By: Max Bechtoldt
The first question on the docket about the 2026 Solheim Cup will be the question of who the captain is for each team. While Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis each could reasonably step in again, I am not going to include them here. In this list, I will put four people for each team who I could see potentially being the next captain:
EUROPE
- Mel Reid – Reid seems like the most obvious choice to take over as the European captain. She has been an assistant captain twice, in 2019 under Catriona Matthew, and in 2024 under Pettersen. Reid is a high profile player known for her energy and determination in this event. She has played in four Solheim Cups going 6-7-3 for her career. Reid knows the current generation of players and would seemingly fit right into the role.
- Anna Nordqvist – This is a tough one to put in here, as Anna Nordqvist should probably be playing in the next Solheim Cup, and it could lead to a weird situation in the captain’s selections. Really there just isn’t a lot of great options to choose from, and Nordqvist has been a playing assistant captain the last two Solheim Cups. Obviously, Nordqvist is a Solheim Cup legend, playing in nine and racking up a 17-15-3 record.
- Emily Pedersen – The 2026 Solheim Cup will be played in Denmark, Pedersen’s home country, which could lead to a surprise pick of her as the captain. Pedersen will obviously be in play soon as a potential captain, making her career mostly on the Solheim Cup. She has played in four in her career and had some fantastic moments. My feeling is she has probably played in her last, so regardless on if she is the captain or not, at least expect her in the room.
- Caroline Martens – It is really hard to imagine they put someone in the captain position who has never played in a Solheim Cup, but Martens has been a consistent figure in the team room over the last two years. Likely selected to be an assistant captain because of her closeness with fellow Norwegian Pettersen, she does have the assistant captain experience to make this possible.
UNITED STATES
- Morgan Pressel – I admittedly do not know if Pressel’s job as the lead color analyst for Golf Channel makes this possible or not, but if she can be the next captain, I think she is next in line. Pressel has played in six Solheim Cups, building up an 11-8-3 record, including an incredible 4-2 singles record that includes two wins over Anna Nordqvist and one over Annika Sörenstam. Pressel has been an assistant captain on the last two Solheim Cup teams and knows the players and their games well through her work on TV.
- Angela Stanford – If experience as an assistant captain leads to a captaincy, then Stanford is a solid bet. Stanford has been an assistant on the last three teams, the only American who can say that. Though her Solheim Cup record isn’t exactly impressive, at 4-13-3, she has played in six in her career. Stanford brings a bit of a similar style of energy as Stacy Lewis when it comes to demeanor, and would probably fit well.
- Paula Creamer – It all really makes sense for Creamer to be a captain in 2026. She was an assistant in 2024, and maybe the most vocal of them. She had a phenomenal Solheim Cup career, going 17-9-5 across seven playings. She brings an energy to the team that few others can, and she knows the modern players well. She is obviously going to be a Solheim Cup captain at some point, the question is just when it will happen.
- Michelle Wie West – I would be fascinated to see a Wie West captaincy. She was an assistant in 2021, so she has that experience, and would bring a real fire to the job that would be reminiscent of Juli Inkster. The players seem to love her and she is still one of the biggest names in women’s golf. Wie West has played in four Solheim Cups building up an 8-9-1 record. Wie West does have a lot of outside ventures that may make the time commitment unrealistic, but I think her name has to be in the mix.
