The United States team won the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017, fending off a late European singles fightback to triumph by 15.5 points to 12.5 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.
Lilia Vu clinched the winning half point for the American team with a birdie at the closing hole to square her match with Swiss player Albane Valenzuela.
Following the 14-14 tie at Finca Cortesin in Spain last year that saw Europe retain the Solheim Cup as holders, U.S. captain Stacy Lewis lauded her 12 players for rising to the challenge on home soil.
“It was an amazing week from the start. We started the week off Monday going around D.C. and we had a great day. From the moment this team was together, they were together,” said Lewis.
“The vibe in the team room was amazing, the way they got along, the way they support each other. Our caddies were off-the-charts keeping the team room loose, making sure everybody had fun, and it showed. It showed in the golf that was played. I'm just so proud of them,” she added.
Team USA had led 10-6 heading into the Sunday singles, but the dogged Europeans refused to give up and made things interesting. With three matches left on the golf course, the Americans needed another half-point from Vu, Sarah Schmelzel or Jennifer Kupcho to ensure victory.
The Cup-clinching half point came from Vu, who bombed her drive down the 18th fairway and nailed her approach inside two feet. After Valenzuela left her long birdie attempt short, Vu tapped in to square the match and take her team’s total points tally to an unassailable 14.5.
Just five months ago, Vu had withdrawn from her title defence at The Chevron Championship with a back injury that put her out of commission for a few months.
“This week was kind of hard for me. I felt like I wasn't physically 100 percent, and I almost felt guilty taking that spot from someone else and felt like I was trying to find something out here on the golf course. Luckily, I have the best team around me and was able to find my game today. I'm pretty grateful to even be playing golf,” said Vu.
Four U.S. players went undefeated this week: Rose Zhang (4-0-0), Megan Khang (3-0-0), Lauren Coughlin (3-0-1) and Andrea Lee (2-0-1).
The 2026 Solheim Cup will take place at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands on September 11-13. Designed by renowned American architect Kyle Phillips, the championship course at Bernardus is a heathland design featuring challenging water hazards and a compact layout. The club has hosted three editions of the KLM Dutch Open on the DP World Tour (2021-2023).
