The Solheim Cup returns to Europe this week, and the last three times it did, the trophy was decided by the narrowest of margins. Recent history suggests this week’s contest will be another epic clash, following Great Britain and Ireland’s dramatic Walker Cup victory over the United States last Sunday.
The past three matches staged on European soil have all come down to a single point or fewer. That run includes a dramatic 14-14 tie in Spain three years ago, a one-point European win at Gleneagles in 2019, and a one-point American comeback victory in Germany in 2015. The home team and the US are tied on aggregate at 42 points apiece across those matches.
“I think it just shows how important each game is,” said British number one Lottie Woad, who makes her Solheim Cup debut for Europe this week. “Even if you’re a couple down early, you can get it back and even just getting a half point could be vital. So I think you’ve just got to have that mentality that any half point or point helps.”
The three-day contest starts on Friday with four foursomes matches, followed by four fourball matches, with that format repeated on Saturday before 12 singles matches on Sunday.
Walker Cup drama sets the tone
The stage was set last Sunday at Lahinch, where Great Britain and Ireland beat the United States in the Walker Cup with the last putt of the match. That extraordinary climax evoked memories of the recent Solheim Cups held in Europe, and the players expect similar tension this week.
Woad’s compatriot and potential partner Charley Hull believes playing at home adds an extra layer of difficulty. “We get big crowds in both places, but obviously, it’s a little more pressure over here when it’s a home Solheim Cup,” she said. “You’ve just got to deal with it, just stay focused, and be in the zone.”
The crowds will be a factor from the very first tee shot. Players prepare for packed grandstands around three sides of the opening tee, though the real drama is expected down the closing stretch of holes on Sunday’s singles matches.
“Obviously it’s elevated,” said Maja Stark, the 2025 US Open winner. “But you’re still just playing golf and you’re trying to do your best and you’re trying to beat one person. There’s not much more you can do. You can’t rely on team-mates on Sunday afternoon. You have got to go back and remember what’s important for me now.”
Four rookies join Europe’s lineup
Woad is one of four debutants in the European team, joined by fellow Englishwoman Mimi Rhodes, France’s Nastasia Nadaud and Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez. European captain Anna Nordqvist is eager to see how they handle the occasion.
“I can’t wait for them to tee it up,” said Nordqvist. “It’s always easy to try to describe to the rookies what it’s like playing in the Solheim, but it’s something that you need to experience. And you have to get your own feel for it. But I can’t wait for them to feel what it’s like stepping up on that first tee.”
The rookies will be thrown straight into the deep end. The schedule runs across three days, with the format designed to test partnerships before the individual showdown on Sunday.
| Day | Format |
|---|---|
| Friday | 4 foursomes, then 4 fourball |
| Saturday | 4 foursomes, then 4 fourball |
| Sunday | 12 singles |
Individual form counts for little
American captain Angela Stanford is confident her team can handle the unique pressure of the event. “I think they’re very mentally tough,” she said. “They don’t let things bother them. They let things kind of roll off their back if something doesn’t go the way they planned and they seem really focused.”
That confidence is notable because none of the 24 players arrive with stellar individual form. Not even Nelly Korda, the world number one who won her fourth title of the year at the US Women’s Open in June. Korda has managed only two top-10s since that major triumph and finished in a share of 50th place at the recent FM Championship.
Since Korda’s US Open victory, no Solheim Cup player has won an LPGA event. For Europe, only Celine Boutier and Woad have claimed titles this season, while American Lauren Coughlin is the sole other tour winner on show in 2026.
That backdrop will be forgotten once head-to-head matchplay begins. As the Walker Cup showed, the team environment lifts play to a different level.
“You can lose or win any match regardless of rankings or how you’re playing at the moment,” said Linn Grant, Stark’s Swedish compatriot who has missed the cut in five of her past six events. “When everyone shows up on Friday, you’re just going to bring your best game. It’s so different playing matchplay in this setting. It’s kind of like just everyone’s best game just shows up normally which makes it a lot more fun to play as well.”
Bernardus offers matchplay tests
The match is being played at Bernardus Golf near Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, a course that hosted the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour from 2021 to 2023. It has a Surrey heathland feel, with certain areas playing like a seaside links.
That fast-running character has been compromised by storms that lashed the layout on Wednesday, which could change how the course plays over the three days. Stark thinks the design suits matchplay well.
“I think it’s a great course for matchplay,” she said. “There are a lot of bunkers that you don’t really want to be in. You can have a lot of really long irons into par-four holes as well.”
A hole built for drama
The par threes are likely to generate plenty of drama, especially the 15th where matches will reach a crucial stage. Bernardus club professional Roel Verdonschot singled it out as the hole built for tension.
“It is my favourite hole both visually and strategically,” said Verdonschot. “It is built for drama. Players must decide whether to take the risk and attack the pin for a short birdie opportunity or play towards the middle of the green and accept a longer putt. The tee is sheltered, so the wind can be difficult to feel, even though it is still influencing the shot.”
| Hole | Length | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| 15th (par 3) | Not stated | Sheltered tee, tricky wind, risk-reward pin |
| 18th (par 4) | 389 yards | Water left of tee, bunkers in play |
The 18th could decide the trophy
Any match that goes the distance will involve an exceptionally tough 389-yard par-four closing hole. There is water from the left of the tee, while bunkers await players.
The combination of a demanding finish and the narrow margins of recent European Solheim Cups points to another tight contest. The past three matches in Europe have had no more than a point in them, and the aggregate score across those contests is dead level.
The players know what is at stake. Every half point could matter, as Woad noted, and the team that handles the closing stretch best will likely take the trophy.
“It’s always easy to try to describe to the rookies what it’s like playing in the Solheim,” said Nordqvist, “but it’s something that you need to experience.”
The experience begins Friday.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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