matches were crucial

The first five matches of the Sunday singles were won convincingly. Charley Hull beat Nelly Korda 6&4, Megan Khang beat Emily Pedersen 6&5, Georgia Hall beat Alison Lee 4&3, Allisen Corpuz beat Anna Nordqvist 4&3 and Rose Zhang beat Carlota Ciganda 6&4.

But the next five were incredibly close. Three of them were tied, the third tie was Lilia Vu’s winning half-point. Esther Henseleit halved with Andrea Lee and Maja Stark salvaged a half against Lauren Coughlin.

After a week and a day that featured many dominant victories, the Solheim Cup in 2024 was essentially decided by a five-match spell where all of them went down the 18th hole.

Celine silences Lexi Thompson’s final Solheim hurrah

Celine Boutier essentially had the whole tournament in her hands when over a five-foot putt for the win on the 18th hole against Lexi Thompson.

Earlier this year, Thompson revealed she’d retire at the end of the 2024 season. She made her seventh consecutive appearance for Team USA this week and she won her Saturday foursomes match playing alongside a superb rookie in Lauren Coughlin.

Boutier had other plans on Sunday and despite the Americans taking the trophy, she prevented Thompson from kissing goodbye to the Solheim Cup with one last singles win. She won 1 up having been three down with seven to play.

Lilia Vu gets the winning points for Team USA!

Lilia Vu lost two of her three matches heading into the Sunday singles of the Solheim Cup, but she clinched the half-point that took Stacy Lewis’ side to the 14.5 mark needed to take the trophy from European hands.

She lost in both sessions on Saturday and she looked beaten by European rookie Valenzuela having been two down with as many holes left. Vu sublimely finished with a duo of birdies to show her quality, capping off a season in which she won once on the LPGA Tour.

Khang was sublime

What a phenomenal week it has been for Megan Khang. She needn’t have practised the last three holes at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club; she didn’t see them across the three days.

After tasting victory in both of her fourball matches on Friday and Saturday, Khang dominated Emily Pedersen on Sunday to win 6&5. She made four birdies and an eagle to take her singles point on what was her fourth Solheim Cup appearance for Team USA.

Charley Hull’s leadership performance

Charley Hull produced a stunning performance in the first singles match out on Sunday against World No.1 and the women’s game’s dominant force in Nelly Korda.

The Englishwoman put away her American opponent 6&4 and continued her superb form from Saturday, where she won both of her matches in the foursomes and fourballs.

Solheim Cup 2024 Day Two

Europe need a Medinah Miracle-esque Sunday

At 10-6, hope may have dwindled, but it’s not yet lost. The European Ryder Cup team were in the same scenario late on Friday in September 2012, as the Solheim Cup team is in 2024.

Both trailed the Americans 10-4 and crucially won the final two Saturday fourball points. We’re all familiar with what the Ryder Cup side then achieved on Sunday.

However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves too much. Medinah is referred to as a miracle for a reason. Europe retaining the Solheim Cup tomorrow will certainly replicate that feeling.

In the history of the Solheim Cup, a lead of four has only ever been overcome once. That was back in 2015, when the US won the Sunday Singles 8½-3½ to win the Solheim Cup, despite being 10-6 down going into the final day.

It would be history for Team Europe if they were to win, but they do say history is there to be written.

When your luck’s in, its in

Although the US Team have been simply superb at times over the first two days, they have had their over the first two days. This was highlighted, rather sensationally, on the 11th hole during Saturday’s fourballs.

Meghan Khang saw her putt to half the hole teeter agonisingly on the edge of the hole, only for it drop in theatrically.

The ball dropping in was met by massive celebrations by the US duo and supporters around the green. Equally, it was a real slap in the face for Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom who thought they had reduced the Americans’ lead to just 1up after being 3down.

To rub the salt into the European’s wounds, the ball dropped in on the 10-second mark. Typical, seeing as the ruling allows for ten seconds only after the ball has stopped rolling, for it to count when it drops.

History Makers, Korda and Corpuz!

The world number one has looked every bit of the golfer her ranking suggests. Nelly Korda has won all three of her matches so far this week, but that’s not even the most impressive part.

Alongside her partner, Allisen Corpuz, the American duo have become the first pairing in Solheim Cup history to win four consecutive foursomes matches. The already iconic pair secured their names in the history books after defeating Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen 1up.

Coming into this week in Virginia, Korda and Corpuz’s winning streak was tied with two other duos. Both, illustrious European Team pairs; Laura Davies & Alison Nichols (three straight wins, 1990-1994) and Annika Sorenstam & Carin Koch (three straight wins, 2002-2003).

Red, Red, Red

The start of the afternoon fourballs on Saturday saw the Americans start strongly. Team USA took early leads in the first three matches.

Just ten (accumulative) holes into the session, the Americans had won five of those, with two groups going 2up through two holes.

There was one moment of magic from Alison Lee, which also led to some wild celebrations, ones we don’t think we’ve seen at the Solheim before.

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Missing Maguire…

One of the stories of the second day was that Leona Maguire sat out for the entirety of Saturday’s play.

Prior to the start of this edition of the tournament, the Irishwoman had played in every match possible at the Solheim Cup – 10 from 10 in her two appearances.

Also missing on Saturday was rookie Albane Valenzuela, with the Swiss player going into Sunday’s Singles having played just the one match, and that came on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, for the second day running, all 12 players on the American team featured in at least one match, with the four members who missed out on Saturday morning being paired together in the first two fourballs in the afternoon.

Thin to Win?

Who needs the centre of the clubface? Allisen Corpuz certainly doesn’t…

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Not only would this shot find the green, but World No.1 Nelly Korda would then sink the putt for eagle as the Americans took the lead in the opening match for the first time.

