Solheim Cup: How to watch, who's playing and who's favored at Bernardus Golf

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — The Americans felt like a winner in the Solheim Cup when Jennifer Kupcho delivered a pair of improbable birdie putts to win the final match of the second day and tie Europe at 8 points apiece.

History favors Europe.

Since the Solheim Cup began in 1990, there have been three occasions when the matches were tied at 8 after two days of foursomes and fourballs. All three times — 2011, 2019 and 2023 — the matches were held on European soil.

All three times, the Solheim Cup stayed with Europe.

The 12 singles matches on Sunday will decide where the crystal trophy goes next.

The Americans return nine players from the Solheim Cup team that won in 2024 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia, but it has been 11 years since they last won on European soil. Europe has four rookies as it tries to win back the cup.

Here's what to do know going into the final day of this U.S.-Europe contest:

There are 12 singles matches remaining at Bernardus Golf. The U.S. has to get six points to retain the cup as the defending champion. Europe needs 6.5 points to reclaim it.

Charley Hull is the leadoff match against Megan Khang, who has never lost a singles match in her four previous appearances in the Solheim Cup. The anchor match is Rose Zhang against Celine Boutier, who has lost all three of her matches this week at Bernardus.

Here's the full lineup, with the Americans listed first:

Khang vs. Hull

Alison Lee vs. Esther Henseleit

Angel Yin vs. Linn Grant

Nelly Korda vs. Mimi Rhodes

Allisen Corpuz vs. Nanna Koertz Madsen

Andrea Lee vs. Nastasia Nadaud

Yealimi Noh vs. Julia Lopez Ramirez

Auston Kim vs. Lottie Woad

Lauren Coughlin vs. Leona Maguire

Lindy Duncan vs. Maja Stark

Jennifer Kupcho vs. Carlota Ciganda

Zhang vs. Boutier

Golf Channel is broadcasting the matches for the American audience. With only 12 singles matches, it gets started at 11:10 a.m. in the Netherlands, meaning 6:10 a.m. on the East coast of the U.S. Coverage is to run through noon EDT.

Europe started as a slight underdog, and now is a slight favorite at +115, compared with +110 for the Americans. The odds are at +600 the matches end in a tie for the second time in the last three Solheim Cups.

The Americans have the stronger team on paper, as is typically the case, with nine players from the top 50 in the women’s world ranking. Europe has more top-10 players in Hull (8) and Woad (7). But it has only three other players in the top 50 in Henseleit (21), Stark (29) and Boutier (35).

But this is match play, the most fickle of formats.

Kupcho was having a miserable Solheim Cup until two holes changed everything. Kupcho and Duncan were 1 down to Ciganda and Boutier when Kupcho whacked her birdie putt from the back of the 17th green and watched it travel some 90 feet before dropping for birdie to square the match. Kupcho then made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th for the win.

Europe looked like it would lead 9-7. Instead, it's all tied at 8.

For the Europeans, the Swedish duo of Grant and Stark have made up for the risk of Captain Anna Nordqvist putting together her top two players — Hull and Woad — together for all four matches. The English pair lost three and halved another.

Grant and Stark have won all three of the matches they have played.

Stark began her fourballs match with Grant by holing out for eagle on the first hole. That ball bounced twice and disappeared into the cup. The Americans caught up and took the lead, but Stark and Grant pulled away to win the lead match of the afternoon.

The most memorable shot? That would be Kupcho's 91-foot birdie. Even she couldn't believe it.

The United States is the defending champion and needs to win only 14 of the 28 points available to retain the cup.

Europe has to get 14 1/2 points to win back the Solheim Cup.

The United States has an 11-7-1 record dating to the first Solheim Cup in 1990. Under the current format of 28 matches that began in 1996, the Americans have a 228-220 advantage in points.

See AP’s full golf coverage here

Nelly Korda of the United States plays from the 16th fairway during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Carlota Ciganda of Europe chips onto the 18th green during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Leona Maguire, left, of Europe and teammate Esther Henseleit celebrate after winning the 11th hole during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Megan Khang of the United States, left, celebrates with Alison Lee after sinking a putt on the 12th green during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Carlota Ciganda of Europe reacts after missing a putt on the 17th green during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Europe, left and Esther Henseleit of Europe walk onto the 15th green during a practice round for the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Vught, Netherlands, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Anna Nordqvist, Europe team captain, speaks during a press conference for the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Vught, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

United States team, left ,and Europe team right pose for the media during a photocell for the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Vught, Netherlands, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Charley Hull of Europe plays off the 14th hole during a practice round for the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Vught, Netherlands, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Nelly Korda of the United States putts on the 12th green during a practice round for the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Vught, Netherlands, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Angel Reese is plenty accustomed to physical play, yet these WNBA Finals are at a different level even for the do-everything Atlanta Dream star.

Reese managed only eight shots and was held to seven points to go with 15 rebounds and five assists in a 64-55 Game 5 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night while visibly showing her frustration with a handful of offensive foul calls against her.

Coach Karl Smesko took it further and criticized the officiating, after crediting Golden State's sensational defense all series.

“But I do want to have Angel's back here. The contact they allow on Angel compared to everybody else is just ridiculous, just ridiculous, and we should have gone to the foul line six to eight more times just on that,” he said. “And then to miss double-dribbles and travels, multiple, that always led to points, you can't be at this level and make that many mistakes.

"So there's things that are on us, we're missing shots we should make but at the same time that needs to be a whole lot better than it was. It's time that if you push somebody with two hands as they drive it's got to be a foul. And I'm kind of tired of some of the excuses that I'm hearing.”

The officials have been calling fouls that have gotten the Dream to the foul line. Atlanta is up 130-78 on free throw attempts in the series. The Dream took 14 foul shots on Monday to Golden State's 13.

After one foul call in the second half, Reese held her hands up questioning what she had done wrong. She shook her head after an offensive foul call as well.

“Honestly for me, I’m still trying to figure out how to play through the physicality,” Reese said. “A lot of us are getting fouled and they’re not calling it or we’re talking to the ref after and they’re saying, ‘Oh, we’ll get you next time,’ so it is a little frustrating especially in the moment of it. I’m kind of used to it because this was happening throughout the season so I have to just continue to play through it, but honestly for my teammates when they’re getting slapped to the ground or goggles knocked off it is frustrating and trying to keep them in and keep them confident.”

With two defensive-minded teams, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase dismissed any chatter about the physicality of this series, saying “I ain't shocked about this.”

“It's the Finals this is it,” she said. “Both teams, they really want to win this.”

Reese was eager and ready to regroup again as the Dream head home to host Game 6 on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. EDT trying to stave off elimination and force a deciding Game 7 back in the Bay Area on Saturday.

“We'll figure it out,” Reese said. “We're going to have to continue to push through the physicality and hopefully those go our way next game.”

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) compete for possession of the ball during the first half of Game 5 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) and forward Gabby Williams (1) and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and forward Naz Hillmon (00) compete for a rebound during the first half of Game 5 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) knocks the ball away from Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) during the first half of Game 5 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes, left, compete for possession of the ball during the first half of Game 5 of the WNBA basketball finals in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) reacts after being called for a foul during the second half of Game 5 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Golden State Valkyries, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)