The highly anticipated Solheim Cup has officially begun, and what a day it was. For the first time in the Solheim Cup’s 24-year history, the first day ended in a tie, 4-4.
Despite the fact the teams are essentially starting with a clean slate tomorrow, there were plenty of highlights and lowlights that kept Friday’s Foursomes and Fourball matches interesting.
To start, the first tee this morning and afternoon was a party. Specifically, a fiesta for Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Julia Lopez Ramirez. With a little encouragement from Team USA’s Megan Khang and Angel Yin, all the European players sitting out of the Foursomes matches this morning were dancing on the first tee.
They even joined the European fans in their chants and claps, laughing when they heard the songs invented for them. Some of our favorites include the following:
- “Maja Stark doo doo do doo” (in beat with the “Baby Shark” song – apologies for getting that stuck in your head)
- “Mimi Rhodes, take me home to the place, I belong” (like John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”)
- “Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me, and after all, you’re Charley Hull” (from “Wonderwall”)
- And some completely made-up songs, like Lopez Ramirez’s about being from Malaga and “getting points on ya.”
The European fans showed up prepared. Regretfully, the American fans did not. While their chants improved slightly by the afternoon session, the best we heard was “Yealimi Noh…yes!”. We’ll give the Americans some credit for dressing up in red, white and blue, but the Europeans outshone them in that respect as well. Check out our Instagram stories and “Solheim Cup 2026” Highlights for the best outfits of the day.
Speaking of outfits, Team USA wore pins on their hats and collars in remembrance of all those we lost on 9/11.
Friday Foursomes Recap at the 2026 Solheim Cup
One of the reasons the first tee was so hyped up this morning was that we’d see Nelly Korda face off against Charley Hull after Hull defeated Korda 6&4 in Singles two years ago. Korda was paired with Allisen Corpuz once again, and they retained their undefeated status as a Foursomes pair. Sitting at 5-0-0, they are the first duo to ever hit that mark in Solheim Cup history.
Korda and Corpuz actually began the morning 1 Down, with rookie Lottie Woad sinking a birdie putt on her first hole; it ended up being one of many incredible made to keep her and Hull afloat. However, those putts didn’t save Team Europe and they ultimately lost, 4&3.
In the second match, we saw a similar story where Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin were 1 down after the third hole but went on to beat Nanna Koerstz Madse and Celine Boutier 3&2. Some water balls off the tee hurt Team Europe in this match, allowing Coughlin’s match play record at the Solheim Cup to remain undefeated.
The second two matches show a lot of European blue on the board. Esther Henseleit and Leona Maguire took an early lead – 2 UP through 2 – against Andrea Lee and rookie Lindy Duncan. Despite a couple holes won back here and there, Team USA struggled to overcome the initial deficit and lost 2 Down. They had a chance after winning the 16th hole to go 1 Down, but a bogey on the 18th hole led to a European match point.
In the final match of the morning, veteran anchors Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang went up against the Swedes, Maja Stark and Linn Grant. The Swedes quickly took control of the match, going 4 UP in 7 holes – much to the pleasure of the crowds based on the cheers heard around Bernardus. Team USA found some momentum on the back nine, but water balls on holes 15 and 16 led to their final demise. Team Europe won 3&2.
After the morning session ended, Team USA and Team Europe were tied, 2-2.
Friday Fourball Recap at the 2026 Solheim Cup
After a quick lunch, the players were back on the first tee – either to play or dance, chant and cheer. While two rookies played in the morning (with Woad taking the adrenaline-pumping first tee shot), four rookies played this afternoon – five if you include Woad playing again.
Hull and Woad kept their pairing in the first match, though they went off against Team USA’s Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin. Yin and Captain Angela Stanford have been saying all week she’ll play, and play she did. After going 1 UP on the first hole, Team USA lost their steam for a few holes before battling back. A final birdie on the 17th hole allowed them to even the score before heading to the 18th tee, and they ultimately halved the point with a tie.
The second match started with a lot of noise, just like Khang likes it. She was the only player today to tell the crowd to get louder during her tee shot. The rest of the tee shots from the day seem eerily quiet now. While a couple birdies from Boutier and Madsen kept Khang and Alison Lee down for a few holes, a couple birdies and eagle on Hole 6 changed the momentum. Team USA won five holes on the back to win, 5&3.
Three rookies teed off in the third match, led by veteran Corpuz with a birdie on the first hole to give Team USA an advantage. However, France’s Nastasia Nadaud answered with a birdie of her own on the second hole, and that pattern remained for the rest of the nine; Auston Kim of Team USA and Rhodes of England also made birdies before heading to the back. That was when Rhodes took off, getting Team Europe to 3 UP through 14 before Kim answered with yet another birdie on a par 3. After tying the next two holes, Team Europe won, 2&1.
The final match of the day between Korda and Coughlin and Carlota Ciganda and Lopez Ramirez was the opposite of Korda’s morning match. First off, Ciganda and Lopez Ramirez playing together is so much fun. You can tell they’re having a great time out there and that they have a special bond. Between their dance moves and encouraging fist bumps after almost every putt, it’s no surprise Captain Anna Nordqvist paired them together.
The duos matched birdies and pars before Team USA birdied Hole 5 to go 1 UP. Two birdies from Ciganda and another from Lopez Ramirez quickly took the match in a European direction, but Coughlin kicked into gear on the back nine with two birdies and par to bring Team USA to 1 UP, which lasted through Hole 15. However, another birdie from Ciganda on the 16th brought the match to all square again, which is how it would end on the 18th hole – Ciganda sinking a 15-foot putt to tie the match. Coughlin’s spotless match play record now has a 1 at the end of it from today’s tie.
Once again, the afternoon session split the points evenly, 2-2, bringing the total to 4-4.
While the winning team needs 14.5 points to secure the cup – and these four points are absolutely necessary in that race – Team Europe and Team USA are back to square one tomorrow in that they’ll be looking for an advantage heading into the Singles matches on Sunday.
Our pairings are updated with matches, tee times and results as the day goes on. Be sure to check them out, as well as how and when to watch the 2026 Solheim Cup at home. We’ll see some familiar pairings tomorrow, so let’s see if the results change!
