Team USA took an early lead against Team Europe as the 20th Solheim Cup got under way at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Defending champions Team USA claimed the opening point of the tournament on Friday morning when Allisen Corpuz and Nelly Korda defeated Europe's Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 4&3 in the opening foursomes match.
Three further morning foursomes matches followed on the first day of action at the Cromvoirt venue. Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin were paired against Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen and France's Celine Boutier in the 06:52 UK time match, before Andrea Lee and Lindy Duncan faced Germany's Esther Henseleit and Ireland's Leona Maguire at 07:04. The final morning foursomes tie pitted Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho against Sweden's Maja Stark and Linn Grant at 07:16.
The three-day biennial team competition features five sessions of golf with 28 total points up for grabs across the weekend. Four foursomes alternate-shot matches and four fourball better-ball matches are played on both Friday and Saturday before all 24 players tee it up in Sunday's singles. Team Europe require 14.5 points to win back the trophy, while reigning champions Team USA need 14 points to retain it.
Friday and Saturday match schedules
Friday's afternoon fourballs session is scheduled to begin with tee times at 12:05, 12:20, 12:35, and 12:50 UK time. Saturday's schedule follows the same structure, starting with morning foursomes teeing off at 06:40, 06:52, 07:04, and 07:16, followed by afternoon fourballs at 12:05, 12:20, 12:35, and 12:50.
The tournament concludes on Sunday with 12 singles matches. The first match is scheduled for 10:10 UK time, with the final match departing the first tee at 12:22. In junior action ahead of the main event, Team USA secured victory in the PING Junior Solheim Cup.
Team Europe roster and qualification
Team Europe are led by captain Anna Nordqvist as the hosts aim to regain the trophy on home soil. Nordqvist noted that taking on the captaincy challenge had proven to be more than expected as she oversees the European squad. Recent history suggests a tight contest, with a single point or less separating the two teams in each of the past three Solheim Cups held in Europe.
Europe's roster features eight automatic qualifiers. Charley Hull of England and Esther Henseleit of Germany qualified through the Ladies European Tour Solheim Cup points standings. Six players earned their places via the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings: Lottie Woad of England, Maja Stark of Sweden, Celine Boutier of France, Carlota Ciganda of Spain, Linn Grant of Sweden, and Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark.
Nordqvist selected four captain's picks to complete her 12-player team: Ireland's Leona Maguire, Spain's Julia Lopez Ramirez, France's Nastasia Nadaud, and England's Mimi Rhodes. Maguire is expected to play a prominent role for Europe after featuring heavily in recent editions. The European backroom staff includes vice-captains Caroline Hedwall of Germany, Mel Reid of England, and Anne van Dam of the Netherlands.
Team USA squad and recent history
Team USA are captained by Angela Stanford as the visiting team search for their first victory on European soil since 2015. Two years ago, the Americans earned a 15.5 to 12.5 victory in Virginia to win the trophy back, and Stanford's team now seek to defend that title abroad.
Seven American players earned automatic qualification through the LPGA Solheim Cup points rankings: Nelly Korda, Angel Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh, Auston Kim, Lauren Coughlin, and Allisen Corpuz. Alison Lee and Andrea Lee secured their places on the team through the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings.
Stanford selected Lindy Duncan, Megan Khang, and Rose Zhang as her three captain's picks. The American team is supported by vice-captains Kristy McPherson, Paula Creamer, and Brittany Lang.
Television coverage and live broadcast options
Sky Sports Golf is broadcasting exclusive live coverage of all three days of the tournament across the UK and Ireland, featuring at least 12 hours of live coverage on both Friday and Saturday. Coverage starts at 06:00 UK time each morning ahead of the 06:40 opening tee shots, which correspond to 07:40 local time in the Netherlands.
Afternoon coverage continues through the fourballs sessions starting at 12:05 UK time (1:05pm local time) until after the final putt is holed. Sunday's singles coverage begins at 09:00 UK time ahead of the first tee shot at 10:10. Broadcast coverage is also accessible via NOW streaming memberships and Sky Sports packages.
The tournament build-up included Thursday's opening ceremony at 16:30 UK time, where the opening day pairings were revealed. Live coverage of the closing ceremony will air on Sky Sports+ from 17:30 UK time on Sunday following the trophy presentation. The broadcast schedule also includes archival highlights of classic Solheim Cup winning moments, highlights from Team USA's 2024 victory, and a look back at Charley Hull's Solheim Cup career from her debut as a 17-year-old to her status as a star player.
