Solheim Cup Captains: Full List From 1990 to 2026
The Solheim Cup captains for 2026 are Angela Stanford for the United States and Anna Nordqvist for Europe. Both lead a team for the first time at Bernardus Golf from 11 to 13 September, the 20th edition of the match.
Nineteen have been played since 1990. Mickey Walker has captained more often than anyone with four in a row, and only Judy Rankin, Juli Inkster and Catriona Matthew have won the trophy twice.
Jump to: 2026 captains | Every captain since 1990 | Most captaincies | How captains are chosen | Vice captains | 2028 captains | FAQ
Solheim Cup Captains in 2026
| Team | Captain | Playing appearances | Playing record | First captaincy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Angela Stanford | 6 (2003 to 2015) | 4 wins, 13 losses, 3 halves | Yes |
| Europe | Anna Nordqvist | 9 (2009 to 2024) | 17 wins, 15 losses, 3 halves | Yes |
Angela Stanford, Team USA
Stanford was a vice captain in 2021, 2023 and 2024 before taking charge. She played on six American teams and won the 2018 Evian Championship at the age of 40. She was also on the last United States side to win in Europe, at St Leon Rot in 2015, where her singles win over Suzann Pettersen set up Paula Creamer’s clinching point.
Her task in the Netherlands is a first back to back American win since 2015 and 2017.
Anna Nordqvist, Team Europe
Nordqvist takes over from Suzann Pettersen. She played nine Solheim Cups and scored 18.5 points from 35 matches, and in 2013 she made the first hole in one in the event’s history, at the 17th at Colorado Golf Club. She was a playing vice captain in 2023 and 2024, and she retired from competition after the FM Championship in Boston in August 2026.
She has named four rookies in her twelve. See the full squads on the 2026 teams page.
Every Solheim Cup Captain Since 1990
Winning captains are marked with a W. Bernardus Golf is the first Dutch venue in the series.
| Year | Venue | Europe | United States | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Bernardus Golf, Netherlands | Anna Nordqvist | Angela Stanford | To be played |
| 2024 | Robert Trent Jones GC, Virginia | Suzann Pettersen | Stacy Lewis (W) | USA 15.5 to 12.5 |
| 2023 | Finca Cortesin, Spain | Suzann Pettersen | Stacy Lewis | Tied 14 to 14, Europe retained |
| 2021 | Inverness Club, Ohio | Catriona Matthew (W) | Pat Hurst | Europe 15 to 13 |
| 2019 | Gleneagles, Scotland | Catriona Matthew (W) | Juli Inkster | Europe 14.5 to 13.5 |
| 2017 | Des Moines CC, Iowa | Annika Sorenstam | Juli Inkster (W) | USA 16.5 to 11.5 |
| 2015 | St Leon Rot, Germany | Carin Koch | Juli Inkster (W) | USA 14.5 to 13.5 |
| 2013 | Colorado Golf Club, Colorado | Liselotte Neumann (W) | Meg Mallon | Europe 18 to 10 |
| 2011 | Killeen Castle, Ireland | Alison Nicholas (W) | Rosie Jones | Europe 15 to 13 |
| 2009 | Rich Harvest Farms, Illinois | Alison Nicholas | Beth Daniel (W) | USA 16 to 12 |
| 2007 | Halmstad, Sweden | Helen Alfredsson | Betsy King (W) | USA 16 to 12 |
| 2005 | Crooked Stick, Indiana | Catrin Nilsmark | Nancy Lopez (W) | USA 15.5 to 12.5 |
| 2003 | Barseback, Sweden | Catrin Nilsmark (W) | Patty Sheehan | Europe 17.5 to 10.5 |
| 2002 | Interlachen, Minnesota | Dale Reid | Patty Sheehan (W) | USA 15.5 to 12.5 |
| 2000 | Loch Lomond, Scotland | Dale Reid (W) | Pat Bradley | Europe 14.5 to 11.5 |
| 1998 | Muirfield Village, Ohio | Pia Nilsson | Judy Rankin (W) | USA 16 to 12 |
| 1996 | St Pierre, Wales | Mickey Walker | Judy Rankin (W) | USA 17 to 11 |
| 1994 | The Greenbrier, West Virginia | Mickey Walker | JoAnne Carner (W) | USA 13 to 7 |
| 1992 | Dalmahoy, Scotland | Mickey Walker (W) | Kathy Whitworth | Europe 11.5 to 6.5 |
| 1990 | Lake Nona, Florida | Mickey Walker | Kathy Whitworth (W) | USA 11.5 to 4.5 |
The United States leads the series 11 wins to 7, and the 2023 tie at Finca Cortesin is the only draw in 19 completed editions. Full match by match numbers sit on the all time records page.
Captains With the Most Solheim Cups
| Captain | Team | Captaincies | Record as captain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mickey Walker | Europe | 4 (1990 to 1996) | 1 win, 3 losses |
| Juli Inkster | USA | 3 (2015, 2017, 2019) | 2 wins, 1 loss |
| Judy Rankin | USA | 2 (1996, 1998) | 2 wins |
| Catriona Matthew | Europe | 2 (2019, 2021) | 2 wins |
| Kathy Whitworth | USA | 2 (1990, 1992) | 1 win, 1 loss |
| Dale Reid | Europe | 2 (2000, 2002) | 1 win, 1 loss |
| Patty Sheehan | USA | 2 (2002, 2003) | 1 win, 1 loss |
| Catrin Nilsmark | Europe | 2 (2003, 2005) | 1 win, 1 loss |
| Alison Nicholas | Europe | 2 (2009, 2011) | 1 win, 1 loss |
| Stacy Lewis | USA | 2 (2023, 2024) | 1 win, 1 tie |
| Suzann Pettersen | Europe | 2 (2023, 2024) | 1 loss, 1 tie with the Cup retained |
Three names stand out. Mickey Walker led Europe through the first four editions and won at Dalmahoy in 1992. Of the captains who led more than once, only Judy Rankin and Catriona Matthew never lost, each going two from two. Juli Inkster is the only American with three turns in the role.
