DOONBEG, Ireland (AP) — Shane Lowry thrilled his home crowd Saturday in the Irish Open, which included a visit by President Donald Trump, by one-putting every green on the back nine for a 5-under 65, and a four-shot lead going into the final round.
Lowry lost his three-shot advantage at the start when Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark finished the front nine eagle-birdie to go out in 31 and share the lead. And then the Irishman couldn't miss.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and US golfer Brooks Koepka watch the play during the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
U.S. President Donald Trump looks over to golfer Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
U.S. President Donald Trump and son Eric Trump watch the play during the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts during the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts during the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
It started with a 5-foot birdie on the 10th and a 10-foot par save on the 11th. Lowry made every putt on the back — three for birdies, six for pars — finishing with a superb pitch from left the of the 18th green to 4 feet for one last par.
“I’m normally the one watching other people do it, so why not me sometimes?” Lowry said. “I’m seeing my lines well and starting the ball where I want and they’re going in. And hopefully that stays that way for another 24 hours.”
Lowry was at 16-under 194 at Trump International Ireland, the Doonbeg course Trump bought in 2014. Trump stopped by after meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin.
Trump is the first U.S. president to attend a European tour event. He now has been to golf events on three circuits this year, having already gone to tournaments on his courses at the PGA Tour (Doral in Florida) and LIV Golf (Bedminster in New Jersey).
Skov Olesen didn't make another birdie after the ninth hole, closed with a bogey on the 18th had to settle for 66 that left him four shots behind.
“I feel like I put up some good chances and took advantage of a lot of them,” Skov Olesen said of his front-nine 31. “And the back nine was just the complete opposite, I couldn’t take advantage of anything. And nothing really worked.”
Joaquin Niemann shot 66 and was seven shots behind.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy never had much of a chance to make up ground. He was aggressive at the start and it cost him, twice hitting tee shots out of play and making double bogey before he reached the seventh tee. He shot 74 and was 18 shots behind.
“No momentum early,” McIlroy said. “And then it was a tough enough day. Obviously, the wind was up and stuff. Yeah, just couldn’t quite get it back after that.”
Another cool, windy day along the Atlantic coast did little to dampen the cheering, particularly with Lowry in the lead. Each putt he made, whether for par or birdie, added to the cheers and carried him along to prime position for another title at his national open.
Lowry was an amateur when he won the Irish Open in 2009.
“I had so much fun out there on the back nine,” Lowry said. “The crowds were incredible. They cheered me on the whole way home and hopefully will do the same tomorrow.”
See AP’s full golf coverage here
U.S. President Donald Trump and US golfer Brooks Koepka watch the play during the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
U.S. President Donald Trump looks over to golfer Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
U.S. President Donald Trump and son Eric Trump watch the play during the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts during the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts during the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — Jennifer Kupcho first shushed the Europeans with her finger against her lips. Then she did it with her putter.
In one of the most remarkable finishing stretches in the Solheim Cup's 36-year history, Kupcho rolled in huge birdie putts on Nos. 17 and 18 — one, outrageously, from 93 feet — to snatch an unlikely point for the Americans from the last match on the course on Saturday and tie the score at 8-8 after four sessions at Bernardus Golf.
Over to the Sunday singles to determine the destination of the crystal trophy, with the United States needing 14 points to keep possession.
“That was huge,” U.S. captain Angela Stanford said of Kupcho’s exploits. “It’s absolutely turned the tide.”
Europe's fans became more excitable — or “rowdy,” in the words of Kupcho — as Day 2 wore on, helped by two big wins from Swedish pairing Maja Stark and Linn Grant, first over Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz in the morning foursomes and then Megan Khang and Lauren Coughlin in the afternoon four-balls.
Kupcho silenced them.
She was already a target after producing a “shush” gesture, seemingly toward the Europe fans, after making birdie on the 10th hole of her match with Lindy Duncan against Carlota Ciganda and Celine Boutier.
