A Viewer's Guide To: The 2026 Solheim Cup

The greatest week in women's golf is officially here!

The Solheim Cup is unlike any sporting event I've ever attended, especially compared to your typical golf tournament. Fans are encouraged to make as much noise as possible (within reason...as The Ryder Cup at Bethpage was a lesson for us all). Players get riled up. Music blasts across the first tee. It’s chaotic, electric and such a sight to behold—and I can't wait for this week's festivities to begin.

Whether you're a longtime Solheim Cup obsessive or have absolutely no idea what "four-ball" means, here's everything you need to know to be a well-prepared golf fan.

The men have The Ryder Cup, and the women have the Solheim Cup. It's a biennial team competition that pits 12 of the best players from the United States against 12 from Europe.

The event is named after Karsten Solheim, founder of PING, who, along with his wife Louise, helped establish the competition with the LPGA and Ladies European Tour in 1990.

Over three days, the teams compete for points across three match-play formats. Each match is worth one point, a tie is worth a half-point, and the first team to reach 14 and a half points wins. If the competition ends in a 14-14 tie, the defending champion retains the Cup.

The 2026 event marks the 20th Solheim Cup, and the U.S. comes in with an 11-8 advantage in the all-time series and as the defending champion after beating Europe 15.5-12.5 in 2024. That victory came one year after the first tie in Solheim Cup history, when the teams finished 14-14 in Spain and Europe retained the Cup.

This year's Cup kicks off this Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13 at Bernardus Golf outside of Amsterdam in the Netherlands! (Cool, right?)

It marks the first time the Netherlands has hosted the Solheim Cup, giving Team Europe a true home-field advantage—and giving American viewers a very good reason to set some early alarms.

For my newcomers, it's important to understand that this week isn't like your average LPGA event. This is team golf (the best kind of golf, IMO) where players compete in head-to-head matches with one point awarded for every match won.

A tied match earns each team a half point, and there are 28 total points available throughout the week.

There are three different formats that you'll see: foursomes, four-ball, and Sunday singles.

Foursomes is alternate shot, meaning two-player teams share one ball and take turns hitting it. Four-ball is better ball, where both players play their own ball and the lower score between the two counts for the team. And singles is exactly what it sounds like, each American goes head-to-head with one European, which offers up some of the best drama of the week.

The first team to reach 14 and half points wins the Cup. If the competition ends in a 14-14 tie, the defending champion keeps the trophy.

Team USA will be led by captain Angela Stanford, who gets her first crack at leading the Americans after serving as an assistant captain in 2024. But make no mistake about it, Stanford is well versed in the Solheim Cup, making six previous appearances as a player.

Her 12-player squad is a combination of established Solheim Cup veterans with rookies making their first appearance in the biennial event. From World No. 1 Nelly Korda to Auston Kim who is making her debut, this is a very balanced U.S. team, and of course, all eyes will be on the Americans' biggest stars, but it's important to note that success this week is rarely about one player.

The real question will be which pairings Stanford trusts in the team sessions—and which players emerge as her go-to match-play performers.

A newly retired Anna Nordqvist will lead Team Europe as captain, taking on a very different role after years of representing Europe as one of the competition's most accomplished players. Like the U.S., Europe will feature a mix of experienced Solheim Cup veterans and newcomers looking to make an immediate impact.

But home field advantage is a real thing, and with the home crowds behind them combined with the pressure of defending their turf, expect the European side to lean heavily on its veteran leadership and chemistry.

Bernardus Golf is the type of course where ball striking and accuracy will be crucial given the firm fairways can create plenty of rollout, while precise iron play will be rewarded on greens with plenty of undulation, slopes, and tricky pin positions.

The bunkers aren't simply hazards to avoid—they're strategically placed to influence decisions off the tee and on approach, making where you miss almost as important as where you hit it. And with wind adding another layer of unpredictability, expect plenty of risk-reward decisions throughout the week.

An American squad hasn't won on European soil since 2015. So Stanford's team will certainly have their work cut out for them, but based on the last two cups, even going back to the tie in Spain three years ago, American golf has been trending upwards and this year's matchups feel incredibly balanced.

There's no clear cut winner looking at the lineups or stat sheets, this week feels like the crowd and the course will reveal who will walk away victorious on Sunday.

Team Europe has four rookies on their roster, which is certainly a bold choice from Nordqvist, but one that Stanford actually applauded. On the morning she announced her captain's picks, Stanford told me that she really liked Anna's selections and believes that being a host team has a lot to do with making that decision.

On the other side, the Americans have two rookies in Auston Kim and Lindy Duncan.

I have a feeling that those making their debut will play a major role for both teams.

If there's one player we do have a close eye on this week it is Angel Yin, who as of two weeks ago didn't look like she would make the trip across the Atlantic due to a recent health scare.

Yin pulled out of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship back in June and hadn't played in an event up until the FM Championship in Boston. That was her test to see if she would be ready to go, and we can confirm that Yin is with the team in Amsterdam, but how will she handle the pressure of the week?

Her name and how she plays will certainly be a huge storyline this week.

Based on event rules, both captains have two player names in an envelope in case someone is unable to compete.

If you're new to match play, don't worry—once you know a few terms, the broadcast becomes much easier to follow.

All square means the match is tied.

1 UP means a player or team has won one more hole than its opponent; and for those on the other side, you'll likely see the indication of 1 DOWN.

A halved hole means both sides made the same score.

A concession means a player gives her opponent a putt rather than making her finish it. It usually happens when a ball is like super close to the hole, and one of the teams has a clear advantage to win the hole.

If someone is dormie then that means she's leading by the same number of holes that remain, meaning her opponent has to win every remaining hole just to force a tie. (This isn't said on the broadcast so much, but it's still a good one to know!)

If you made it this far, congratulations! You're officially ready for the Solheim Cup...now bookmark this and send it to your friends so they can study up before the weekend.