Rankin did it without ever playing in the match. She had retired from full time competition in 1983, seven years before the first Solheim Cup.
How Solheim Cup Captains Are Chosen
The LPGA appoints the United States captain. The Ladies European Tour appoints the Europe captain. There is no published set of criteria, no election and no term limit, which is why the same name can return two or three times.
- The vice captain job is the usual route in. Pat Hurst, Stacy Lewis, Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist and Angela Stanford all assisted before taking charge.
- Every captain on both sides since 2017 has been a major champion.
- Appointments usually land within a few months of the previous match, giving the captain close to two years to plan. Nordqvist was named in September 2024.
- The role is unpaid. There is no prize money at the Solheim Cup for anyone.
Captains pick their vice captains, choose the wildcards, set the order for foursomes, fourballs and Sunday singles, and manage twelve players across three days.
Vice Captains at Bernardus in 2026
| Vice captain | Team | Playing appearances | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline Hedwall | Europe | 5 (2011 to 2023) | First player to win five matches in one Solheim Cup, in 2013 |
| Mel Reid | Europe | 4 (2011 to 2021) | On the winning teams of 2011 and 2021 |
| Anne van Dam | Europe | 1 (2019) | Dutch, and Europe captain at the PING Junior Solheim Cup |
| Paula Creamer | USA | 7 (2005 to 2017) | 19.5 points from a 17-9-5 record, and holed the clinching putt in 2015 |
| Brittany Lang | USA | 5 (2009 to 2017) | 2016 US Women’s Open champion |
| Kristy McPherson | USA | 1 (2009) | Played on the winning team at Rich Harvest Farms |
Anne van Dam is the home pick. She is Dutch, this is the first Solheim Cup staged in the Netherlands, and she also captains Europe at the PING Junior Solheim Cup on the same course.
Creamer brings the deepest playing record on either staff. Stanford’s three assistants have 13 Solheim Cup appearances between them, against 10 for Nordqvist’s trio.
Who Captains the 2028 Solheim Cup?
Neither side has named a 2028 captain. The LPGA confirmed the dates in October 2025: the 21st Solheim Cup runs from 8 to 10 September 2028 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Appointments normally follow within a few months of the preceding Cup, so expect news during 2027.
History says the vice captains are the shortlist, so Caroline Hedwall, Mel Reid, Anne van Dam, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lang and Kristy McPherson are the names to watch. Valhalla will also become only the fourth course to host both a Solheim Cup and a Ryder Cup.
Solheim Cup Captains FAQ
Who are the Solheim Cup captains in 2026?
Angela Stanford leads the United States and Anna Nordqvist leads Europe. Both are captaining for the first time. Stanford was a vice captain in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and Nordqvist was a playing vice captain in 2023 and 2024.
Who has captained the Solheim Cup the most times?
Mickey Walker of Europe, who led the side in the first four editions from 1990 to 1996. Juli Inkster is next with three consecutive American captaincies in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Which Solheim Cup captains never lost?
Among captains who led more than once, Judy Rankin and Catriona Matthew. Rankin won for the United States in 1996 and 1998. Matthew won for Europe at Gleneagles in 2019 and at Inverness in 2021. Both finished two from two.
Do Solheim Cup captains get paid?
No. Captains, vice captains and players receive no prize money. Travel, accommodation and team costs for the week are covered, and that is the extent of it.
Who are the 2026 Solheim Cup vice captains?
Europe has Caroline Hedwall, Mel Reid and Anne van Dam. The United States has Paula Creamer, Brittany Lang and Kristy McPherson. Van Dam is Dutch, in the first Solheim Cup held in the Netherlands.
How are Solheim Cup captains chosen?
The LPGA appoints the American captain and the Ladies European Tour appoints the European one. No criteria are published, but the pattern is clear: every captain on either side since 2017 has been a major champion, and most served as a vice captain first.
Who was the last United States captain to win in Europe?
Juli Inkster, at St Leon Rot in Germany in 2015, by 14.5 to 13.5. Paula Creamer holed the clinching putt in the final match. No American captain has won on European soil since.
Who will captain the 2028 Solheim Cup?
Neither team has announced a 2028 captain. The LPGA has confirmed the 21st Solheim Cup for 8 to 10 September 2028 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Captains are usually named within a few months of the previous Cup, so expect the appointments during 2027.
What the 2026 Captains are Playing For
Twenty editions in, the list of Solheim Cup captains still has room for a new name. Angela Stanford is chasing the first American win in Europe since 2015 and the first back to back United States victory since 2017. Anna Nordqvist is trying to win a home Cup with four rookies in her twelve.
Whoever lifts the trophy on 13 September joins Judy Rankin, Catriona Matthew and the rest of the winners above, and starts the conversation about who leads at Valhalla in 2028.