Solheim Cup: Anna Nordqvist named as Team Europe's captain for 2026 contest against Team USA in the Netherlands

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

Nordqvist has featured in 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 and another that retained the trophy with a tie.

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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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.

"I am so honoured to be appointed as the 2026 European Solheim Cup captain," Nordqvist said. "Whether we were winning or losing, the Solheim Cup has played such a huge part in my career ever since I made my debut in 2009 in Chicago.

"The friendships I have made, and the memories created during the nine matches I've played, make it so incredibly special to be given the opportunity to be European captain at my 10th Solheim Cup!"

Nordqvist has won six additional LPGA Tour titles and four Ladies European Tour titles alongside her major wins, including the 2022 Dutch Ladies Open, with the 37-year-old planning to keep playing long beyond the 2026 Solheim Cup.

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 Morgan Pressel, vice-captains for the last two contests, are other potential contenders.

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.

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.

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 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.

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).

Alexandra Armas, chief executive of the Ladies European Tour, said: "She has been such an important member of the European team over the years - both on and off the course - and she was excellent in the role of playing vice-captain last year.

"She has been a wonderful ambassador for European golf throughout her career, both as an individual and as part of the team. I can tell you that the news of this appointment will no doubt be extremely popular amongst the players."

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