Junior Solheim Cup 2026: USA Retain the Trophy 13-11 at Bernardus
Last updated: 9 September 2026
The United States retained the PING Junior Solheim Cup 2026 with a 13 to 11 win at Bernardus Golf on 8 September. Europe won the singles 8.5 to 3.5 and came within 1.5 points of the biggest comeback in the event’s history.
Kelly Zhang holed out for the clinching point. It was the first time the under 18 match has been played on the same course as the senior Solheim Cup, three days before the professionals tee off.
Jump to: Result | Singles comeback | Teams | Format | Who can play | Qualifying | Alumni | FAQ
Junior Solheim Cup 2026 Result
| Winner | United States, 13 to 11 (retained) |
| Dates | 7 and 8 September 2026 |
| Venue | Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, Netherlands |
| Captains | Morgan Pressel (USA), Anne van Dam (Europe) |
| Clinching point | Kelly Zhang, 2 up over Carolina Pérez-Tasso |
| Edition | 14th, first staged in 2002 |
| All time record | USA 9, Europe 4, one tie (2011) |
Session by session scores
| Session | USA | Europe |
|---|---|---|
| Mon: foursomes | 5 | 1 |
| Mon: fourball | 4.5 | 1.5 |
| Tue: singles | 3.5 | 8.5 |
| Total | 13 | 11 |
Monday decided it. The Americans won three foursomes matches on the 18th green and led 9.5 to 2.5 overnight. “We were absolutely clutch yesterday,” Pressel said afterwards.
How Europe Nearly Turned It Around
Europe needed 10 of the 12 singles points to win outright. They took 8.5. Ten of the 12 matches reached the 16th hole and five went to the last.
The match of the day went to Annabel Peaford, who was two down to world amateur number one Asterisk Talley and won 1 up. Lauren Crump beat Amber Lee 3 and 2, Anna Ludvová beat Grace Carter 2 and 1, and Alice Kong, Lena Geier, Sofía Maier-Borst, Axelle Guillemard and Carlota López Minguela all added points.
The three American singles wins were enough. Eliana Saga beat Adriana García Terol 4 and 3, Madeleine Conser beat Lana Guyot 5 and 4, and Zhang closed it out.
“They could not have given any more,” van Dam said of her team.
The 2026 Junior Solheim Cup Teams
Twelve amateurs a side. Europe drew on six nations, with four Spaniards. Every American in the team came through the American Junior Golf Association pathway.
| Team Europe | Country | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Ludvová | Czech Republic | Qualified |
| Adriana García Terol | Spain | Qualified |
| Lena Geier | Germany | Qualified |
| Sofía Maier-Borst | Germany | Qualified |
| Lauren Crump | England | Qualified |
| Lana Guyot | Switzerland | Qualified |
| Axelle Guillemard | France | Pick |
| Alice Kong | France | Pick |
| Carlota López Minguela | Spain | Pick |
| Marta Muñoz | Spain | Pick |
| Annabel Peaford | England | Pick |
| Carolina Pérez-Tasso | Spain | Pick |
Bronte Law was van Dam’s vice captain.
| Team USA | Home state | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Asterisk Talley | California | Qualified |
| Amelie Zalsman | Florida | Qualified |
| Eliana Saga | California | Qualified |
| Lily Peng | California | Qualified |
| Anna Fang | California | Qualified |
| Honorine Ferry | Texas | Qualified |
| Kelly Zhang | California | Qualified |
| Grace Carter | Florida | Qualified |
| Madeleine Conser | Oregon | Pick |
| Iris Lee | Florida | Pick |
| Amber Lee | California | Pick |
| Aubrey Hilgers | Arizona | Pick |
Junior Solheim Cup Format
| Day | Session | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 morning | Foursomes | 6 |
| Day 1 afternoon | Fourball | 6 |
| Day 2 | Singles | 12 |
Twenty four match play points over two days. A team needs 12.5 to win the cup and 12 to retain it, which is what the Americans did in 2026.
The shape mirrors the senior event but compresses it. Six matches per session covers all 12 players, so nobody sits out day one. In the senior Solheim Cup only eight of the 12 play each team session.
