01장·김 조, 위기서 첫 승점… 미국팀 동점 견인
2026 솔하임컵 이틀째 토요일 오후 포섬 매치에서 미국팀의 로즈 장과 오스틴 김 조가 네덜란드 베르나르두스 골프장에서 유럽의 강호 리오나 맥과이어·나스티아 나두 조를 3홀 차(3&2)로 제압하고 대회 첫 승점을 신고했다. 전반 6번 홀까지 3업으로 앞서가며 기선을 제압했고, 후반 유럽의 추격을 뿌리치며 귀중한 1점을 보탰다.
이번 승리는 두 선수 모두에게 솔하임컵 데뷔 첫 승점이라는 의미가 크다. 특히 엡손 투어 출신 김오스틴은 앞선 두 차례 매치에서 패한 아픔을 딛고 '단기 기억상실증(금붕어처럼 잊으라)'는 안젤라 스탠퍼드 캡틴의 조언대로 현재 샷에만 집중해 역전 드라마를 썼다. 3번 홀 롱 퍼트와 4번 홀 칩인 버디 등 결정적 장면도 직접 연출했다.
장·김 조의 승리에 이어 예알리미 노·안드레아 리 조도 1업 승리를 거두고, 제니퍼 쿠프초가 17·18번 홀 연속 버디로 매치를 뒤집으면서 미국팀은 8-8 동점을 만들었다. 2024년 자국에서 우승했던 장로즈는 "해외 원정에서도 공격적인 플레이로 4번째 원정 우승을 이루겠다"며 일요일 싱글 매치를 향한 각오를 다졌다.
일요일 싱글 매치는 현지 시간 오전 11시 10분(한국 시간 13일 오후 6시 10분) 티오프한다. 12명 전원이 출전하는 마지막 승부에서 어느 팀이 솔하임컵을 들어올릴지 골프 팬들의 이목이 쏠리고 있다.
02Original (English) — LPGA
Rose Zhang of Team United States and Auston Kim of Team United States looks on during the Saturday afternoon four-ball matches of the Solheim Cup 2026 at Bernardus Golf on September 12, 2026 in Cromvoirt, Netherlands.
Ally Lutter is a Marketing Manager for the Epson Tour. She majored in Broadcast Journalism at Penn State University and has a sports journalism certificate.
When Saturday afternoon four-ball matches began, five of the eight American athletes teeing it up had not yet earned a point at Bernardus Golf, including afternoon partners Auston Kim and Rose Zhang. Down by one point, the U.S. team was in desperate need of a shift in momentum, which is exactly what the duo provided.
Facing Solheim Cup veteran Leona Maguire and red-hot rookie Nastasia Nadaud, who both earned two points for the Europeans on Friday and Saturday morning, a tough match was anticipated. But that didn't intimidate Zhang or Kim.
The match started even keeled, with both sides going par-birdie. But the third hole changed everything, with Kim and Zhang going 1 up, 2 up, then 3 up before reaching the sixth hole. Maguire and Nadaud didn't go down without a fight, though, winning holes eight, nine and 15 before losing 3&2.
"I think it was extremely crucial for our team," Zhang said of getting the point for USA. "Auston and I ham-and-egged it really well, and toward the end of the stretch it got a little bit difficult, but we fought hard and it's from the heart that we were able to get it done."
Under the advice of captain Angela Stanford and assistant captains Kristy McPherson, Paula Creamer and Brittany Lang, Kim left her two losses in the past and put her focus on the shot in front of her.
"All the captains were saying to have a short memory, be a goldfish, and that's such good advice," said Kim. "I feel like Rose and I did a really, really good job, and we had a little extra motivation after losing a couple of times, but it's nice to finally get a win."
The point was the Epson Tour graduate's first of her Solheim Cup career, a moment she'll never forget. Despite a few shots that want array coming down the stretch, Kim had her fair share of clutch moments early, including a long putt on the third and a chip in on the fourth.
"It feels great. And I'm really thankful that I got to share it with Rose today," Kim said of earning her first career Solheim Cup point. "It was a bit rough at the end, but we managed to get it done thanks to Rose, and we both hit a lot of really good shots today, so I'm really proud of us."
The duo quickly celebrated their win on the 16th green but wasted no time getting to the match ahead of them to cheer for their teammates Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee. That duo also won their match 1 up.
In an impressive rally, and thanks to two clutch putts from Jennifer Kupcho on 17 and 18 that flipped the match for another point on the board, the U.S. team now sits tied 8-8 with the Europeans heading into Sunday's single matches. All 12 athletes from each team will play, going head-to-head one final time in the Netherlands.
Both teams know the course is scoreable, and winning holes is at the forefront of Zhang's mind heading into Sunday. She hoisted the Cup in 2024 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, and hopes to do so again, this time on foreign soil. The win would mark the team's fourth away title since the inception in 1990.
"You can birdie out here, you can play extremely well out here, so being aggressive and not letting up holes is going to be important," said Zhang. "And you just have to be on your A game, especially when you're on foreign soil. So hopefully, we can just have a great meal and be able to get it done tomorrow."
Sunday's single matches begin at 11:10 a.m. local time (5:10 a.m. EDT) and are shaping up to give fans an exciting day of golf.