World No. 1 Nelly Korda is leading the 2026 U.S. Solheim Cup team, but get this: she’s going into the competition in the Netherlands totally blind after skipping the team’s July practice session. Seriously, can you believe that? The pressure is already on for Captain Angela Stanford, who is trying to make history by becoming only the fourth U.S. captain to win overseas. Stanford has been on two of the three U.S. teams that ever won abroad, in 2015 and 2007, so she knows what it takes. She even called up past winning captains Judy Rankin, Betsy King, and Juli Inkster to get ready. Her keys to success? Good putters and chemistry.
Stanford’s Picks and Team USA’s Firepower
Stanford is rolling out a squad led by Korda, a 19-time tour winner and one of only two Americans on this team to snag a win in 2026. The other winner? Lauren Coughlin. Stanford’s three captain’s picks include Lindy Duncan, who is the oldest Solheim Cup rookie in 25 years, and Megan Khang. Alison Lee secured the last automatic qualifying spot after an incredible comeback from maternity leave this season, having played the 2024 Solheim Cup while pregnant. Six players on this team have seen action in the past two Cups, and Khang, alongside her good friend Korda, boasts the most Solheim appearances with four each. This team took home the 2024 Solheim Cup, so they know how to win.
Major Questions for Team USA
Nelly Korda is 28, the World Ranking No. 1, and has four Solheim Cup appearances with a 10-5-1 record. She qualified via Solheim Cup points and is coming in hot with four tour wins this season, including two major titles. Korda totally embraced a leadership role two years ago, and her foursomes partnership with Allisen Corpuz is straight fire, holding a 4-0 record. But that skipped practice session? That’s a huge question mark! Then there’s Angel Yin, 27, ranked 24th in the world, with three appearances and a 5-3-1 record. Stanford wants to lean on Yin, one of Team USA’s best putters, but she’s a big wild card after getting sick at the KPMG Women’s PGA in late June and pretty much disappearing. She is expected to play next week in Boston, but we’ll see. Jennifer Kupcho, 29, ranked 31st, also has three appearances with a 3-5-2 record. She’s had a mixed bag lately, not really contending, but she does have eight top-20 finishes since April and finished T-11 in Canada. Yealimi Noh, 25, is ranked 35th and has one Solheim Cup appearance.
This team is heading to the Netherlands, and with Korda’s bold move and Yin’s health concerns, it’s going to be a wild ride. Can Stanford get the chemistry just right and lead this squad to an historic overseas win? Everyone is watching to see how this plays out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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