LPGA announced Thursday.
Stanford’s seven LPGA Tour wins included a major title at the 2018 Evian Championship, retiring from full-time competitive golf after the 2024 season.
The next Solheim Cup will be held from 11 to 13 September 2026 at Bernardus Golf, Cromwater, Netherlands.
“I think the Americans who live in this country have given me the opportunity, and I don’t know where you can be anywhere else in the world,” Stanford told ESPN. “I’ve made this dream come true to being a professional golfer and now I represent red, white and blue again. I love being American, I love playing for my country, and I will love representing my country again.”
Stanford replaced Stacy Lewis, who coached the U.S. team to a 1-0-1 record in the past two Solheim Cup games. The Americans won 15½-12½ in September at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, for the first win since 2017.
Team USA has a record of 11-7-1 since 1990, although Team USA has a record of 3-6 outside the United States.
“You won a lot there,” Stanford said. “I always wanted to be captain overseas because it brought challenges. I like the feeling of ‘this is we against the world’, so I’m looking forward to it. I know it’s going to be a noisy crowd. I know it’s going to be fun, but I love that kind of environment.”
Stanford, 47, competed in 98 consecutive major championships from 2002 to 2024, defeating Jack Nicklaus (154) in a row to compete in professional golf.
“Angela Stanford will certainly be an excellent captain of Team America at the 2026 Solheim Cup, interim LPGA Commissioner Liz Moore said in a statement. “Angela has been a spark on the court and on the court, a true leader and dedicated companion to her teammates. It’s her time to master Team America’s leadership and I have no doubt she will lead her team a successful week in the Netherlands.”
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist is the vice captain in the last two Solheim Cup matches and was appointed captain of the European team on February 24. The three-time Grand Slam champion won four of her nine games and 17 of her 35 games.
