Both the United States and Europe have named their captains for the 2026 Solheim Cup to be played on European soil in The Netherlands. The United States will be defending its title, the first that many on the team have one. Who will be representing the red, white and blue for Angela Stanford and the blue and yellow for Anna Nordqvist? We will be taking an early look at it throughout the next few days starting with the absolute locks from Team USA.
NELLY KORDA
It really goes without saying that there is no way Nelly Korda isn’t on this team for the near future. Korda has been the world No. 1 for over a full calendar year and is still the most feared player in the women’s game. She has also played well in the Solheim Cup historically with a 10-5-1 record and is 4-0-0 when paired with Allisen Corpuz.
MEGAN KHANG
I don’t think anybody would argue that Megan Khang is the emotional leader of the United States Solheim Cup team, especially with Ally Ewing now retired. Khang gets the best seemingly out of everyone she plays with, which has led to her building up a 6-0-1 record in the last two Solheim Cups. She is also strong head-to-head, with a 3-0-1 career record in Sunday singles.
ALLISEN CORPUZ
Allisen Corpuz would probably be one tier down if not for her partnership with Nelly Korda, which has been the strongest pairing for either side over the last two playings. Overall, Corpuz is 5-2-1 in Solheim Cup play and got a dominant win over Nordqvist in 2024 singles. I see her as only a three match player, sitting for both fourball matches, but she is a serious threat to win three points in the other two formats.
ROSE ZHANG
What a difference a year makes for Rose Zhang, who struggled mightily in her first Solheim Cup going 0-2-1, but rebounded in 2024 with a 4-0-0 record. Zhang is still looking to take that jump from very good player to elite superstar, but her general play along with terrific performance in 2024, give confidence that she will be a lock to be back on this team in two years.
LILIA VU
I went back and forth with Lilia Vu because despite hitting the winning putt in 2024, Vu hasn’t yet really had a great Solheim Cup performance with a 2-5-1 total record across two playings. There is also the question of health, which is unpredictable for Vu especially. Still, when Vu is healthy she has shown her self to be an unquestionable top five player in the world and it is safe to project that moving forward.
