Team Europe surged out of the gate in Sunday singles at the Solheim Cup, taking early control of the final day as it chased 14 1/2 points and the crystal trophy at Bernardus Golf. All 12 matches were in play, but the opening stretch already tilted Europe’s way in wet, windy-looking conditions after heavy rain met players and fans on arrival.
That made Charley Hull’s start especially important. She won the first hole against Megan Khang and later stretched the lead to 2 up with a birdie at No. 10, a sharp answer from a player who had managed only a half-point from her first four matches over the first two days. Europe needed the fast start because the United States entered singles needing 14 points to keep the trophy it has held since 2024, while Europe needed 14 1/2 to take it outright.
The tie after two days made the math simple and unforgiving. The teams were level at 8-8, meaning every singles point mattered and every half-point could swing the trophy. It was also the seventh time the Solheim Cup had been tied after two days, and the record in those situations has not given either side much certainty: the home team had gone 5-0-1 on the six previous occasions, while the singles session itself had been tied three times in the past five editions.
Europe’s early charge was visible beyond Hull. Esther Henseleit and Linn Grant reached the back nine with big leads, and by the time Rose Zhang and Celine Boutier teed off in the final pairing at 1:22 p.m. local time, or 7:22 a.m. EDT, the rain had eased. Still, the Americans had not gone away. Nelly Korda was 3 up on European rookie Mimi Rhodes after nine holes in the fourth match, and Lauren Coughlin was the only other American leading, over Leona Maguire in Match 9.
That split picture is what made the afternoon so compelling: Europe had the momentum, but the United States still had enough red on the board to keep the outcome from turning cleanly one way. The front nine had favored Team Europe through the first wave of singles, yet the back half of the lineup could still decide whether those fast starts became a trophy-winning surge or just the first turn in a long final round.
