TGD Newswire – This Week In Golf – Solheim Cup Heads to the Netherlands, and Europe Has a Score to Settle (Sept 8, 2026)
The 20th Solheim Cup gets underway September 11-13 at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands — the first time the matches have ever been held in the country. Team USA arrives as the defending champion after a 15½-12½ win on home soil in 2024. Europe is playing for a lot more than pride: the Americans haven’t won on European ground since 2015, and Europe has won or retained the Cup in three of the last four editions overall.
The Captains
Both sides are led by first-timers in the chair. Angela Stanford takes over Team USA, backed by assistant captains Kristy McPherson, Paula Creamer, and Brittany Lang. Anna Nordqvist leads Team Europe, with Caroline Hedwall, Mel Reid, and Anne van Dam assisting — van Dam a Dutch player getting to captain in front of a home crowd for the first time in Solheim Cup history.
The Rosters
Europe’s 12 are set: Charley Hull, Esther Henseleit, Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Leona Maguire, Julia López Ramírez, Nastasia Nadaud, and Mimi Rhodes. Eight qualified automatically through the points list and rankings; Nordqvist rounded out the team with four picks, leaning on Maguire’s experience alongside three rookies making their Solheim Cup debut.
Team USA is built around World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who now carries a 10-5-1 career Solheim Cup record and will be looking to avenge her 2024 singles loss to Charley Hull. Stanford filled out her roster with three captain’s picks — Megan Khang, Rose Zhang, and Lindy Duncan — joining nine automatic qualifiers.
What to Watch
Form matters more than history here. Multiple previews are flagging the same storyline: outside of Korda, several U.S. players have struggled with form or injury through 2026, while Europe brings a deep, in-form roster fronted by Hull — playing in her eighth Solheim Cup at just 30 — and rising star Lottie Woad. On paper, that gap has some outlets picking Europe outright.
The first session sets the tone. With 28 total points on the line (4 foursomes and 4 fourballs Friday and Saturday, 12 singles Sunday, first to 14.5 wins), fast starts have historically mattered. Expect Stanford to lean on proven pairings early to blunt home-crowd momentum before it builds.
The course is a wildcard. Bernardus Golf is a Kyle Phillips-designed heathland track — par 72, 7,430 yards, dunes, gorse, and water hazards — that’s hosted the Dutch Open but never a team event at this scale. Early autumn weather in North Brabant adds another layer of unpredictability.
How to Watch
Coverage in the U.S. airs on Golf Channel and NBC, with streaming available on Peacock. First tee shots go off the morning of September 11.
Sources: Golf Monthly, Golfshake, National Club Golfer, Golf Channel, Sports Brackets
