Teaming Up

By Gary Baines 

Jennifer Kupcho began her Solheim Cup career in storybook fashion in 2021, winning her first two matches and tying her third as a rookie in the event.

But golf can certainly been a fickle game. And as good as things went initially for the Colorado native in the match-play event against Europe, her fortunes in the competition have changed dramatically since then.

The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, winner of four events in her LPGA Tour career, lost in her 2026 Solheim Cup debut on Friday in the Netherlands as she and U.S. partner Rose Zhang fell 3 and 2 to Swedes Maja Stark and Linn Grant in foursomes (alternate shot). It was the European squad’s first point of the event as the teams ended up splitting the foursomes session, 2-2. After a 2-2 four-ball session Friday afternoon, the teams are tie 4-4 after day 1.

That means that Kupcho has gone 1-6-1 in her last eight Solheim Cup matches after her 2-0-1 start at the event five years ago. That leaves her 3-6-2 individually with two days remaining in this year’s competition. (Kupcho, who’s competing in her fourth Solheim Cup, wasn’t selected to play in Friday’s four-ball.)

Kupcho and Zhang played the first hole very nicely, making a birdie from 3 feet for a tie. But the Swedes birdied the first three holes to go 2 up. And bogeys on holes 6 and 7 by the Americans left them 4 down.

Kupcho and Zhang showed some life to start the back nine as Kupcho drained a 15-foot eagle on 10 and a 5-foot birdie on 11 to narrow the deficit to 2 down. But when Zhang hit into the water at both No. 15 and 16, it ended the Americans’ chances in the match. The U.S. duo found the water three times all told in Friday’s match as Kupcho rinsed her tee shot on the par-3 sixth.

"I think we were playing well -- aside from the three penalty strokes," Kupcho said. "I think we were right in the match. So figure that out and we'll be fine."

Stark and Grant finished 4 under par for 16 holes, while Kupcho and Zhang were 1 under in cool and sometimes drizzly conditions on Friday morning.

In Saturday's foursomes, Kupcho and Zhang will team up again, this time facing Europeans Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit starting at 11:52 p.m. (MT on Friday). Golf Channel will televise the action.

Kupcho remains the only golfer who has grown up in Colorado to play in the Solheim Cup matches, which debuted in 1990.

There will be foursomes and four-ball matches on Saturday, then the Solheim Cup will conclude with Sunday singles.

The U.S., the defending champion, leads the all-time Solheim Cup series against the Europeans 11-7, with one tie. But the Americans haven’t won in Europe since 2015.

All-time results for Jennifer Kupcho in Solheim Cup:

2026 Friday Foursomes — Maja Stark and Linn Grant, Europe, def. Jennifer Kupcho and Rose Zhang, USA, 3 and 2

2024 Sunday Singles — Jennifer Kupcho, USA, def. Linn Grant, Europe, 2 and 1

2024 Saturday Foursomes — Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit, Europe, def. Jennifer Kupcho and Ally Ewing, USA, 1 up

2024 Friday Foursomes — Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark, Europe, def. Jennifer Kupcho and Ally Ewing, USA, 2 up

2023 Sunday Singles — Anna Nordqvist, Europe, def. Jennifer Kupcho, USA, 2 and 1

2023 Saturday Foursomes — Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda, Europe, def. Jennifer Kupcho and Lilia Vu, USA, 2 and 1

2023 Friday Four-Ball — Jennifer Kupcho and Allisen Corpuz, USA, tied Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark, Europe

2021 Monday Singles — Leona Maguire, Europe, def. Jennifer Kupcho, USA, 5 and 4

2021 Sunday Four-Ball — Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas, USA, tied with Leona Maguire and Mel Reid, Europe

2021 Sunday Foursomes — Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas, USA, def. Anna Nordqvist and Matilda Castren, Europe, 3 and 1

2021 Saturday Four-Ball — Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas, USA, def. Carlota Ciganda and Sophia Popov, Europe, 1 up

For all the results from the 2026 Solheim Cup, CLICK HERE.

About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com