Solheim Cup 2026: Team Europe and Team USA tied 4-4 after tight opening day and Carlota Ciganda's dramatic finish
Team Europe and Team USA are tied after the opening day for just the second time in Solheim Cup history; Carlota Ciganda's late par-save ensured both teams claimed two points in both sessions at Bernardus Golf; watch day two live on Saturday from 6am on Sky Sports Golf
Friday 11 September 2026 19:20, UK
Carlota Ciganda delivered final-hole magic for Team Europe to leave them tied 4-4 with Team USA after a dramatic opening day at the Solheim Cup, where Charley Hull and Lottie Woad let a big lead slip as Team Europe’s star pair.
Both teams claimed a share of the spoils in the morning foursomes before producing a repeat result in the afternoon session, as Angela Stanford's American side looked set to hold an opening-day lead until Ciganda's impressive finish.
Ciganda nailed a 15-foot par-save with the final shot of a thrilling day at Bernardus Golf, seeing her and rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez scramble a half-point against world No 1 Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin.
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Anna Nordqvist had elected to stick with the same two pairings beaten in the tied foursomes session to lead out Team Europe again in the afternoon, with Celine Boutier and Nanna Koerstz Madsen thrashed 5&3 by Megan Khang and Alison Lee.
Hull and Woad appeared to be closing towards their first win together when they moved three up with seven holes to play, only for Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin to battle back and grab a share of the spoils.
Rookies Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud made the dream start to their Solheim Cup careers by despatching Allisen Corpuz and Auston Kim 2&1, while Ciganda and Lopez Ramirez's late half-point leaves the contest level after the opening day for just the second time in its history.
"I think not losing today is important," Ciganda said. "It's 4-4 for the day, so big momentum going into tomorrow. Hopefully we can take that into tomorrow's foursomes and win both the morning and afternoon sides."
Europe locked with USA in Solheim thriller
Woad did the early heavy-lifting for her and Hull in the fourballs opener, responding to Noh birdieing the opening hole by winning three consecutive holes from the third.
Hull drained a long-range birdie at the sixth to move the European pair three clear, with Team USA winning the next two holes before Woad posted an eagle at the par-five 10th and Hull claimed the next.
Noh holed a 12-footer at the 12th to start successive birdies and almost holed her tee shot at the par-three 15th, then delivered a clutch birdie at the 17th and matched Hull's par at the last.
"It was a very good match," Woad insisted. "We had the lead for most of it, but they kept on fighting back. I think overall we played great but that putt on the last kind of described the back nine, I would say."
Boutier and Madsen were two up after five holes but couldn't keep up with a dominant pair, as Khang and Lee played the next eight-hole stretch in eight under to secure Team USA their first point of the session.
Khang's victory is her sixth consecutive Solheim Cup match won and leaves her unbeaten in nine matches, a run stretching back since 2021 and the second-longest streak in history.
"It's always nice seeing a big bird (eagle) and it definitely took the lid off for us," Khang said. "It was definitely a ham-and-egg session on the back nine. She's such a great partner."
Rhodes and Nadaud fully justified their captain's picks as they earned Europe's only full point of the afternoon session, before full focus turned to Korda and Coughlin being dragged into a final-hole tussle.
Korda and Coughlin recovered from being two down with eight to play to win three consecutive holes and edge ahead, before Ciganda produced a key birdie at the 16th.
Both Korda and Coughlin left birdie putts short on the 18th green, then watched on as Ciganda recovered from two wayward shots to salvage a par and spark wild celebrations from the European team.
When is the Solheim Cup live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports Golf will have at least 12 hours of live coverage from the first two days, with coverage continuing on Saturday at 6am ahead of the opening foursomes match teeing off at 6.40am (7.40am local time).
The afternoon fourballs are scheduled to start at 12.05pm UK time, with coverage continuing until after the final putt is holed, while Sunday singles coverage begins at 9am on Sky Sports Golf ahead of the opening tee shot at 10.10am.
Who will win the Solheim Cup? Watch Team Europe's bid to regain the trophy exclusively live on Sky Sports, with all three days live on Sky Sports Golf. Get latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.
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