The 2026 Solheim Cup – the 20th rendition – is taking place at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. 24 players will represent their country or continent and look to either retain or win back the Solheim Cup trophy.
The U.S. Solheim Cup team won in 2024 in Virginia, but they haven’t won on foreign soil since 2015. Interestingly, Captain Angela Stanford, Vice Captains Brittany Lang and Paula Creamer and current player Alison Lee were all part of that winning squad in Germany. One of Stanford’s best friends – and phenomenal player – Kristy McPherson rounds out their leadership team.
The European Solheim Cup team is led by recent LPGA Tour retiree Anna Nordqvist and Vice Captains Mel Reid, Anne van Dam and Caroline Hedwell. Nordqvist has been a Vice Captain the last two Solheim Cups while simultaneously competing in her eighth and ninth events.
Carlota Ciganda and Charley Hull are making their eighth appearances. Hull joined the European squad at just 17 years old and has been a fixture for the team ever since. She garnered a lot of attention in the Singles matches in 2024 when she handily defeated Nelly Korda, 6&4.
World No. 1 Korda is looking to keep to her game this week, enjoy the time with her teammates and help bring the passion that makes the Solheim Cup so special.
“What I love about this tournament is how much passion it brings from each side,” Korda said. “It brings so much passion and it’s fun to see from teammates, from the outside.”
Angel Yin has had a ton of speculation about her gameplay this week as she returns from a two-month hiatus due to health issues; while many have been questioning her ability to play this week, she has assured the media she is here to compete. She has her captain and teammates’ support. If the unthinkable happens, Yin’s alternate is Lilia Vu, who won the last match point in the U.S. Team’s victory in 2024.
There are several rookies on the two teams this year as well. On the European side, we have Lottie Woad, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes. On the American team, we have Auston Kim and Lindy Duncan.
Read more about the veterans’ match play records and Solheim Cup history in our “Meet the Team” articles: Europe and U.S.
2026 Solheim Cup Format
Let’s recap how the week will play out here in the Netherlands. The PING Junior Solheim Cup had a similar – though shortened – version of the Solheim Cup on Monday and Tuesday.
The week begins for the pros with practice round after practice round, usually nine holes at a time. Angel Yin for Team USA, for example, went out early to play the front nine again to get some more repetitions in. However, the teams are usually paired up with certain vice captains observing so last-minute decisions can be made for the official pairings during the week.
The Solheim Cup officially starts Friday, Sept. 11. In the morning, the teams will be competing in Foursomes matches, which is also known as alternate shot. For instance, if Nelly Korda tees off on the first hole, her partner – let’s say Megan Khang – will hit the approach shot; they’ll alternate until the ball is in the hole. Since Korda teed off first, she’ll tee off on all odd-numbered holes and Khang will tee off on Hole 2 and the following even-numbered holes.
In the afternoon, we’ll see the Fourball matches, otherwise known as best ball. In this setting, each player will play her own ball and the lowest score between the two will count towards match play. For example, if Charley Hull makes a birdie and her partner Esther Henseleit makes a par, Team Europe will have a birdie on the board; if the Americans can’t match it, they lose the hole.
This formatting will continue into Saturday. On Sunday, everyone will play in the 12 Singles matches. These are one-on-one matches with no player – and fewer caddies – to rely on.
The goal for each team is to reach 14.5 points to win the cup outright. If they end in a tie (14-14), last time’s winners retain the cup. In this case, it’d be Team USA.
2026 Solheim Cup Holes to Watch
With match play, there’s a chance the pairings won’t make it the 18th hole often; sometimes, they’ll play extra holes. You never know when a match will end.
However, what has been repeatedly said this week is that Hole 16 will be a make-or-break hole. In addition to its positioning on the course – at a crucial point where many matches come to a head – Hole 16 is a reachable par 5 with a big risk-reward spectrum. There is a water hazard that, with the wrong wind direction, could cause the loss of a hole and possibly a match point.
Hole 15, a par three over water with steep drops off the green into bunkers, is another hole to keep an eye on. Holes 2 and 8 have also been touted as interesting match play holes, especially since Hole 8 is a reachable par 4.
How to Watch the 2026 Solheim Cup
You can tune into the Solheim Cup on Golf Channel. All times below are in ET.
Friday, Sept. 11: 1:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 12: 1:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on Golf Channel
Sunday, Sept. 13: 5 a.m. – noon ET on Golf Channel
