CROMVOIRT, Netherlands - The U.S. Team leads 9.5 -2.5 after the opening day of competition at the 14th PING Junior Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf.
The U.S. Team got off to a strong start in the morning foursomes session, winning five of the six matches to take an early lead. The Americans captured each of the first four matches of the day before Team Europe claimed the fifth match. The final match of the session went in favor of the U.S. Team, 1 up, giving the Americans a four-point advantage heading into the afternoon four-ball matches.
#JrSolheimCup https://t.co/mvHwT1YxIl
— AJGA (@AJGAGolf) September 7, 2026
The most dominant performance of the morning session came from Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, and Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Florida, who secured the first point for the U.S. Team with a 6&4 victory over Team Europe's Alice Kong and Axelle Guillemard of France.
After the morning foursome session matches the U.S. Team led 5 to 1.
The United States entered the afternoon four-ball session looking to build on its strong morning performance. Iris Lee of Orlando, Florida, and Kelly Zhang of Hillsborough, California, earned the first afternoon point for the U.S. Team with a 3&2 victory over Alice Kong and Axelle Guillemard of France. The Americans took control of the match on the back nine and closed it out on the 16th hole.
Full results of the U.S. Team's afternoon four-ball match wins were as follows:
Iris Lee of Orlando, Florida, and Kelly Zhang of Hillsborough, California
, won 3&2 over Alice Kong and Axelle Guillemard of France.
- Eliana Saga of Stevenson Ranch, California, and Grace Carter of Jupiter, Florida, won 2&1 over Carlota Lopez Minguela and Marta Munoz of Spain.
- Aubrey Hilgers of Surprise, Arizona, and Madeleine Conser of Portland, Oregon, won 5&3 over Sofia Maier-Borst and Lena Geier.
- Honorine Ferry of Flower Mound, Texas, and Amber Lee of San Diego, California, won 2&1 over Anna Ludvova and Lana Guyot.
Team Europe's lone victory of the afternoon came from Carolina Perez-Tasso and Adriana Garcia Terol, who defeated Lily Peng of San Ramon, California, and Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Florida, 4&3. The European duo controlled the match down the stretch and secured the point on the 15th hole, cutting into the U.S. Team's lead during the four-ball session.
The U.S. Team's second-to-last point of the afternoon session came from Aubrey Hilgers of Surprise, Arizona, and Madeleine Conser of Portland, Oregon. The pair earned a convincing 5&3 victory over Team Europe's Sofia Maier-Borst and Lena Geier, closing out the match on the 15th hole to give the Americans another crucial point in the four-ball session.
After the opening day of play, Team Europe finds itself trailing by seven points. To reclaim the Cup, Europe will need to reach 12.5 points, while the U.S. Team needs 12 points to retain the Cup as the defending champion. With 12 singles matches remaining on the final day, Europe will have an opportunity to mount a comeback, while the Americans look to secure the points needed to keep the Cup.
Play tomorrow begins at 7:20 a.m. CET (1:20 a.m. ET) with 12 singles matches to decide who will take home The Cup. The singles matches are as follows:
Social
Follow along on social with #JrSolheimCup
or check us out on X
, Instagram
and Facebook
.
About PING
PING, the tournament owner and title partner, designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of golf equipment including metal woods, irons, putters, and golf bags. The family owned company was founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim, the only golf club manufacturer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Today, the Phoenix based company is led by his son, John A. Solheim. PING products can be found in more than seventy countries. For more information, visit PING.com.
About the PING Junior Solheim Cup
For the first time ever, the 2026 PING Junior Solheim Cup will be contested on the same course as The Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands. The junior event will take place September 7 through 8 , immediately before The Solheim Cup, which runs September 9 through 13.
The PING Junior Solheim Cup is a team match play competition between Europe and the United States, featuring the best twelve female golfers born in 2006 or later. The competition consists of twenty four matches — six foursomes, six four ball matches, and twelve singles matches. The event is intended to prepare juniors for the next stages of their careers by providing high level match play experience and opportunities to learn from the professional competitors playing in The Solheim Cup.
The 2026 event marks the fourteenth playing of the PING Junior Solheim Cup. The United States leads the all-time series 8-4-1 and reclaimed the trophy in 2024 with a commanding 18.5 to 5.5 victory at Army Navy Country Club in Virginia.
The event was established in 2002 by PING CEO and Chairman John A. Solheim and has developed a strong reputation for showcasing the world’s top female junior golfers. Past participants include Rose Zhang, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant, Lexi Thompson, and the Korda sisters, all of whom later advanced to The Solheim Cup stage.
More information about the PJSC can be found on the Solheim Cup website. For updates, follow along on Instagram at @pingjrsolheimcupeurope.