Stanford Set for Solheim Cup Captaincy
9/10/2026 11:16:00 AM | Women's Golf
TCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee to lead the United States in The Netherlands
FORT WORTH – After three stints as an assistant, it's Angela Stanford's time to lead the United States at the Solheim Cup.
Stanford, a TCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, will captain the 2026 United States Solheim Cup team, starting Friday at Bernardus Golf in Croimvoirt, Netherlands.
From Saginaw, Texas, Stanford is the 14th U.S. captain in the event's history and seventh to make her captaincy debut on European soil.
Tantamount to the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup unfolds over three days, with a series of foursome, four-ball and singles matches between 12 golfers apiece from the United States and Europe.
"I cannot explain the adrenaline around a Solheim Cup, whether I was playing or as an assistant captain," Stanford said. "It's a completely different type of adrenaline and I love it. I'm having a blast. I'm living a dream."
Stanford is aiming to become the first American captain to win overseas since 2015.
She delivered the defining moment in the most recent U.S. victory abroad. Stanford scored the winning point for Team USA via her 2-and-1 triumph over Suzann Pettersen in 2015 in her sixth and final Solheim Cup appearance as a player. Her performance capped the largest comeback in the 20-year history of the event. Behind Stanford, Team USA defeated Europe 14.5-13.5 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It remains the closest score in the history of the Cup.
Stanford has been a part of four U.S. Solheim Cup championship teams. She won as a player in 2007 and 2009 and helped Team USA regain the Cup as an assistant captain in 2024.
The United States holds an 11-7-1 advantage over Europe in the all-time series. Europe has won or retained the Cup in three of the last four matches dating back to 2019.
Stanford is arguably the most accomplished TCU women's athlete. She was a four-time All-American and 10-time medalist for TCU women's golf from 1996-00. Stanford then enjoyed a 23-year career on the LPGA Tour. She notched 95 career top-10 finishes and won seven times on tour, earning her first major title at the 2018 Evian Championship. Stanford also captured the 2023 and 2024 Senior LPGA Championships.
She competed in 98 straight majors from 2002-24, the most consecutive major starts in LPGA Tour history and second only to Jack Nicklaus for the longest streak of major championship appearances in professional golf.
Stanford retired from the LPGA Tour in November of 2024. At the time, she ranked 11th on the LPGA Career Money List.
She received three hall of fame honors over her storied career. Stanford was inducted into the TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame in 2010 in her first year of eligibility. In 2017, Stanford was selected to the Women's Golf Coaches Association Players Hall of Fame. She joined the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2020, becoming the first woman in 10 years to join the Hall's Tour Professional class.
Stanford, a TCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, will captain the 2026 United States Solheim Cup team, starting Friday at Bernardus Golf in Croimvoirt, Netherlands.
From Saginaw, Texas, Stanford is the 14th U.S. captain in the event's history and seventh to make her captaincy debut on European soil.
Tantamount to the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup unfolds over three days, with a series of foursome, four-ball and singles matches between 12 golfers apiece from the United States and Europe.
"I cannot explain the adrenaline around a Solheim Cup, whether I was playing or as an assistant captain," Stanford said. "It's a completely different type of adrenaline and I love it. I'm having a blast. I'm living a dream."
Stanford is aiming to become the first American captain to win overseas since 2015.
She delivered the defining moment in the most recent U.S. victory abroad. Stanford scored the winning point for Team USA via her 2-and-1 triumph over Suzann Pettersen in 2015 in her sixth and final Solheim Cup appearance as a player. Her performance capped the largest comeback in the 20-year history of the event. Behind Stanford, Team USA defeated Europe 14.5-13.5 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It remains the closest score in the history of the Cup.
Stanford has been a part of four U.S. Solheim Cup championship teams. She won as a player in 2007 and 2009 and helped Team USA regain the Cup as an assistant captain in 2024.
The United States holds an 11-7-1 advantage over Europe in the all-time series. Europe has won or retained the Cup in three of the last four matches dating back to 2019.
Stanford is arguably the most accomplished TCU women's athlete. She was a four-time All-American and 10-time medalist for TCU women's golf from 1996-00. Stanford then enjoyed a 23-year career on the LPGA Tour. She notched 95 career top-10 finishes and won seven times on tour, earning her first major title at the 2018 Evian Championship. Stanford also captured the 2023 and 2024 Senior LPGA Championships.
She competed in 98 straight majors from 2002-24, the most consecutive major starts in LPGA Tour history and second only to Jack Nicklaus for the longest streak of major championship appearances in professional golf.
Stanford retired from the LPGA Tour in November of 2024. At the time, she ranked 11th on the LPGA Career Money List.
She received three hall of fame honors over her storied career. Stanford was inducted into the TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame in 2010 in her first year of eligibility. In 2017, Stanford was selected to the Women's Golf Coaches Association Players Hall of Fame. She joined the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2020, becoming the first woman in 10 years to join the Hall's Tour Professional class.
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