CROMVOIRT, Netherlands — Angela Stanford, a six-time competitor in the Solheim Cup, has been tabbed to captain the United States team in its quest to win the match on European soil for the first time since 2015. Standing in her way is Anna Nordqvist, fresh off her retirement as a competitor but riding high off her final performance. The Swede, herself a veteran of seven Cups, is trying to win it back after the Americans’ 15½-12½ victory in 2024
The biennial competition is being held for the first time in the Netherlands, Bernardus Golf Club 60 miles southeast of Amsterdam hosting the 20th edition. The Americans have just two rookies along for the ride (including 35-year-old Lindy Duncan) compares to four for the Europeans (one being World No. 7 Lottie Woad).
Who will be the shining star in 2026? To help us figure that out, let’s take an in-depth look at the two rosters.
24: Nastasia Nadaud (Europe)
Age: 21 | World Ranking: 89Solheim Cup appearances: Rookie Nadaud, an LPGA rookie, is the youngest player on either team. Like Boutier, she is a Frenchwoman who could make a name for herself with good play this week.
23: Lindy Duncan (U.S.) 
Sarah Stier
Age: 35 | World Ranking: 64Solheim Cup appearances: RookieThe Duke grad is the oldest American Solheim Cup rookie since 39-year-old Nancy Scranton in 2000. She won last year’s Heather Farr Perseverance Award and has re-discovered her love for the game after nearly quitting. She doesn’t have an LPGA win, but she’s a grinder, and that will help.
22: Mimi Rhodes (Europe)
Age: 24 | World Ranking: 105Solheim Cup appearances: RookieShe had a pair of top-10s early in her rookie season on tour but missed the cut in the first four majors. A T-36 showing at the AIG Women’s British Open helped the captain’s pick end the summer on a more positive note.
21: Julia Lopez Romero (Europe)
Age: 23 | World Ranking: 93Solheim Cup appearances: RookieThis will be the biggest stage Lopez Romero has been on since playing in the final pairing of the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, which Maja Stark won, in 2025.
20: Linn Grant (Europe)
Age: 27 | World Ranking: 61Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: 3-6-0 She’s back again and has two career LPGA wins and two top-10s to bolster her confidence. She’ll need some after coming in with four missed cuts in her last five starts.
19: Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Europe)
Age: 31 | World Ranking: 68Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: 1-1-1 In 2022, she became the first Danish golfer to win on the LPGA Tour. Four missed cuts in her last five starts, though, has her hoping to find some of the early season success.
18: Auston Kim (U.S.) 
Sarah Stier
Age: 26 | World Ranking: 22Solheim Cup appearances: Rookie She earned her way on to her first U.S. team through points standings with five top-10 finishes this year, including second at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
17: Jennifer Kupcho (U.S.) 
Scott Taetsch
Age: 29 | World Ranking: 33Solheim Cup appearances: 3 | Record: 3-5-2 She hasn’t missed a Solheim Cup since she debuted in the event in 2021. That said, the four-time LPGA winner is one of just two players on the U.S. team without a winning Solheim match record.
16: Andrea Lee (U.S.) 
David Cannon
Age: 28 | World Ranking: 45Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: 3-2-2 Lee has a winning record in this event and was an automatic qualifier via the Rolex Rankings. She’s calm and efficient, with Stanford touting how she drives the ball straight and makes clutch putts.
15: Esther Henseleit (Europe)
Age: 27 | World Ranking: 20 Solheim Cup appearances: 1 | Record: 1-1-1 She is still searching for her first professional win on the LPGA Tour. Will try to take the momentum from finishing second in a playoff to Shiho Kuwaki at the AIG Women’s British Open and use that in big matches here.
14: Yealimi Noh (U.S.) 
Gregory Shamus
Age: 25 | World Ranking: 42 Solheim Cup appearances: 1 | Record: 2-1-0 Another player fighting form of late, having missed five of the last seven cuts on tour. A big third-place finish at the AIG Women’s British Open helps mentally. She played in the Junior Solheim Cup in 2017.
13: Rose Zhang (U.S.) 
NurPhoto
Age: 23 | World Ranking: 47 Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: 4-2-1 She played on the 2023 and 2024 teams, winning all four of her matches in 2024. Zhang tweaked her back recently, but played well in his last LPGA start (T-4, FM Championship).
12: Alison Lee (U.S.) 
