USA vs Europe: Who Has the Edge at the Solheim Cup?
The numbers are in. Now it’s your turn to decide.
The Solheim Cup has never been a competition that can be reduced to a spreadsheet.
Form matters. Momentum matters. Partnerships matter. And, perhaps more than anything, match-play golf has a way of throwing the form book out the window.
But with the 2026 Solheim Cup approaching, we wanted to see what the numbers tell us.
We’ve taken the performance data from recent LPGA events for the players on the USA and Europe teams and put them head-to-head across the key Strokes Gained categories.
And there’s a pretty clear starting point.
🇺🇸 USA vs 🇪🇺 Europe: The Team Numbers
This is where the debate starts to get really interesting.
Europe has three players above +0.70 SG Total.
The USA has eight.
Does that make the Americans the stronger team?
Maybe.
But remember: these numbers don't play the matches.
Approach Could Be the Difference
If there's one category that deserves particular attention, it's approach play.
The USA averages +0.60 SG Approach.
Europe averages +0.40.
Off the Tee: Not About Distance
Here's something that might surprise you.
There is basically nothing between the teams in driving distance.
USA: 266.2 yards
Europe: 265.9 yards
Just 0.3 yards separate them.
But when it comes to accuracy:
So the USA isn't necessarily going to overpower Europe off the tee.
It's more about accuracy and what happens from there.
Around the Green: Another USA Advantage
The Americans also come out ahead around the greens.
USA: +0.10
Europe: -0.07
Again, the USA has the better team number.
But look at Europe's top players.
And in match play, those individual performances could be worth a lot more than the team average suggests.
Putting: The Great Equaliser?
Putting is perhaps where things get most interesting.
The team averages are almost identical:
USA: +0.02
Europe: -0.05
So What Does It All Mean?
If we were playing a 72-hole stroke-play event, the numbers would give us a pretty strong indication of where the advantage lies.
But we're not.
We're playing the Solheim Cup.
The USA has the stronger overall statistical profile.
Europe has players at the top end who can absolutely go toe-to-toe with them.
And then there are the things the spreadsheet can't measure:
Partnerships.
Pressure.
Momentum.
Home support.
And the ability to hole a putt when it matters most.
That's what makes the Solheim Cup different.
So we're not making the prediction.
We're putting the decision in your hands.
🇺🇸 USA
or
🇪🇺 Europe
Who are you backing?