A case of beer and a social media post that helped turn the tide at the Solheim Cup

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — Anna Nordqvist hoisted the Solheim Cup high as her players cheered beside her and blue-and-yellow-colored smoke exploded in the sky above Bernardus Golf.

For the European team, it was time for the celebrations to truly begin after winning the biggest event in women’s golf.

The Americans — perhaps prematurely — had their party a day earlier.

OK, maybe there was no harm in U.S. captain Angela Stanford bringing a case of beer onto the team bus for the journey back to the hotel after Jennifer Kupcho’s Saturday night heroics . After all, Kupcho had just poured in 120 feet worth of putts on Nos. 17 and 18 to pull a win out of nowhere and bring the Americans level with Team Europe at 8-8 heading into the singles.

The problem? Documenting it.

A social media post on the Team USA accounts showing Stanford and her team in apparent mid-match party mode on the team bus served, inadvertently, to fire up their opponents.

“They drink on Saturday, we drink on Sunday,” the Europeans, led by assistant captain Mel Reid, chanted on their team bus home after — and that is the crucial part — clinching a 15-13 victory to reclaim the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.

For Stanford , there was no regrets — at least not about the bus celebrations that the Europeans clearly picked up on.

“The worst thing I could have done is go in there and be like, ‘OK, y’all, come off this high,’” she said. “You don’t want to take away from those moments. We’re never going to see anything like that again.”

What the Americans keep seeing over and over again is Team Europe lifting that crystal trophy.

Over the last five editions, Europe has three wins and also a draw that retained the cup. The Americans' only victory since 2017 came in Virginia two years ago, supposedly heralding a new era of U.S. success in the event.

Well that didn't last long.

Indeed, with four young rookies playing a big part in Europe's latest win, the signs are suddenly very positive for the blue side.

“They just play fearless and they have so much personality,” Nordqvist said of newbies Lottie Woad, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mimi Rhodes and 21-year-old Nastasia Nadaud — three of whom had important wins in the singles session on Sunday. “I mean, all of the four I had, I never felt like they were rookies.

“They bring out a fresh perspective,” she added, “and I feel really old and I’m glad I’m retiring now because these girls are just so good.”

Certainly good enough to beat an American team that came out flat on Sunday and was never able to remove the blue that filled the scoreboards around Bernardus after a fast start by the motivated Europeans.

Kupcho's outrageous finish on Saturday could have thrown the home team off. It took a motivational speech by Reid on the team bus and a singalong — to “Sweet Caroline,” naturally — to change the mood.

“We just forgot what happened, the disappointment, and we just got back on it,” Reid said.

“Not one of us needed to speak to any player, really. They just knew what their job was in a very calm, passionate and fierce way. The horses are ready, just let them go. And they delivered.”

So what next for the two rivals?

Stanford played down any chance of her staying on in her role, saying the Americans “have a pretty good pipeline” of captains.

Key is finding more depth to back up the undoubted star of the team — top-ranked Nelly Korda — and hoping some of the nation's other better players stay healthy.

Angel Yin wasn't able to find any form in the Netherlands after more than two months out with a serious stomach issue, and Lilia Vu — a major champion and former world No. 1 — didn't even make the team this year. Lexi Thompson, for so long a fixture in the team, is no longer around.

Harder might be developing the kind of culture in the European team that makes winning the Solheim Cup — and the Ryder Cup on the men's side, for that matter — mean so much.

How the Americans would love someone with Carlota Ciganda's mentality , for example.

“Today I knew she had no chance,” the Spaniard said after getting revenge on Kupcho with a 4-and-2 singles win. “I was like, I want to kill you.”

The language was unusually strong — maybe Ciganda was caught up in the moment — but it spoke volumes.

Nordqvist also didn't want to commit to anything after the match. She has just retired from playing so, in theory, has more time available if she really wanted to go again as captain. She got some backing from senior player Charley Hull, who described Nordqvist as an “awesome captain.”

And with that, the Europeans left Bernardus to continue the party and the Americans left to stew for two more years.

See AP’s full golf coverage here