Solheim Cup 2026: another thriller expected in the Netherlands
From 11 to 13 September, the Bernardus Golf club in the Netherlands hosts the 2026 Solheim Cup, where Europe and the United States compete for the trophy in a rivalry that has come down to a single point in recent editions.
A trophy that keeps coming down to the wire
The Solheim Cup is a biennial match-play golf contest between the best women golfers of Europe and the United States. The 2026 edition runs from 11 to 13 September at Bernardus Golf near Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, a course that hosted the DP World Tour's Dutch Open from 2021 to 2023 and has a Surrey heathland feel that plays like a seaside links in parts.
According to BBC Sport, the last three Solheim Cups held in Europe have all been decided by no more than a single point, or even ended tied. In 2015 in Germany, the US pulled off a dramatic one-point comeback win; in 2019 at Gleneagles in Scotland, Europe reclaimed the trophy thanks to Suzann Pettersen's decisive putt on the final green; and in 2023 in Spain, the match finished tied 14-14, allowing Europe to retain the cup. On aggregate, Europe and the US are level at 42 points apiece.
Format and squads
Play opens on Friday with four foursomes (alternate-shot) matches, followed by four fourball matches; the same format repeats on Saturday, before 12 singles matches on Sunday. Europe's team is led by captain Anna Nordqvist and includes four rookies — England's Lottie Woad and Mimi Rhodes, France's Nastasia Nadaud and Spain's Julia Lopez Ramirez. Woad is currently Europe's top-ranked player in the world rankings. Veteran Charley Hull, who made her Solheim Cup debut aged 17 in 2013, is playing her eighth edition this week and says competing on home soil brings extra pressure compared with playing away.
The US team is led by captain Angela Stanford, who has praised her players' mental toughness. Notably, none of the 24 competitors arrive in strong individual form — even world number one Nelly Korda, who won the US Women's Open in June, has managed only two top-10 finishes since and recently tied for 50th place. No Solheim Cup player has won an LPGA event since Korda's US Open title, aside from American Lauren Coughlin and Europeans Celine Boutier and Woad.
Weather and key holes
A storm hit the course on Wednesday, affecting the fast-running, links-style conditions organisers had expected. Players note the course features numerous bunkers and long-iron approaches into several par-four holes, which could add to the pressure. The par-three 15th hole is expected to be especially decisive; club professional Roel Verdonschot calls it his favourite hole both visually and strategically, as it forces players to choose between a risky attack on the pin for a short birdie chance or a safer shot toward the middle of the green.
