Angela Stanford, who competed in the Solheim Cup six times as a player and served as a vice captain in the past three, will captain the U.S. team when it takes on Europe in the Netherlands next year, the LPGA announced Thursday.
Stanford, whose seven LPGA Tour victories included a major title at the 2018 Evian Championship, retired from full-time competitive golf after the 2024 season.
The next Solheim Cup will be played Sept. 11-13, 2026, at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands.
“I think being American, living in this country, has given me opportunities that I don’t know where you can have anywhere else in the world,” Stanford told ESPN. “I’ve gotten to live this dream to be a professional golfer, and now I get to represent the red, white and blue again. I love being an American, and I’ve loved playing for my country, and I’m going to love representing my country again.”
Stanford replaces Stacy Lewis, who guided the U.S. team to a 1-0-1 record in the past two Solheim Cups. The Americans won 15 ½-12 ½ at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, in September for their first victory since 2017. The European squad retained the cup with a 14-14 tie the previous year at Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain.
The U.S. team has an 11-7-1 record since 1990, though the American squad has a 3-6 record outside the U.S.
“You don’t win much over there,” Stanford said. “I’ve always wanted to be a captain overseas because of the challenge that it presents. I kind of love the ‘it’s us against the world’ feeling, and so I’m looking forward to it. I know it’s going to be a rowdy crowd. I know it’s going to be a lot of fun, but I love that environment.”
Stanford, 47, competed in 98 consecutive major championships from 2002 to 2024, trailing only Jack Nicklaus (154) for consecutive majors played in professional golf.
“Angela Stanford will certainly be a wonderful captain for the U.S. team at the 2026 Solheim Cup,” interim LPGA commissioner Liz Moore said in a statement. “Angela has always been a spark on and off the course, a true leader and a dedicated partner to her teammates. 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.”
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, a playing vice-captain in the past two Solheim Cup matches, was named captain of the European team Feb. 24. The three-time major champion was on the winning side in four of her nine appearances as a player, capturing 17 victories in her 35 matches.
