Captain Angela Stanford, the 48‑year‑old former seven‑time LPGA Tour winner, addressed the United States’ 15‑13 defeat to Team Europe in the 2026 Solheim Cup on Sunday at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. While the Europeans captured the Cup by winning seven of the 12 singles matches, Stanford stressed that she holds no regrets about the decisions made during the competition.
Early lead and final singles results
The two teams entered Sunday tied at 8‑8 after the first two days. Europe surged ahead early in the singles matches, ultimately securing the victory. The United States fell short despite a strong showing from several players, including a half‑point earned by Angel Yin alongside Yealimi Noh.
Team composition and preparation
Stanford highlighted that the American squad entered the event with an average world ranking of 39, compared with Europe’s 54, and featured world No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 17 Lauren Coughlin among the top‑20 players. She noted that the team was prepared for any scenario, including the possibility that Angel Yin might not be able to compete.
“We were prepared if Angel couldn’t play,” Stanford said. “We wanted to see what we had with Angel, and she went out and got a half a point with Yealimi. Yealimi was a stud this week. And I needed to get Andrea with Yealimi. So I wouldn’t have done anything different there.”
Individual performances
Angel Yin, who lost 35 pounds battling a stomach illness earlier in the summer, returned to the LPGA Tour for the FM Championship but missed the cut. She finished the Solheim Cup with a 0‑1‑1 record, including a 4&3 loss to Sweden’s Linn Grant in the third singles match on the course.
Lilia Vu traveled to the Netherlands as an alternate but had missed eight consecutive cuts prior to the event. Rose Zhang secured the decisive win for the United States by defeating France’s Celine Boutier in the final match, though the overall outcome had already been decided by England’s Lottie Woad and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.
Looking ahead
Despite the loss, Stanford expressed optimism about the future of American women’s golf. “We have a pretty good pipeline,” she said. “There are a lot of captains in line on the American side, a lot of good ones coming. So, yeah, I think we have a lot lined up ready to go.”
Stanford also emphasized her broader mission as captain: to help grow women’s golf “just a little bit more.” While she enjoyed the experience, she did not commit to returning as captain for the next Solheim Cup, indicating that the role may be passed to the next generation of leaders.
Historical context
The United States has not won the Solheim Cup on foreign soil since 2015 in Germany. The 2026 result adds to a recent trend of European dominance in the competition, underscoring the need for continued development of American talent and strategic preparation for future international events.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