Gregory Shamus
Age: 31 | World Ranking: 57Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: 2-5-0 Lee, who first played in the competition in 2015, is the only player on the 2026 American team who has been part of a U.S. team that’s won in Europe been. She also played on the winning U.S. team while pregnant two years ago and now she’ll have her 1-year-old son Levi with her here in Europe.
11: Angel Yin (U.S.) 
Stuart Franklin
Age: 27 | World Ranking: 25Solheim Cup appearances: 3 | Record: 5-3-1 Yin is the biggest unknown; she battled a gastrointestinal issue that kept her off the LPGA Tour for two months, then shot 81-76 and missed the cut in her first event back the FM Championship two weeks ago. That said, she’s got one of the best personalities in golf and if healthy, she’ll be counted on.
10: Maja Stark (Europe) 
NurPhoto
Age: 26 | World Ranking: 28Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: 3-3-2 The major winner has two career LPGA titles and three top-10s this season. She loves match play, and after struggling for a time living up to her U.S. Women’s Open victory in 2025, she’s feeling good on and off the course.
9: Celine Boutier (Europe) 
Scott Taetsch
Age: 32 | World Ranking: 34Solheim Cup appearances: 4 | Record: 7-6-1 A key contributor to three victorious European Solheim Cup teams, her experiences alone make her a leader Captain Nordqvist will rely on.
8: Leona Maguire (Europe) 
Angel Martinez
Age: 31 | World Ranking: 78Solheim Cup appearances: 3 | Record: 8-3-1 She’s making her fourth straight Solheim Cup appearance but this year needed a captain’s pick. She has the third-most match wins on the team.
7: Megan Khang (U.S.) 
Gregory Shamus
Age: 28 | World Ranking: 81Solheim Cup appearances: 4 Record: 7-3-3 She flies under the radar when it comes to this event because of some of the higher-profile names on the squad, but Khang brings fun and energy to the team, along with great play. Not only does she have experience, she’s got winning formula experience, making her a no-brainer captain’s pick.
6: Carlota Ciganda (Europe) 
NurPhoto
Age: 36 | World Ranking: 60Solheim Cup appearances: 7 | Record: 12-11-4Between Ciganda and Charley Hull, they have an incredible 14 Solheim Cups and 27 match wins combined. Ciganda won all four of her matches in the 2023 Solheim Cup and made an unforgettable putt to clinch the win for Europe in Spain, her home country. She’s been a part of three winning European teams.
5: Lauren Coughlin (U.S.) 
Gregory Shamus
Age: 33 | World Ranking: 17Solheim Cup appearances: 1 | Record: 3-0-1 The late-bloomer wowed in her home state of Virginia in 2024 to help the U.S. to victory. She has yet to lose a Solheim Cup match.
4: Allisen Corpuz (U.S.) 
Scott Taetsch
Age: 28 | World Ranking: 32Solheim Cup appearances: 2 | Record: (5-2-1) A major winner who has played well with Korda, Corpuz will be featured in the biggest matches. She is 4-0-0 in foursomes matches. She and Korda are the winningest American partners in foursomes history.
3: Lottie Woad (Europe) 
Charlie Crowhurst/R&A
Age: 22 | World Ranking: 7Solheim Cup appearances: Rookie She was the first player to earn her way on the LPGA Tour via the LEAP program, and she proved why it’s working as she hit the ground running. She’s as steady as they come and won her first pro event at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open last year, and she’ll try to keep the good vibes going in Europe.
2: Charley Hull (Europe) 
Maddie Meyer
Age: 30 | World Ranking: 8Solheim Cup appearances: 7 | Record: 15-9-3 The Englishwoman has the most match wins of anyone in this Solheim Cup and has been a part of three victorious European teams. She’s surely the most confident and unflappable player in the event. It’s hard to fathom she’ll be teeing it up in her eighth Solheim Cup, but she played in her first event when she was 17. She’ll need to set the tone for Europe.
1: Nelly Korda (U.S.) 
Gregory Shamus
Age: 28 | World Ranking: 1Solheim Cup appearances: 4 | Record: 10-5-1 Korda is as steady as they come in big events, having won four majors and 19 LPGA titles, including four this year. This is her fifth Solheim Cup start, and she will be counted on to come up big. She and Allisen Corpuz went 4-0-0 in foursomes matches in 2024.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
