Lilia Vu made a two-foot birdie putt on the final hole, and the United States won the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017, beating Europe on a tense Sunday of singles matches at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
Megan Khang, Rose Zhang and Allisen Corpuz moved the U.S. to the brink of victory with blowout wins, and the Americans got just enough from the back half of their lineup to prevent Europe from capturing the cup for a record fourth straight time.
The final score: United States 15 1/2, Europe 12 1/2, the biggest margin since the Americans won by five points seven years ago in Iowa.
Europe fell behind 6-2 on the first day and trailed 10-6 entering singles. Captain Suzann Pettersen said her team needed a “miracle,” and while that never appeared likely, the Europeans kept it interesting, denying the Americans the clinching point on the 18th hole in three straight matches.
It finally ended when Vu stuffed a wedge in close at the par-4 18th and Albane Valenzuela came up short on her long birdie putt. Valenzuela did not concede Vu’s birdie, giving the American the chance to savor the tap-in that tied their match and gave the Americans the 14 1/2 points they needed.
The U.S. improved its overall record to 11-7-1 in the competition that began in 1990 with financial backing from Ping golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim and his wife, Louise.
The win was validation for the steady, data-driven approach of U.S. captain Stacy Lewis, who made “Unfinished Business” her team’s motto for this year after Europe retained the cup last year with a 14-14 draw in Spain.
Lewis got standout performances from top-ranked Nelly Korda, 21-year-old Zhang, 31-year-old rookie Lauren Coughlin and veteran spark plug Khang.
Zhang, the best putter on either team this week, breezed past Carlota Ciganda 6 and 4. She became the first player in Solheim history to go 4-0 or better and never reach the 17th hole. She won 28 holes and lost eight for the week.
“I just feel like the Solheim Cup reignited my passion for the game,” Zhang said. “We’ve been having so much fun, not only off the golf course but even on it. It’s just been an incredible ride.”
Source Agencies