About two hours later — and trailing at 1 down as she reached the 17th green — Kupcho got to her ball off the back of the green knowing Ciganda and Boutier were both inside 12 feet.
“Honestly, going into it, I had zero expectations,” Kupcho said. “I hardly even read my putt.”
Kupcho sent in a speculative putt that kept rolling and rolling and rolling, before sweeping down the hill and into the side of the cup.
Cue huge celebrations from Kupcho — “Vamos!” she screamed in Spanish, the nationality of Ciganda — and the rest of the U.S. team that was gathered beside the green. Some of the players and support staff spilled onto the putting surface.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Stanford said. “And in that environment, it just makes it so much more special.”
Ciganda and Boutier both missed their putts, leaving the match tied.
There was more to come from Kupcho, a Colorado native, on No. 18. With the last putt of the match, she poured in a 25-footer from the edge of the green into the heart of the hole, completing a 1-up win and securing a 3-1 victory for the Americans in the four-balls.
There was time for one last gesture from Kupcho: A cup of the ear, apparently toward Europe's shellshocked fans.
Or was it toward Ciganda?
“It was just playful,” Kupcho said. “Carlota’s loud, so I can be loud back.”
The scores were tied at the end of Day 1 — 4-4 — and still were after Day 2.
The momentum, crucially, is now with the Americans heading into Sunday.
Kupcho's opponent in the singles? It's Ciganda again.
The Europeans haven't been helped by their star pairing misfiring.
Lottie Woad and Charley Hull, the highest-ranked Europeans in the lineup, have been paired for all four sessions so far — something that has never been done in 36 years of the Solheim Cup.
They have contributed only a half-point, with two straight defeats coming Saturday against Alison Lee and Coughlin — a 6-and-5 thrashing — in foursomes and Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee (1 up) in four-balls.
European captain Anna Nordqvist defended her continued selection of Woad and Hull, saying: “They’re doing everything they can or everything right, but they just haven’t really holed those momentum putts this week. So I have full trust and confidence in them.”
Noh was particularly inspired, making five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the front nine to build a 2-up lead that she and Lee never relinquished.
With Europe's power pairing continuing to stumble, Stark and Linn have stepped up. They are 3-0-0 for the week and, on Saturday, took down the U.S. heavyweights, ending the record five-match winning streak of Korda and Corpuz by 3-and-2 before handing Coughlin her first loss in eight Solheim Cup matches.
Stark, specifically, sparked the biggest roars around Bernardus, chipping in for eagle at the par-4 8th in the morning and then holing a wedge shot from 74 yards for eagle on No. 1 in the afternoon.
Korda, the world No. 1, came to the Netherlands carrying much of the expectations of her nation but has also struggled.
After her loss to Stark and Grant, she headed to the range and was left out of the afternoon session, meaning she'll play four matches for the fifth straight Solheim Cup.
Her record this week is 1-1-1 ahead of a singles match against European rookie Mimi Rhodes on Sunday.
See AP’s full golf coverage here
Jennifer Kupcho of the United States celebrates after holing a putt on the 18th green during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Jennifer Kupcho of the United States celebrates after holing a putt on the 18th green during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Jennifer Kupcho of the United States celebrates after holing a putt on the 17th green during the Solheim Cup in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Nelly Korda of the United States takes a drop on the 16th fairwayduring the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Esther Henseleit, left, of Europe gestures to teammate Leona Maguire on the 12th green during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Fans react as they watch play during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Fans react as they watch play during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Maja Stark, left, of Europe celebrates with teammate Linn Grant on the 16th green during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Nastasia Nadaud of Europe reacts after sinking her putt on the first green during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Nelly Korda of the United States hits off the second tee during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Maja Stark of Europe reacts after her shot on the first hole during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Allisen Corpuz of the United States hits off the first tee during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Players from left, Allisen Corpuz of the United States and teammate Nelly Korda and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Europe react prior to hitting off the first tee during the Solheim Cup at the Bernardus Golf course in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
