In short
- Europe and the United States are tied 4-4 after the opening day of the 20th Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands.
- Carlota Ciganda, 36, holed a 15-foot putt on the last green to earn Europe a half point in the final fourball match of Friday’s play.
- Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz beat Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 4&3 in the foursomes, their fifth successive foursomes win across the past three editions.
- The United States are the holders after a 15½-12½ win over Europe in Virginia two years ago.
- The team leading after the opening day has gone on to take the Solheim Cup trophy in 14 of the previous 19 editions.
Europe and the United States are tied 4-4 after the opening day of the 20th Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands. Carlota Ciganda, the oldest player in the contest at 36, holed a 15-foot putt on the last green of Friday’s final fourball match to earn the hosts a half point.
How did Carlota Ciganda win Europe a half point?
Ciganda is playing in her eighth Solheim Cup and had already eagled the 16th hole before sinking the 15-foot putt. Her half point came alongside Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez against world number one Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin, who both left match-winning putts short. The finish repeated the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Spain, where a Ciganda putt sealed the 14-14 tie that allowed Europe to retain the trophy, again at Korda’s expense.
“I love this week. I just love playing for the team, for my team-mates. We fought hard and we got half a point, which is important,” Ciganda said. “It gives us big momentum and hopefully we can take that into and win both [of Saturday’s] morning and afternoon sessions.”
Why did Europe’s top pairing fail to deliver?
Europe captain Anna Nordqvist sent Charley Hull and Lottie Woad out first in both Friday sessions. Hull and Woad faced Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz in the opening foursomes and lost 4&3, with Korda and Corpuz recording their fifth successive foursomes win across the past three editions. In the afternoon fourballs, Hull and Woad let a three-hole lead slip against Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin, who was playing only her third competitive round since June, and had to settle for a half point.
How did the United States build its lead?
Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin beat Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Celine Boutier 3&2 in the foursomes as the United States opened a 2-0 lead. Koerstz Madsen and Boutier then lost 5&3 to Alison Lee and Megan Khang, giving Khang a sixth consecutive Solheim Cup win and her eighth in nine matches. Europe’s other debutants delivered: England’s Mimi Rhodes and France’s Nastasia Nadaud beat Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1.
What is the score, and what does history say?
Neither team leads: the score is 4-4, on a day when the United States arrived as holders after a 15½-12½ win in Virginia two years ago. Europe trailed 6-2 at the same stage of that contest at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. The team leading after the opening day has gone on to take the trophy in 14 of the previous 19 editions. United States players wore custom pins on Friday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
When does the Solheim Cup continue?
Saturday brings another 36 holes of foursomes and fourballs. Nordqvist said: “There’s another 36 holes [on Saturday], so not every player’s going to play five matches. Sometimes you’ve got to sit out someone, and for me, it was important to play all 12 players [on Friday], and the way the pairings worked out, that’s how I had to play it.” United States captain Angela Stanford said: “We took a big swing from them. When you send Charley and Lottie out first, both sessions, we took some of their best body blows today.” Elsewhere in golf, Rory McIlroy sits four shots behind Joaquin Niemann at the Irish Open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the score in the Solheim Cup after the opening day?
Europe and the United States are tied 4-4 at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands after Friday’s foursomes and fourballs.
Who earned Europe’s final half point on Friday?
Carlota Ciganda holed a 15-foot putt on the last green to halve her fourball match, played alongside Julia Lopez Ramirez, against Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin.
Who captains Europe and the United States at the Solheim Cup?
Anna Nordqvist captains Europe and Angela Stanford captains the United States.
When does the Solheim Cup continue?
Another 36 holes of foursomes and fourballs are scheduled for Saturday, according to Europe captain Anna Nordqvist.
With reporting from BBC Sport.
Stock image, not from the events described. Barack Obama & Joe Biden on White House putting green 4-24-09 — Pete Souza for The Official White House Photostream / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)