Solheim Cup: Anna Nordqvist named as Team Europe’s captain for 2026 contest against Team USA in the Netherlands | Golf News


Anna Nordqvist has been named as Suzann Pettersen’s successor and will captain Team Europe for the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.

Nordqvist, 37, has featured each of the last nine Solheim Cups as a player – an ever-present member of the European side since her 2009 debut – with the Swede part of four winning European teams.

The three-time major champion was a playing vice-captain for Pettersen during the last two editions, where Europe retained the trophy with a historic 14-14 tie in Spain in 2023 before losing to the United States a year later.

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Highlights of the final day from the 2024 Solheim Cup, as Team USA secured a 15.5-12.5 victory over Europe in Virginia

Nordqvist now succeeds Pettersen as captain for the next edition of the biennial contest, held at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands from September 11-13, 2026, where Europe will look to regain the trophy and claim a first victory in five years.

More to follow…

New captain Nordqvist’s past Solheim success

Nordqvist is tied-second in most Solheim Cup appearances for Team Europe, with former captains Pettersen and Catriona Matthew also within three of Dame Laura Davies’ record of 12.

Europe's Anna Nordqvist plays a tee shot on hole number 4, during her twenty match at the Solheim Cup golf tournament in Finca Cortesin, near Casares, southern Spain, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Europe play the United States in this biannual women's golf tournament, which played alternately in Europe and the United States. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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Nordqvist has featured in every edition of the Solheim Cup since 2009

She won two points from four matches during each of her first two appearances, including in Europe’s dramatic 15-13 victory in 2011 that ended a run of three consecutive Team USA successes.

Nordqvist fired the first hole-in-one in Solheim Cup history during Europe’s record-breaking 2013 victory, then was one of only three European players to win their singles matches on the final day of USA’s historic comeback in 2015.

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There have only been two holes-in-one in Solheim Cup history, with Emily Pedersen’s effort in 2023 the first since Nordqvist’s in Europe’s 2013 victory

The Solheim Cup stalwart finished as Europe’s top-scorer during their 2017 defeat, winning 3.5 points from her four matches, with Nordqvist defeating Morgan Pressel on the last day of Europe’s historic 14.5-13.5 at Gleneagles two years later.

She partnered rookie Matilda Castren to two wins during Europe’s successful title defence on American soil in 2021, before contributing a final-day point in the historic draw in 2023 and earning two points for Europe in last year’s 15.5-12.5 loss.

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The best of the action from day three of the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Spain, where Team Europe retained the trophy with a dramatic tie

Nordqvist has won 18.5 points from her 35 matches, making her Europe’s fifth-highest all-time points scorer behind Davies (25), Annika Sorenstam (24), Matthew (22) and Pettersen (21).

Team USA have yet to announce their next Solheim Cup captain, with Stacy Lewis holding the role for the past two editions. Angela Stanford and Pressel, vice-captains for the last two contests, are other potential contenders.

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