A dominant Hull upset of world No.1 Nelly Korda sparked a European fightback for the ages but it wasn’t quite enough. Here’s how the USA ended a seven-year wait for the Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones.

Team USA opened strongly on home soil, taking the Friday foursomes session 3-1 and closing out day one with a 6-2 lead. Not every match went the hosts’ way, though. Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark held off Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho 2 up to give Europe a point on the board, a foursomes battle that stayed close throughout

Saturday: honours shared, gap unchanged

Both Saturday sessions finished tied 2-2, leaving the overall score unmoved at 10-6 to the USA heading into the final day. Europe’s afternoon included a strong comeback of their own. Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen fought back from an early deficit to beat Ally Ewing and Lexi Thompson 2&1 in the fourballs, level by the 7th and closing the match out with a long putt on the 15th.

Hull stuns Korda to open Sunday

Needing 8.5 points from a possible 12 on offer, Europe’s day began with a statement. Charley Hull was sent out first against world No.1 Nelly Korda and delivered her biggest Solheim Cup win to date, taking control with three straight holes from 6-8 and closing it out 6&4- Korda’s heaviest defeat in Solheim Cup history. Georgia Hall followed with a 4&3 win over Alison Lee, and for a spell the fightback looked very real.

The fightback, and where it stalled

Europe went on to win five singles matches and halve three more, but the USA’s depth told. Wins for Megan Khang, Rose Zhang and Allisen Corpuz kept the hosts moving toward the total they needed, while further European points from Celine Boutier, Leona Maguire and Madelene Sagstrom narrowed the gap without closing it.

Lilia Vu closes it out

It was Lilia Vu who ultimately settled the match, her half point against Albane Valenzuela — sealed with a birdie on the 18th — enough to take the USA over the 14½ points needed. The final score finished 15.5-12.5, a first US Solheim Cup win since 2017.

Full Sunday singles results:

• Charley Hull (Europe) def. Nelly Korda (USA), 6&4
• Megan Khang (USA) def. Emily Pedersen (Europe), 6&5
• Georgia Hall (Europe) def. Alison Lee (USA), 4&3
• Rose Zhang (USA) def. Carlota Ciganda (Europe), 6&4
• Allisen Corpuz (USA) def. Anna Nordqvist (Europe), 4&3
• Andrea Lee (USA) halved with Esther Henseleit (Europe)
• Celine Boutier (Europe) def. Lexi Thompson (USA), 1up
• Leona Maguire (Europe) def. Ally Ewing (USA), 4&3
• Lauren Coughlin (USA) halved with Maja Stark (Europe)
• Lilia Vu (USA) def. Albane Valenzuela (Europe), 1up
• Jennifer Kupcho (USA) def. Linn Grant (Europe), 2&1
• Madelene Sagstrom (Europe) def. Sarah Schmelzel (USA), 1up

What it means heading into Bernardus

The USA arrive in the Netherlands defending the trophy for the first time since 2017, with a tie enough to retain it under Solheim Cup rules. For Europe, Hull’s win over Korda remains one of the standout individual performances of recent Cups.

Keep up to date with all the new from the Solheim Cup