Tee Sheet: LPGA Vet Angela Stanford Will Captain U.S. Team for 2026 Solheim Cup

With seven LPGA titles, 98 consecutive major championship appearances (second only to Jack Nicklaus for consecutive majors played in professional golf), and nine Solheim Cup appearances, six as a player and three as an assistant captain, Angela Stanford will lead Team USA in the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.

The LPGA veteran is coming out of retirement to take on the biggest role of her career.

“I’m extremely grateful to be named the next American captain for the Solheim Cup and join a list of my heroes in the game," Stanford said. "I’ve always believed that I represent more than myself on the LPGA Tour, and there is no greater honor than representing your country. I consider this the pinnacle of my career, and I’m looking forward to leading our players."

I got the chance to speak with Stanford ahead of the announcement to discuss her decision to accept the captaincy, the emotions behind the Cup, her thoughts on playing captains, and of course—which year had the best stars and stripes fits.

ADDIE PARKER: This is your first gig out of retirement…kind of a big deal. What goes into making a decision and accepting this job?

ANGELA STANFORD: Well, I think it takes a lot of thought. Being an assistant three times, I got to watch two different captains, and I got to see the other side. When you're a player, you're just worried about yourself, and then when you're an assistant, you see the other side of it, and all of a sudden you're worried about 12 others.

I also learned that you better be fully committed, and you better be in a place in your life where you can take it on and be just fully committed to that timeline. And I'm in a really good place in my life [being retired]. It's a huge commitment and a huge honor, and I'm prepared mentally and and I feel like in every part of my life right now, I'm prepared for it.

AP: It’s March of 2025, we have about 18 months until Amsterdam, what prep work starts now?

AS: Just paying attention to how the players are playing. The year before Solheim, I'm paying attention, but know the ebbs and flows of golf, I know things get better and better as we get closer to the event. The work now is more behind the scenes. Can we get prepared in ordering things? Can we get prepared in our our timeline leading up to it? Can we get prepared with the accommodations and helpers? This year is just behind the scenes stuff, and getting to a point where, when we get to 2026 we're on the right track, and we can move forward with with everything now that's in front of us, and on the course.

AP: What've been the biggest lessons you’ve learned from Pat [Hurst] and Stacy [Lewis] over the course of being an assistant captain?

AS: Pat, I think, the toughest go because she was dealing with COVID. We were coming off the heels of COVID and and there were a lot of things that I think Pat wanted to do that we just couldn't do. And I think that was tough for her. And I learned that you have to be ready to change on the drop of a dime, you may not get everything you want—you got to figure out how to adjust and move on.

With Stacy, she was more 'we're going to do it this way'. She had the time, she didn't have to deal with what Pat had to, so she could actually do whatever she really wanted, and she could prepare the way she wanted. And then going back to back, she knew exactly how to roll into '24 after '23 so I think ultimately being prepared, but then at the same time, learning how to adjust on the fly. I was fortunate to see both of those captains and very, in two very, very different environments.

AP: You said that this is the pinnacle of your career, why?

AS: As a golf tournament, it's the best golf you're going to see because of that passion and that energy. And it's match play, you know? We don't play much match play, so it's a different environment. Fans, you get to finally pick a side, you get to cheer really loudly for somebody at a golf tournament. So, just as a golf tournament, it's different and passionate in its own way.

For me, I consider it the pinnacle, because I grew up playing team sports and had amazing coaches. I love the idea of of a team and how you are playing for something larger than yourself. You're playing for each other. As a player, you can play your way on a team, but as an assistant you have to be asked to do that, and those relationships mean a lot to me. I love that Pat asked me. I love that Stacy asked me. You have to forge those relationships to even be considered as a captain. So, I think I've gotten really lucky to be ble to have it all. I absolutely love the Solheim Cup and getting to be a captain of a Solheim Cup is the absolute pinnacle.

AP: The Europeans selected Anna Nordqvist to lead, how much does that factor into your preparation, who sits on the other side?

AS: I have a tremendous amount of respect for Anna, to go through the things she's gone through, and to do what she needs to do, just as a human being, to put one foot in front of the other and to get into a space to where she can be the captain of the European team speaks volumes for her, just as a human being. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for her as a person. And then, you know, we haven't even talked about her as a player and how dominant she was as a player, so nothing but the utmost respect to her.

But, I've always wanted to be a captain overseas. Growing up playing different team sports. I love going to other people's gyms. I love going to other people's fields. I I love going and playing other people's golf courses. There was just something about that, there's so much of a challenge in that. So, you know, I think anytime you play away from home, that is a different challenge in itself, and there are many different things that come with that. We are going to be prepared to to take their best swing, for sure.

AP: How can you best describe the emotions and the passion that goes into a Solheim Cup and representing your country? How much of leading is managing player emotions?

AS: I've always been extremely emotional. I had an instructor tell me one time, 'emotion, and passion is a double edged sword'. You gotta be prepared that sometimes it can help you and sometimes it can hurt you and but I've always believed, if we prepare the right way, if we have our games in the right spot, if we have everything we need off the course, in the right spot and everybody's comfortable, then take that passion and run. In this environment, when you're playing for your country, match play, and we're away...You know, use that passion. I'm not scared for them to use that to their advantage.

AP: Are you pro playing captains?

AS: [Laughs] I think it depends on the the person and the personality. To be perfectly honest, I think for somebody like me, I wouldn't want to do it. As an assistant, I was exhausted every day, like just trying to make sure we didn't miss anything, trying to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to do, to help the team win and preparing for a golf tournament. There are certain personalities that could do it. It takes a special person, and I will tell you I'm not that person.

AP: Ending on a more fun note, what are some of the best years of team USA Solheim cup outfits? Personally I loved the shorts with tiny stars, those were so cute.

AS: Oh, I'd have to think about that, but I will say I'm going to do my best to kind of honor the past in our in our uniforms. There are a couple things I would like to do, I have a of couple ideas, because for me, tradition matters, history matters, and I want to honor those people and honor those teams. And yeah, I can't say I'm the most fashionable captain that's ever going to come along, but I will have an assistant or two that can help with that.