Solheim Cup: History suggests Europe v US will be another thriller at Bernardus Golf Club – BBC Sport
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Why we should expect another Solheim Cup thriller
Image: Getty Images
Image caption: Charley Hull, who was the youngest Solheim Cup player aged 17 in 2013, is making her eighth appearance for Europe.
By Iain Carter, Golf correspondent
Published 24 minutes ago
Recent history suggests this week’s Solheim Cup will be another epic clash…
…to follow hot on the heels of Great Britain and Ireland’s dramatic victory over the United States in the Walker Cup. The extraordinary climax at Lahinch last Sunday, where GB&I won with the last putt of the match, evoked memories of the past three Solheim Cups staged in Europe.
- Three years ago in Spain, the contest ended in a dramatic 14-14 tie to allow a delirious European team to hold on to the trophy, having initially wrestled it from American hands with a single-point victory at Gleneagles in 2019.
Then it was Suzann Pettersen’s gut wrenching and ultimately successful putt on the final green at the Scottish course that decided the outcome. And the previous Solheim Cup held on continental soil was a 2015 single point away win that capped an astonishing comeback by the United States in Germany.
So, the past three matches in Europe have had no more than a point in them, and the home team and the US are tied on aggregate at 42 points apiece.
"I think it just shows how important each game is," said British number one Lottie Woad, who makes her debut for Europe this week. "Even if you’re a couple down early, you can get it back… So I think you’ve just got to have that mentality that any half point or point helps."
Woad’s compatriot and potential partner Charley Hull believes it can be tougher playing at home. "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."
Europe’s quartet of debutants includes Lottie Woad, fellow Englishwoman Mimi Rhodes, France’s Nastasia Nadaud, and the big-hitting Spaniard Julia Lopez Ramirez.
"I can’t wait for them to tee it up," said European captain Anna 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."
Players prepare for the intimidation of packed crowds in a huge grandstand around three sides of the opening tee, but of more significance will be the play as matches reach their climax down the closing stretch of holes. And that will be amplified further if it is again close in the closing singles matches on Sunday.
"Obviously it’s elevated," said 2025 US Open winner Maja Stark. "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."
