Wednesday, October 14Global edition

Europe reclaim Solheim Cup as Ciganda seals it for the second time

Europe beat the United States 15–13 at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands, with Carlota Ciganda delivering the decisive point in Sunday's singles — as she did in 2023. Charley Hull and Lottie Woad also won their matches after a quiet start to the week.
European players celebrate winning the Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels
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Europe reclaimed the Solheim Cup with a 15–13 victory over the United States at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands, as Carlota Ciganda secured the point that settled a closely balanced contest in the Sunday singles.

The biennial women’s golf championship had reached its final day level at 8–8 after two days of team matches. Europe needed 14½ points to win the trophy, while the USA required 14 points to retain it following the previous competition.

Anna Nordqvist’s European side found its edge in the singles, a format in which Europe have remained unbeaten since their last home defeat in 2015. Ciganda’s result completed the required tally and returned the trophy to Europe.

It was the second time Ciganda had claimed the decisive point in the competition, having also done so in 2023. She became the second player to achieve that distinction twice. Catriona Matthew secured Europe’s winning point in both 2003 and 2013.

Charley Hull gave Europe an important singles win, beating Megan Khang 3&2. Lottie Woad also won, defeating Auston Kim 2&1. Hull and Woad, both ranked among the top 10 players in the world, had collected only half a point between them across the first two days.

Europe’s other singles winners were Grant, Nadaud, Madsen and Lopez Ramirez, alongside Woad, Hull and Ciganda. The USA’s singles winners were Alison Lee, Korda, Coughlin, Stark and Zhang.

The two teams had shared the earlier formats evenly. Europe won the Foursomes 3–1, before Angela Stanford’s USA team responded with a 3–1 victory in the Fourballs. That left the contest poised for the individual matches, where Europe turned a level score into a two-point final margin.

The result gave Nordqvist a winning start as Europe’s captain and ended the USA’s hold on the trophy. Ciganda’s decisive contribution brought a dramatic close to the 20th edition of a contest that remained finely balanced until the singles were under way.

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Jesse CortésSports

Jesse Cortés writes long-form on sport and the people inside it, finding the human story behind the result. Patient, atmospheric, and drawn to what happens when the cameras leave.

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