Europe opened a 7-5 lead over the United States at the 2026 Solheim Cup after winning three of Saturday morning’s four foursomes matches at Bernardus Golf.
Maja Stark and Linn Grant defeated world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz 3&2, ending the American pair’s record run of five consecutive Solheim Cup victories together. Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud then won 4&3 before Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit secured Europe’s third point on the 18th.
Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin claimed the only American victory, beating Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 6&5.
Europe began the morning with the match tied 4-4 after the teams had split both Friday sessions. The 3-1 session victory gives the hosts their first two-point advantage of the contest before Saturday afternoon’s fourballs.
Stark and Grant end American winning run
Stark and Grant birdied the opening hole against Korda and Corpuz, although the Americans responded by winning the par-3 3d. Europe regained the lead at the next and remained in control, closing out the match on the 16th.
The result reversed Korda and Corpuz’s emphatic opening-day performance. They had beaten Hull and Woad 4&3 on Friday morning, setting a Solheim Cup record with five straight wins as a partnership.
Rhodes and Nadaud produced the most decisive European result. The rookies moved ahead with a birdie at the first and never trailed against Andrea Lee and Auston Kim for a 4&3 victory.
Their success followed a 2&1 fourball win on Friday afternoon, when they defeated Corpuz and Kim. Both players have now contributed two points during their first Solheim Cup appearances.
The first rookie duo to win TWO matches at one Solheim Cup and matches the largest margin of victory by a rookie duo in a foursomes match. pic.twitter.com/z1MlIYggrG
— The Solheim Cup (@TheSolheimCup) September 12, 2026
Henseleit settles another match on the 18th
Maguire and Henseleit recovered after Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang built a 2 up advantage during the front nine. Europe levelled the match at the 12th, fell behind again over the next two holes and responded at the 16th.
The match reached Bernardus’ demanding closing hole all square. An American error gave Henseleit the chance to finish the contest, and the German converted her par putt for a 1 up win.
Lee and Coughlin prevented a European sweep with the morning’s largest margin. After the match remained tied through three holes, the Americans won the fourth and added three birdies to move 4 up. Two further hole victories completed their 6&5 success.
The remaining 16 points are divided between Saturday afternoon’s four-balls, worth four, and Sunday’s 12 singles. To reclaim the trophy, Europe must add 7½ points, while the United States requires nine more to retain it.
Saturday Foursomes 1-3 |
|||||
| USA | Europe | ||||
| Match | Player | Result | Player | ||
| 1 | Allisen Corpuz/Nelly Korda | 3&2 | > |
Maja Stark/Linn Grant
|
|
| 2 | Jennifer Kupcho/Rose Zhang | 1 Up | > |
Leona Maguire/Esther Henseleit
|
|
| 3 | Andrea Lee/Auston Kim | 4&3 | > |
Mimi Rhodes/Nastasia Nadaud
|
|
| 4 | Alison Lee/Lauren Coughlin | < | 6&5 |
Charley Hull/Lottie Woad
|
|
Related: Aramco Korea Championship Switches to 72-Hole Strokeplay for 2026
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.