Who Can Play in the Junior Solheim Cup
- Female amateur golfers aged 12 to 18. For 2026 that meant born in 2008 or later.
- American players come through the American Junior Golf Association. European players come through Ladies European Tour and national federation pathways.
- College and university golfers are not eligible, even inside the age limit.
That college rule is the one that catches people out. A 17 year old who takes up a university place stops being selectable, whatever her form.
How Players Qualified for the Junior Solheim Cup 2026
Europe used six automatic places and six captain’s picks. The leading six on the PING Junior Solheim Cup rankings went through on merit, and van Dam chose the rest on amateur results, position in the European Women’s Amateur Rankings and stroke play average.
The European qualifying season ran through the European Team Championships and the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship, both run by the European Golf Association, and closed with The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship in August.
The United States took a different split. Eight players earned their places on the AJGA’s PING Junior Solheim Cup team rankings and Pressel added four picks. Half the European team being picks gives a captain far more room than the senior match, where a 15 year old’s ranking rarely tells the whole story.
From the Junior Cup to the Senior Team
The event exists to put young amateurs in front of the professional standard, and the pipeline works. Two players in Anna Nordqvist’s 2026 European team came through it.
| Player | Junior link | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| Charley Hull | Junior Solheim Cup alumna | Europe, eighth appearance |
| Mimi Rhodes | Played in 2019 | Europe, rookie |
Rhodes is the cleanest example. She played the junior match in 2019 and has said that week is when the senior event became the goal. Seven years later Nordqvist picked her for Bernardus.
PING chairman John Solheim founded the competition in 2002 for that reason. Staging the 2026 edition on the senior course took it a step further, and Pressel, a Solheim Cup player turned broadcaster, captained the American juniors on the same ground the professionals play this week.
See the senior squads on the Solheim Cup 2026 teams page, tee times on the full event week schedule, or how the professionals qualify. Junior team news is published by the Ladies European Tour.
Junior Solheim Cup 2026 FAQ
Who won the Junior Solheim Cup 2026?
The United States, 13 to 11, at Bernardus Golf on 8 September 2026. Europe won the singles 8.5 to 3.5 but ran out of holes. Kelly Zhang holed the clinching point with a 2 up win over Carolina Pérez-Tasso.
What is the PING Junior Solheim Cup?
An under 18 team match play competition between Europe and the United States, played in the same week as the Solheim Cup. Each side fields 12 female amateur golfers. PING chairman John Solheim founded it in 2002 and 2026 was the 14th edition.
What is the Junior Solheim Cup format?
Twenty four matches over two days. Six foursomes in the morning and six fourball in the afternoon on day one, then 12 singles on day two. Each match is worth one point, 12.5 wins the cup and 12 retains it.
Who can play in the Junior Solheim Cup?
Female amateurs aged 12 to 18, born in 2008 or later for the 2026 edition. College and university golfers are not eligible even if they meet the age limit.
Who captained the teams in 2026?
Morgan Pressel led the United States with Sidney Jockisch as co-captain. Anne van Dam led Europe with Bronte Law as vice captain. Van Dam is also a vice captain on Anna Nordqvist’s senior European team at Bernardus.
How do players qualify for the Junior Solheim Cup?
Europe takes the leading six from the PING Junior Solheim Cup rankings and adds six captain’s picks. The United States takes eight from the AJGA team rankings and adds four picks. European qualifying runs through the European Team Championships and European Ladies’ Amateur Championship and closes with The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship.
What is the all time Junior Solheim Cup record?
After 2026 the United States leads 9 wins to 4, with the 2011 match tied. The Americans have now retained or won the trophy in each of the last three editions.
Have Junior Solheim Cup players reached the senior team?
Yes. Charley Hull is an alumna and is making her eighth Solheim Cup appearance in 2026. Mimi Rhodes played the junior match in 2019 and is a rookie on the 2026 European team.
The Junior Solheim Cup 2026 went to the United States 13 to 11, decided by a 9.5 to 2.5 opening day that Europe’s singles charge could not quite erase.
It was the 14th edition, the first on the same course as the senior match, and it pushed the American lead in the series to 9 wins against 4. Attention now moves to the professionals, who start at Bernardus on Friday 11 September.