The pair would go on to win their match to help the Americans to another good session in this Solheim Cup.

Americans Thwart Europe’s Fast Start

Early on Saturday, it looked like captain Suzann Pettersen’s words had helped her European team, as they led in three of the four foursomes matches at the halfway stage.

The only American pairing to be leading were Lexi Thompson and Lauren Coughlin, and they went on to succeed. They were joined by Korda and Corpuz, who fought from 2 down to win on the 18th hole.

From what looked like it could be a European whitewash at one point, the Americans actually maintained their lead thanks to a 2-2 result in the foursomes session.

Nordqvist’s Incredible Nine

Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist started the day in the exact same form as she ended yesterday.

Thanks to winning the first three holes of her foursomes match on Saturday morning alongside Celine Boutier, Nordqvist took her tally to winning nine consecutive holes at this year’s Solheim Cup.

She had won the last six holes of her fourball match on Friday afternoon alongside compatriot Madelene Sagstrom, in the only successful match for the Europeans.

Stands Full From The Off

We are all well aware of the issues that surrounded the opening day in Virginia, with plenty of fans left stranded waiting for shuttle buses. The same then happened on Friday evening as fans tried to get off the property.

Fortunately, that seemed to have been sorted on Saturday morning, as the first tee was bouncing ahead of the third session of play.

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Solheim Cup 2024 Day One

All the key moments will appear here as and when they happen…

Nearly every match was conclusive

Team USA won the first day 6-2 and of the eight matches on Friday, only one match reached the 18th hole at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Only one match went past the 16th hole, which further exemplifies how convincing each victory was, particularly on the US side.

In the afternoon, Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom beat Alison Lee and Lexi Thompson 6&5. There was another 6&4 victory and a 5&4 too in the Friday fourballs. Only one match went past the 14th hole in the Friday fourballs.

The US rookies were fantastic

Lauren Coughlin won the CPKC Women’s Open and the Scottish Open in quick succession this summer, so she was a rookie by name in this Solheim Cup for Team USA, but not by nature.

Coughlin won alongside Rose Zhang 3&2 in the morning foursomes and then with fellow rookie Sarah Schelmzel, she won convincingly in the afternoon fourballs against Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark.

Schmelzel also won the match in the morning foursomes with two-time major champion Lilia Vu. When your rookies are delivering maximum points, you know it will be a good day.

More Solheim struggles for Charley Hull

Charley Hull is one of the best and most popular players in the world, but her recent record in the Solheim Cup isn’t that impressive.

The Englishwoman lost twice alongside Esther Henseleit and Linn Grant on day one of the 2024 matches, meaning she has only won three of her last nine matches at the event for Team Europe.

Hull has been a stalwart and a huge part of Team Europe’s sustained success in recent years, but she is yet to positively add to her record at the match play tournament on what is her seventh appearance.

Has Team USA got the hang of foursomes?

Although Team USA could only muster a draw at the 2023 Solheim Cup, they came bursting out of the blocks in the first session in Spain by winning 4-0 in the morning foursomes. Stacy Lewis’ side was dominant again this time around in the event’s opening session, winning 3-1.

In fact, the Americans have only lost one foursomes session in the Solheim Cup since day two of the 2017 matches, the last year the Stars and Stripes actually took the trophy home.

A former President of the USA turned up

Team USA and their fans were pleasantly surprised by the appearance of former US President Barack Obama halfway through the day.

Nelly Korda shines again on day one

It was no secret that Nelly Korda was Team USA’s best player heading into this Solheim Cup, but she rubberstamped this title with two superb performances in the foursomes and the fourballs.

Korda and Allisen Corpuz beat Charley Hull and Esther Henseliet in the first match of the event to set the tone for the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Korda formed a great partnership with Megan Khang in the afternoon. The World No.1 made two eagles on the back nine, plus three birdies on the front nine to make it virtually impossible for Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire to win the match.

On her fourth Solheim Cup appearance, Korda currently has a 9-4-1 record, winning the vast majority of matches to this point.

Team USA take the initiative in foursomes

Team USA secured the first two points of the day in the finest two matches very convincingly. Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz beat Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit 3&2, and Rose Zhang and Lauren Coughlin inflicted the same scoreline on Albane Valenzuela and Celine Boutier.

In 2023, Team USA won the first session 4-0 in Spain. They led 3-1 on Friday after the foursomes session.

Keep up with the Solheim Cup scores here.

Ciganda caught up in slow play trouble again

While the morning session flip-flopped quite a bit, a mixture of red and blue kept unpredictably flickering on the four-match scoreboard.

What was very much predictable was Carlota Ciganda’s group being placed on the clock in Virginia. At last year’s Evian Championship, the Spaniard was given a two-shot penalty for slow play, but she didn’t add this penalty to her score and in effect, voluntarily disqualified herself.

Ciganda earned the winning point for Europe at the 2023 Solheim Cup in front of her home crowd in the Sunday singles, playing against Nelly Korda.

Transport chaos ruins the day for many fans

Unfortunately, a cloud darkened the start of the Solheim Cup and this was down to the widely reported issues with coaches transporting fans to the golf course, or lack of them.

X (formerly Twitter) was this afternoon littered with posts about families and young golfers queuing for 90 minutes without a coach in sight, which explained why there were several empty seats in the 1st tee grandstand.

There were reports of thousands of fans in line with no prospect of getting on a shuttle to Robert Trent Jones Golf Club any time soon. Several clips of people wondering and waiting were posted on X while the action was taking place on the golf course.

Alan Fisher of Al Jazeera posted that people were leaving the queue because of concerns the same chaos could happen later when coming home from the Solheim Cup.

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