(Reuters) – Seven-times LPGA Tour winner Angela Stanford has been named U.S. captain for the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, the LPGA said on Thursday.
Stanford is no stranger to the biennial women’s team event versus Europe having competed in six Solheim Cups and served as an assistant three times, most recently in 2024 under captain Stacy Lewis.
“I’ve always believed that I represent more than myself on the LPGA Tour, and there is no greater honor than representing your country,” Stanford, 47, said in a press release.
“I consider this the pinnacle of my career, and I’m looking forward to leading our players to the Netherlands in 2026.”
Stanford was on the last U.S. team to win a Solheim Cup on foreign soil, in 2015 when she earned the winning point with a 2&1 victory over Suzann Pettersen.
Stanford retired in 2024 after a 23-year LPGA Tour career during which she won a major at the 2018 Amundi Evian Championship in her 18th season on Tour.
“Angela has always been a spark on and off the course, a true leader and a dedicated partner to her teammates,” said interim LPGA Commissioner Liz Moore.
“It’s now her time to take the helm of the U.S. Team, and I have no doubt that she will lead her squad to a successful week in the Netherlands.”
The United States reclaimed the Solheim Cup in 2024 in Gainesville, Virginia, which marked their first win in the biennial matchplay competition since 2017.
The next Solheim Cup will be held from September 11-13, 2026 at Bernardus Golf where three-times major winner Anna Nordqvist will captain the European team.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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