GAINESVILLE, Va. — Lilia Vu made a 2-foot birdie putt on the final hole and the United States won the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017, beating Europe in a tense Sunday singles match at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club .
Megan Khang, Rose Zhang and Allisen Corpuz took the US to the brink of victory with a blowout victory and the Americans found enough in the back half of their lineup to prevent Europe from capturing a record fourth consecutive cup.
Final score: United States 15½, Europe 12½, the biggest margin since the Americans won by five points seven years ago in Iowa.
Europe fell behind 6-2 on day one and trailed 10-6 going into singles. Captain Suzann Pettersen said her team needed a “miracle,” and while that never happened, the Europeans kept it interesting, denying the Americans an 18th hole win in three straight games.
It finally came to an end when Vu chipped in near the par-4 18th and Albane Valenzuela missed his long birdie putt. Valenzuela denied Vu’s birdie, which gave the American a chance to enjoy a tap-in that tied their match and gave the Americans the 14½ points they needed. Vu’s teammates, some with American flags draped over their shoulders, ran to the green and caught him.
“Grit — that’s what this event is about. It’s about grit. It’s about grit,” said American captain Stacy Lewis. “Golf is so good on both sides that it’s one putt, one shot here and there, and that’s what got us here today.”
The American improved his record to 11-7-1 in the tournament that began in 1990 with funding from Ping golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim and his wife, Louise.
The win was a validation of the strong, data-driven approach of American captain Stacy Lewis, who made this year’s slogan “Unfinished Business” after Europe retained the cup last year with a 14-14 draw in Spain.
During a week of pleasant weather at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club — a lakeside course 40 miles west of Washington, DC, which has hosted four Presidents’ Cups — the Americans were slightly better than the Europeans in every category.
Lewis got the nod from senior Nelly Korda, 21-year-old Zhang, 31-year-old rookie Lauren Coughlin and veteran spark plug Khang.
Zhang, the top player on either team this week, breezed past Carlota Ciganda 6 and 4. He became the first player in Solheim history to go 4-0 or better and never reach the 17th hole. He won 28 holes and lost eight in the week.
“I feel like the Solheim Cup has renewed my love for the game,” Zhang said. “We had a lot of fun, not only off the golf course but on it as well. It was just an amazing trip.”
Zhang’s win put America’s 13th point on the board. After that, the US played almost an hour without a lead in the last seven games.
But the Europeans still had a few mistakes. Esther Henseleit had a chance to beat Andrea Lee on the 18th hole but left her birdie short, and Lee made a 4-footer to give the US one point in their first match of the week.
That put Lexi Thompson in a position to earn the winning point in her final Solheim Cup as a player, but she was denied by Celine Boutier, who reached 6 feet with the par-4 18th for birdie and a 1-up win.
Coughlin, playing in her hometown, birdied the putt to win the cup, and Maja Stark made a 12-footer to tie the match and keep hope alive for Europe.
“We ran away from their money,” said Pettersen. “It’s hard to believe that we actually had a chance.”
Then it came down to Vu, the women’s world No. 2, who hit a clean drive down the middle of the 406-yard 18th to set up a short putt that stayed close to the hole. Wu had a quiet first two days, going 1-2 in team games.
Charley Hull crushed Korda in the playoff, making three straight birdies on the back nine — the most holes Korda had dominated while going 3-0 in group play — to build a 5-up lead.
He closed out Korda with an approach to the par-5 14th hole riding the fairway, dropping to a ledge on the back of the green and going down the slope to 2 feet with a par for eagle and a 6-4. victory.
“I know I have what it takes to play Nelly,” said Hull.
That got Europe within 10-7, but the gap was bigger than it appeared.
A few minutes later, Khang finished off a tired Emily Pedersen, 6 and 5. Khang went 3-0 this week in no-hitters and teammates, while Pedersen played regularly and went 2-3.
“I really enjoyed getting the crowd involved. My voice could be a victim of that,” said Khang. “But I’ll do it a million times.”
Lewis and Pettersen captained back-to-back titles for the first time since 2002-03. The move saw the Solheim Cup move away from the Ryder Cup following the postponement of the men’s team competition due to the pandemic.
The next task for the Americans will be to try to win on European soil for the first time since 2015 in Germany. The Netherlands will host the 2026 edition.
“We’re happy for Stacy, obviously, at home,” Pettersen said, “but we’ll come back very hungry.”
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