CROMVOIRT, Netherlands — Nelly Korda will lead the U.S. into the first match of the Solheim Cup on Friday as the Americans try to win the event in Europe for the first time since 2015. The world’s top-ranked player and Allisen Corpuz face Charley Hull and Lottie Woad in foursomes at 12:40 a.m. CT at Bernardus Golf.
Korda spoke Thursday before U.S. captain Angela Stanford announced the pairings, and she said the team had kept things light during practice week, The Associated Press reported.
“When we come over here, we have a tendency to struggle a little bit,” Korda said. “But I would say, you know, the girls have been quite amazing. We have really kept it light and easy, and we’ve also grinded a lot.”
The U.S. won 15½-12½ in Virginia in 2024 to regain the cup and extend its all-time series lead to 11-7-1.
Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz Are 4-0 in Solheim Cup Foursomes
Korda and Corpuz won both of their foursomes matches together in 2023 and both in 2024. Friday will be their fifth match as a foursomes pair. Korda is 6-2 in foursomes for her Solheim Cup career, Golf Channel reported.
“We’ve played some amazing golf together,” Korda told Golf Monthly. “There’s nothing better than the Solheim Cup, that electricity of that first tee.”
This is Korda’s fifth consecutive Solheim Cup, and she entered the week with a 10-5-1 record in the event. She went 3-1 in 2024. Her only loss came in Sunday singles, when Hull beat her 6 and 4, Sky Sports reported.
Korda, 28, has won four times on the LPGA Tour this season after going winless in 2025. She won the Chevron Championship in April and the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera in June. The one-shot win at Riviera, over Hull and Gaby Lopez, was her fourth major title and 19th LPGA Tour win. She also won the Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games.
Korda played down the idea that she intimidates the Europeans, Sky Sports reported. Andrea Lee, her U.S. teammate, spoke about Korda this week.
“We all respect her a lot and we look up to her,” Lee told Sky Sports. “She has an amazing game and she’s the No. 1 player in the world, so it’s just really nice to have her on our side.
“I feel like it almost brings a little bit of an intimidation factor going against Europe, so we have a little bit of an up just because we have her,” Lee continued.
Corpuz won the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach by three shots for her first LPGA Tour title. Hull tied for second that week.
In the 2024 opener, Korda and Corpuz beat Hull and Esther Henseleit 3 and 2. Hull is 6-3-1 in Solheim Cup foursomes with five different partners. Woad, a rookie, is Europe’s top-ranked player at No. 7 in the world.
The U.S. has outscored Europe in foursomes in just three of the last 14 Solheim Cups, in 2007, 2023, and 2024. Europe leads the all-time foursomes series 72.5-68.5.
U.S. Has Not Won Solheim Cup in Europe Since 2015
The Americans last won on the road in 2015 at St. Leon-Rot in Germany, 14½-13½. Stanford clinched the deciding point that year with a 2-and-1 singles win over Suzann Pettersen.
Both teams have four players in the world’s top 30. One of the Americans in that group, Angel Yin, has played one event in the last 2 1/2 months because of a stomach issue and is not in Friday’s morning lineup.
Europe, led by first-time captain Anna Nordqvist, is trying to regain the cup. An estimated 3,000 spectators are expected in and around the horseshoe grandstand at the first tee.
The teams play four-ball Friday afternoon and repeat the format Saturday before Sunday’s singles. Golf Channel’s coverage begins at 12:30 a.m. CT Friday.
