After a heartbreaking tie in 2023 to Team Europe at the Solheim Cup, Team USA did not want a repeat of that in 2024. Something needed to change for them to find success.
Lilia Vu clinched the Solheim Cup for Team USA as they won 15.5 to 13.5 and clinched the Cup for the first time since 2017.
Team USA performed phenomenally from top to bottom of the roster. Their ability to step up when others did not have their best day was a huge key to the success.
The rookies stepped up, the veterans came up huge, and their chemistry was off the charts.
Team USA stayed aggressive from the first session to the last one of the Solheim Cup.
Let’s look at some of the numbers that help result in a victory for the Americans.
Dominant undefeated queens
Team USA saw four women go undefeated. Half had ties, while the other two did not lose a single point.
Rose Zhang went 4-0-0. What made it so impressive with Zhang was that she went undefeated without ever seeing the 17th or 18th holes at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
The 20-year-old took down Solheim Cup veteran Carlota Ciganda with a dominant 6 & 4 victory. She redeemed herself after going 0-2-1 last year at Finca Cortesin in Spain.
Zhang led all the players, winning 28 holes and only losing eight. That 20+ win/loss hole difference is the most dominant in the last two decades. Jessica Korda had the closest performance to it, winning 29 holes and losing 14 in 2019.
In short, Zhang dominated.
“The golf course was made for you, Rose,” Team USA captain Stacy Lewis said.
Megan Khang went 3-0-0 and scored three points for Team USA. Rookie Lauren Coughlin went 3-0-1 and earned 3.5 points, including 2-0 in Foursomes and 1-0 in fourball. She tied in singles.
Andrea Lee also went undefeated, scoring 2-0-1 and winning two fourball matches.
It was the second time Team USA had many players go without a loss.
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz = a dynamic duo
Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz got Team USA its first point of the week when they beat Easter Henseleit 3 & 2 in Friday Foursomes.
The duo took down Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda 1 UP in Saturday Foursomes.
Those two match wins were massive for Team USA. Without their points, Sunday would have had a much different outcome. They got the momentum going on Saturday when Corpuz hit that wild shot, and Korda sank the eagle putt.
That moment gave Team USA momentum and helped the other teams get the job done to split both sessions.
They set the tone, and the team followed with a vengeance. This strategy proved to be the right one for Team USA.
Leadership shines for Team USA
Team USA needed a strong leader to help Lewis and her assistant captains. Like most teams, a couple of players take the initiative and lead their peers.
A shuttle ride to the golf course took 40 minutes. Nerves were high, and anxiety did its best to distract this group of 12. Korda took the initiative, put on some inspirational music, and got the whole team focused on anything but the match.
Korda took over and helped play “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston the last two days, helping the team come together and play well. Korda’s light and upbeat demeanor helped the rest of the group let go of that nervous energy.
She and Megan Khang also encouraged the crowds on the first hole to take in every moment of the experience.
They loved getting the fans involved, and while some may not think that helps the rest of the team, it does because it shows they have a “12th Man” out there.
This week felt different for Team USA. They carried themselves with so much pride and confidence. It paid off, too, because they jumped on Team Europe Friday morning and kept the momentum until Vu sank her putt on Sunday afternoon.
Team USA and Team Europe’s individual records
Team USA:
Rose Zhang: 4-0-0; 4 pts.
Lauren Coughlin: 3-0-1; 3.5 pts.
Megan Khang: 3-0-0; 3 pts.
Allisen Corpuz: 3-1-0; 3 pts.
Nelly Korda: 3-1-0; 3 pts.
Andrea Lee: 2-0-1; 2.5 pts.
Sarah Schmelzel: 2-2-0; 2 pts.
Lilia Vu: 1-2-1; 1.5 pts.
Jennifer Kupcho: 1-2-0; 1 pt.
Alison Lee: 1-2-0; 1 pt.
Lexi Thompson: 1-3-0; 1 pt.
Ally Ewing: 0-4-0; 0 pt.
Team Europe:
Charley Hull: 3-2-0; 3pts.
Celine Boutier: 2-2-0; 2 pts.
Anna Nordqvist: 2-2-0; 2 pts.
Emily Pedersen: 2-3-0; 2 pts.
Madelene Sagstrom: 2-1-0; 2pts.
Georgia Hall: 2-2-0; 2 pts.
Esther Henseleit: 1-1-1; 1.5 pts.
Maja Stark: 1-2-1; 1.5 pts.
Leona Maguire: 1-1-0; 1 pt.
Carlota Ciganda: 1-3-0; 1 pt.
Albane Valenzuela: 0-1-1; 0.5 pt.
Linn Grant: 0-4-0; 0 pt.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
