


Team USA is ready to defend its title: At the 2026 Solheim Cup, twelve American players will face off against Team Europe. The defending champions are led by world No. 1 Nelly Korda and captain Angela Stanford. In addition to numerous experienced Solheim Cup players, the roster also includes debutants Auston Kim and Lindy Duncan.
The 20th Solheim Cup will take place from September 11 to 13, 2026, at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, the Netherlands. Who is on Team USA for the 2026 Solheim Cup? How was the team assembled, and which players could prove particularly important for the U.S.? This overview introduces Team USA, the coaching staff, and all twelve players. You can find the most important information about TV broadcasts, live scores, and the Solheim Cup format in our detailed guide.
| Player | State | Qualification Path | Solheim Cup Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelly Korda | Florida | U.S. Solheim Cup Points Standings | Fifth appearance |
| Angel Yin | California | U.S. Solheim Cup Points List | Fourth appearance |
| Jennifer Kupcho | Colorado | U.S. Solheim Cup Points List | Fourth appearance |
| Noh Yealimi | California | U.S. Solheim Cup Points List | Second appearance |
| Auston Kim | Florida | U.S. Solheim Cup Points List | Debut |
| Lauren Coughlin | Virginia | U.S. Solheim Cup Points List | Second Appearance |
| Allisen Corpuz | Hawaii | U.S. Solheim Cup Points List | Third Appearance |
| Andrea Lee | California | Rolex World Rankings | Third appearance |
| Alison Lee | California | Rolex World Rankings | Third Appearance |
| Lindy Duncan | Florida | Captain’s Pick | Debut |
| Megan Khang | Massachusetts | Captain’s Pick | Fifth Appearance |
| Rose Zhang | California | Captain’s Pick | Third appearance |
The U.S. squad was formed through three selection methods. Seven players earned their spots via the U.S. Solheim Cup points list. Two additional spots went to the highest-ranked American players who had not yet qualified, as determined by the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Captain Angela Stanford selected the final three players via Captain’s Pick.
The qualification phase ended after the CPKC Women’s Open. This automatically secured spots for nine players. Shortly thereafter, Stanford rounded out her team with Lindy Duncan, Megan Khang, and Rose Zhang.
How the Solheim Cup Works: Rules and Formats of the Team Event.
Nelly Korda, Angel Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh, Auston Kim, Lauren Coughlin, and Allisen Corpuz qualified via the U.S. Solheim Cup points list. Korda led the field. Auston Kim was the only debutante among the players who secured their spots this way.
Andrea Lee and Alison Lee made the team via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Neither had qualified through the top seven spots on the U.S. points list, but they were among the highest-ranked American players in the world rankings who had not yet been selected.
This marks Andrea Lee’s third appearance. Alison Lee is also returning to the U.S. team for the third time—following her appearances in 2015 and 2024.
For her personal selections, Stanford chose three players with very different profiles: Lindy Duncan is making her debut, while Megan Khang and Rose Zhang are already established members of the U.S. team.
Commenting on her selections, Stanford said, “When it came down to it, I wanted to stick with what I believed in from the start. To win in Europe, it will take great putting and good chemistry. That’s exactly what guided my decision.”
These are the players: Get to know Team Europe for the 2026 Solheim Cup here.
Angela Stanford knows the Solheim Cup from two perspectives. The seven-time LPGA Tour winner has competed in the transatlantic showdown six times as a player and has also served as assistant captain three times. In 2026, she will take on the role of captain of the U.S. team for the first time.
Stanford will be supported by Kristy McPherson, Paula Creamer, and Brittany Lang. The leadership team brings a wealth of Solheim Cup experience to the table. Together, the four leaders must not only oversee the team’s athletic preparation but also determine which players work best together in the foursomes and four-balls.
For Stanford, this new role holds special significance: “I am incredibly grateful to have been named the next U.S. captain for the Solheim Cup and to join the ranks of my role models in this sport. I have always believed that on the LPGA Tour I represent more than just myself, and there is no greater honor than representing my country. I consider this the highlight of my career.”
Her first team consists of a core of experienced players and two players making their debut in the competition. This makes the U.S. a relatively well-coordinated team—at the same time, Bernardus marks the most important test of Stanford’s new role.
Nelly Korda is the face of the American team. The Floridian tops the world rankings, has won 19 LPGA tournaments, and has claimed four major titles. She will be competing in the 2026 Solheim Cup for the fifth time.
