The Americans went to the Netherlands tied after two days, then lost Sunday singles seven to five. Europe has not lost a Solheim Cup on home soil in three tries.
IN THIS ISSUE
Europe Took It Back in the Rain, 15-13
Lowry Didn't Win the Irish Open. He Ended It.
Ortiz Shot 26 Under and It Was the Second-Best Story
M.CRAFT X Z-Neck: The Zero-Torque Putter for People Who Hate How They Look
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove Is Growing Six Inches of Rough for the Tour
Pinehurst No. 11 Opens March 29, 2027. Booking Started This Week.
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SOLHEIM CUP . BERNARDUS GOLF
Europe Took It Back in the Rain, 15-13
Tied 8-8 going into Sunday singles at Bernardus, Europe won seven of the 12 matches and never really let the Americans breathe. Lottie Woad's two-footer on 17 got them to the number, and Carlota Ciganda closed out Jennifer Kupcho for the clinching point. Ciganda has now delivered the decisive point twice.
The pattern is the story. Europe has won three of the last five Solheims and the last three played on home soil. The one American bright spot: Alison Lee was 4 down after 11 to Esther Henseleit and won 1 up, the biggest comeback in Solheim history. One match doesn't fix a road record this bad.
Home team wins. That's the whole competition now.
DP WORLD TOUR . AMGEN IRISH OPEN
Lowry Didn't Win the Irish Open. He Ended It.
Lowry hadn't won anywhere in 2026, and he said the near misses were following him home. Then he shot 62 on Friday at Doonbeg, took a four-shot lead into Sunday, and closed with a 63 that turned the Amgen Irish Open into a parade.
The numbers are absurd. 23-under 257, seven shots better than the 72-hole record Jon Rahm set at Lahinch in 2019. The 11-shot margin beat Bernhard Langer's 1987 mark at Portmarnock. Patrick Reed birdied six of his first ten holes Sunday and still lost ground: he and Joaquin Niemann tied for second at 12 under. Rory McIlroy finished T41.
"I don't do things by half measures." Lowry, on his second Irish Open, 17 years after he won the first one as an amateur.
$1,020,000 for the win. Another $30,000 for the course-record 62 on Friday.
KORN FERRY TOUR . SIMMONS BANK OPEN
Ortiz Shot 26 Under and It Was the Second-Best Story
Alvaro Ortiz played the last 54 holes at Vanderbilt Legends in 21 under, closed with a 63, and won by four at 26-under 254. That ties the fourth-lowest 72-hole total in Korn Ferry Tour history and is the biggest margin this event has ever seen. Second win of his season, No. 5 on the points list.
But this was the first of four Finals events, and only the top 132 got to Columbus. Lanto Griffin started the week at No. 149, finished T3, and is now No. 86. Joshua Creel went 134 to 114 on a T18. Everyone else went home.
One week. Griffin moved 63 spots.
ALSO THIS WEEK
Zach Johnson Makes It Five Johnson birdied the last two to edge Ben Crane by one at the Sanford International, his fifth win in his first PGA Tour Champions season.
Presidents Cup Is Two Weeks Out Medinah Country Club hosts the Presidents Cup Sept. 24-27, the next big week on the calendar once Asheville wraps.
LOOKING AHEAD
Biltmore Championship Asheville
Sept. 17-20 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. Status golf, not trophy golf: the points here decide who keeps a card. More on the course in Local Drop below.
M.CRAFT X Z-Neck: The Zero-Torque Putter for People Who Hate How They Look
Most zero-torque putters run the shaft straight into the middle of the head and look like a science project at address. Mizuno's new Z-Neck is a reverse plumber's neck that puts the shaft axis through the CG without the center-shafted stare. $399.99, available Sept. 24, forged 1025E face with a milled aluminum back. Golf Monthly's tester put 10 of 12 balls from 40 feet inside gimme range. Five heads, four necks, three weights: 20 configurations. Buying one off a rack wastes the whole point. Go get fit, and note you can swap the neck later instead of buying another putter.
ALSO THIS WEEK
Srixon ZXi7: Every Iron Now Forged by Endo The whole second-gen ZXi line comes out of Japan's Endo Manufacturing, which made Tiger's Tiger Slam irons, though Golf Monthly's review flat out says the updates are too incremental to upgrade from gen one.
TaylorMade's Qi4D Is the Best Non-Max They've Made in Years Golfer Geeks gave it a 4.3 and called the head shape and sound a big step back up from the Qi35, with four moveable weights you have to actually use to get your money's worth.
Cobra's OPTM Max K Scored Higher Same tester rated Cobra's highest-MOI driver ever a 4.6, with fives for forgiveness, distance and launch, which makes it the pick if fairways are your problem.
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove Is Growing Six Inches of Rough for the Tour
The Biltmore Championship Asheville lands at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove Sept. 17-20, the first PGA Tour event in the Asheville area in 84 years. Superintendent Steve Shand told Golfweek the rough is coming in at nearly six inches, about 3.5 times what members play, and that's the only real change to a Nicklaus par 71 that stays tournament-ready year round. 132 players, a $5 million purse, 1,100 volunteers, and a four-year contract through 2029. It's a gated community the rest of the year, so this week is your one look inside.
Pinehurst No. 11 Opens March 29, 2027. Booking Started This Week.
Coore and Crenshaw's new course on the Sandmines property opens March 29 next spring, four miles south of the main resort and sharing boundaries with Doak's No. 10. The land is old sand-mining spoil that the pines reclaimed, which Coore described as weirdly wonderful. Tee times are resort-guest only and requests opened this week. If you're planning a spring Sandhills trip, that opening week is going to be gone fast.
ALSO THIS WEEK
Teeing Off For Katie, Lonnie Poole, Sept. 18 A CurePSP charity tournament runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Lonnie Poole, per the Carolinas PGA calendar.
NCCU Opens Its Fall at Alamance CC North Carolina Central starts the season Monday at the Elon Invitational behind sophomore Sanaa Carter, the reigning HBCU National Women's Golfer of the Year.
Ed Galloway Classic at Brier Creek, Oct. 5 One day, one shotgun, private club access in North Raleigh: registration details here.
Senior Four-Ball, Two Dates The CGA runs Senior Four-Ball at Mimosa Hills in Morganton on Sept. 21 and again at Pinewild's Magnolia course in Pinehurst on Sept. 28.
Charity Golf at Finley, Oct. 5 The Cristo Rey Classic takes over UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill on October 5.
TWO WAYS TO KEEP THIS GOING
Show up to a new course already knowing the move.
The next time a buddy picks a Triangle course you have never played, you will know which tees to play, where the trouble is, and what the locals actually pay before you leave the parking lot. That is the Triangle Golf Guide: 23 courses deep, plus the curated sim spots and the membership math worth knowing. Less than a range bucket, at $5.99.
Or give this week's sponsor a click.
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That's your read this week.
Tour intel, gear picks, and local course intel every Tuesday.
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