solheim cup
Breaking down all 12 singles matches for Day 3 at the Solheim Cup
Gregory Shamus
GAINESVILLE, Va. — Europe is in a 10-6 hole going into Sunday singles at the Solheim Cup, needing to match the 2012 Ryder Cup’s Miracle at Medinah comeback with the Robbery at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club to keep the Cup for four straight matches.
Both captains shared that their plan was to stack their lineups with their best players early. American leader Stacy Lewis went straight down the list based on her team’s strokes gained statistics, giving no surprise that World No. 1 Nelly Korda is out first again. Pettersen’s approach comes from desperation, with there being no reason to save stars for the end with the Americans only needing four-and-a-half points to win.
With the Americans on the verge of winning their first Solheim Cup since 2017, here is a breakdown of Sunday’s singles pairings. (All matches ET)
8:50 a.m.: Charley Hull (EUR) vs. Nelly Korda (US)
Korda’s form from winning six times this year arrived at her fourth Solheim Cup appearance. The top-ranked American leads off for the fourth time with a clean 3-0-0 record, taking on Hull in her fifth match of the week. Hull is 2-2-0, one of two players her captain has sent out for every session alongside Emily Pedersen. The Englishwoman needs to reverse her Solheim Cup singles struggles, as she hasn’t won on Sunday since 2017.
9 a.m.: Emily Pedersen (EUR) vs. Megan Khang (US)
Pedersen, the lowest ranked player in the world rankings, takes on a surprising top American player this week. Lewis mentioned Saturday that her analytics didn’t view Khang as a good fit at RTJ, but Khang broke out with 6-and-4 and 4-and-3 victories in four-ball. The world No. 103 Pedersen earned two points for the Euros so far this week.
Alison Lee takes on Georgia Hall.
Scott Taetsch
9:10 a.m.: Georgia Hall (EUR) vs. Alison Lee (US)
Lee partnered with Khang in a dominant 4-and-3 win in Saturday four-ball for the second Solheim Cup of her career. She went 1-3-0 back in 2015, when the U.S. pulled off a 10-6 comeback, and is 1-1-0 this week. Hall is 1-2-0, earning her first win alongside Hull in the final match on the course Saturday.
9:20 a.m.: Anna Nordqvist (EUR) vs. Allisen Corpuz (US)
The Swede’s ninth Solheim Cup still has her in a crucial position for the Euros trying to take down the partner of the U.S.’s best foursomes pairing ever. Corpuz and Korda are the first pair to win four consecutive foursomes matches, with the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open winner going 2-1-0 after losing her four-ball match to Hull and Hall. Nordqvist has the only winning overall record for the Euros at 2-1-0 and is the Euros singles ace, going 3-0-2 since 2015.
Carlota Ciganda (right) takes on Rose Zhang.
Scott Taetsch
9:30 a.m.: Carlota Ciganda (EUR) vs. Rose Zhang (US)
The Spaniard won the 14th point for Europe in Spain with a 2-and-1 win over Korda and has a dominant 4-1-1 career singles record. She earned her only point at RTJ Saturday evening partnering with Pedersen. Zhang has bounced back from scoring just a half point in Spain with a 3-0-0 performance in Virginia, where the two-time LPGA winner has two dominant four-ball wins and hasn’t played the 15th hole.
9:40 a.m.: Esther Henseleit (EUR) vs. Andrea Lee (US)
Henseleit is this Solheim Cup’s first rookie to tee off in singles, as she earned the Euro’s only point from a newcomer in foursomes Saturday after hitting her approach to a half foot on the 18th to win 1 up. Lee has been part of the Stanford Cardinal four-ball buzzsaw with Zhang. She halved with Georgia Hall last year.
Lexi Thompson takes on Celine Boutier in what could be Thompson's last Solheim Cup match.
Icon Sportswire
9:50 a.m.: Celine Boutier (EUR) vs. Lexi Thompson (US)
Thompson tees off in what may be her final Solheim Cup match against the top-ranked European in the world. Both are 1-2-0 this week, with Thompson losing alongside Ewing in four-ball Saturday. Boutier played twice on Saturday in a sturdy 4-and-3 foursomes win with Nordqvist, then got blown out 6 and 4 alongside Linn Grant.
10 a.m.: Maja Stark (EUR) vs. Lauren Coughlin (US)
The local Virginia native is capitalizing on her first Solheim Cup appearance with an impressive 3-0-0 record. Stark has gone 1-2-0, struggling in her second Solheim Cup.
Lilia Vu takes on European Solheim Cup rookie Albane Valenzuela.
Gregory Shamus
10:10 a.m.: Albane Valenzuela (EUR) vs. Lilia Vu (US)
Valenzuela only had one Solheim Cup session, a foursomes loss with Boutier Friday morning, before getting to tee it up in singles against two-time major champion Vu. The World No. 2 hasn’t gotten her LPGA talents to match her Solheim Cup record, as she is a combined 2-5-0 in her two appearances.
10:20 a.m.: Madelene Sagstrom (EUR) vs. Sarah Schmelzel (US)
Schmelzel joined Coughlin in making history with their 2-0-0 opening Solheim Cup days. The 30-year-old struggled Saturday as part of a 4-and-3 foursomes loss before getting the afternoon off. Sagstrom earned a 6-and-5 victory alongside Nordqvist in four-ball Friday afternoon, the biggest Euro win of the week, but the pair got beat by Khang and Alison Lee 4 and 3 Saturday.
Leona Maguire will play Ally Ewing. Maguire played five matches in each of her previous two Solheim Cup appearances. This time she'll only play twice.
Gregory Shamus
10:30 a.m.: Leona Maguire (EUR) vs. Ally Ewing (US)
The Irishwoman went from superstar to bench player this Solheim Cup, playing only one team session in a 6-and-4 loss to Korda and Khang in Friday four-ball. Maguire played in five sessions in her two other Solheim Cup appearances, winning both of her singles matches in dominant fashion. She has yet to see the 16th hole in the final session, but it’s possible she might not this time due to the Solheim Cup being over. Ewing is 0-3-0 this week, and has lost six consecutive Solheim Cup matches.
10:40 a.m.: Linn Grant (EUR) vs. Jennifer Kupcho (US)
The 2022 Chevron Championship winner anchors singles for the Americans. Kupcho has struggled after her breakout 2021 Solheim Cup, where she went 2-1-1 at Inverness Club. She is 0-2-0 at RTJ, losing twice in foursomes alongside Ewing. She is 0-2-0 in singles over her two Solheim Cup appearances as well. Grant, who played five sessions in Spain last year, is 0-3-0 and has yet to see the 17th or 18th hole this week.