Korda sits out the four-balls and will only play 4 matches at the Solheim Cup. It’s a trend

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — Nelly Korda was hitting balls on the range as eight of her U.S. teammates went out in the afternoon four-balls at Bernardus Golf on Saturday.

She won’t be playing all five matches at this Solheim Cup.

And that’s something of a trend.

This will be the fifth straight Solheim Cup where Korda, the world No. 1 and a four-time major champion, plays four out of a possible five matches for the American team.

On each of the previous four occasions — 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 — she sat out one of the four-ball sessions. It has happened again in the Netherlands.

On Saturday morning, Korda played with Allisen Corpuz in a previously unbeaten pairing and lost 3 and 2 to Maja Stark and Linn Grant.

That left her with a 1-1-1 record — for 1 1/2 points — in the 2026 edition, and an overall Solheim Cup record of 11-6-2.

Speaking after selecting her lineup for the four-balls, U.S. captain Angela Stanford suggested there was never any intention to play Korda in all five matches — no matter the status of the contest.

For the record, Europe is 7-5 ahead after three sessions.

Lauren Coughlin will be the only American to play all five sessions and asked if that was always the intention, Stanford said: “She was one that I spoke to before we ever came over here.

“It was her or Allisen Corpuz (playing five matches). And we were just going to see what happened this morning.”

Korda’s impact has lessened at this Solheim Cup has gone on.

She and Corpuz were strong in defeating European stars Lottie Woad and Charley Hull, 4 and 3, in the morning foursomes on Friday. Korda didn’t win a hole when playing with Coughlin in the afternoon four-balls, when the U.S. pair halved a match against Carlota Ciganda and Julia Lopez Ramirez.

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Then came the loss with Corpuz on Saturday morning, after which Korda was asked how the American team can turn things around on Saturday afternoon.

“By showing up and winning some holes,” she said.

It won’t be her doing that.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here