Korda qualified as the leader of the U.S. points list. Her Solheim Cup record to date stands at 10-5-1. She has already competed in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024, and is thus familiar with both close matches and the pressure of major team moments.
For Team USA, Korda is more than just a prominent player at the top of the list. As the world’s number one, she brings sporting authority to the table and is likely to play a central role in Stanford’s strategic considerations. The captain will decide which sessions she actually plays in and who she pairs with based on the specific match and team composition.
Angel Yin will be on the U.S. team for the fourth time. Her previous selections came in 2017 and 2023 as a Captain’s Pick, as well as in 2019 via the Rolex World Rankings. In 2026, she qualified for the first time via the U.S. points list.
Yin has won five matches, lost three, and tied one in the Solheim Cup so far. Her performance in 2019 was particularly notable: Teaming up with Ally Ewing, she won a fourball match against Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall 7 & 5—one of the most decisive results in the history of the competition.
Yin has also posted strong results on the Tour in recent years. Since the 2024 FM Championship, she has won the Honda LPGA Thailand and recorded 13 additional top-ten finishes. She brings experience, a competitive spirit, and a positive trajectory to the U.S. team.
Jennifer Kupcho has been a member of every U.S. Solheim Cup team since 2021. At Bernardus, she will be making her fourth appearance. The Colorado native has qualified in various ways: in 2021 via the Rolex World Rankings, in 2023 via the points list, and in 2024 as a Captain’s Pick. In 2026, she once again qualified directly via the U.S. points list.
In her debut, Kupcho led the American team with 2.5 points. According to official qualifying statistics, she currently has a record of 3-4-1 from eight matches. She is thus familiar with all three formats of the competition and brings several years of experience on the U.S. team.
Stanford particularly values Kupcho’s intensity and fighting spirit: “I’m very pleased that Angel and Jennifer have secured their spots following the major season. I’ve watched both of them represent the U.S. over the past few years, and they both bring the intensity our team will need in Europe. I love that these two secured their spots at the same time. They play very similarly and never give up.”
Yealimi Noh is making her second appearance on the U.S. team. The Californian made her Solheim Cup debut in 2021, winning two matches and losing one.
In 2026, Noh secured her spot via the U.S. points list. This marks the return of a player who is already familiar with the atmosphere of the competition but does not yet have the same long-standing Solheim Cup experience as Korda, Khang, or Kupcho. It is precisely this blend of experience and potential for growth that makes Noh an intriguing option for Stanford.
Auston Kim is one of two players making their debut for the U.S. at the 2026 Solheim Cup. The Florida native qualified automatically via the U.S. points list and therefore did not have to hope for a Captain’s Pick.
Her debut exemplifies the generational shift within the U.S. team. Kim isn’t stepping in as a replacement for Bernardus, but rather as one of the top seven players from the U.S. selection process. Now she must prove her skills for the first time in the unique formats of the Solheim Cup.
Lauren Coughlin will be playing in her second Solheim Cup. In her 2024 debut, the Virginia native remained undefeated: she won three matches and tied one—while playing with three different partners.
This versatility is particularly valuable in the Solheim Cup. The captain can deploy a player who works well with different partners more flexibly. Coughlin also brings fresh confidence to the table: in 2026, she won the Aramco Championship, securing her third LPGA Tour title.
Allisen Corpuz is on the U.S. team for the third consecutive time. The Hawaiian was already part of the team in 2023 and 2024 and qualified via the U.S. points list in 2026.
Corpuz won the U.S. Women’s Open in 2023 and has a record of five wins, two losses, and one tied match in the Solheim Cup so far. Her record and experience in major tournaments make her one of the most reliable players on the team.
Within the team, Corpuz can serve as an important link between the team captain, Korda, and the rest of the players. She has already experienced how quickly the dynamics can shift between the various match-play formats.
Andrea Lee qualified for her third appearance via the Rolex World Rankings. The Californian has a Solheim Cup record of 3-2-2 to date.
Lee was particularly successful in 2024 alongside Rose Zhang. The duo won both of their four-ball matches convincingly, 5 & 4 and 6 & 4. It remains to be seen whether Stanford will rely on this pairing again. However, their history together offers the captain a proven option for the format in which each player plays her own ball.
Lee also brings exceptional consistency off the Tee. In the 2026 season, she led the LPGA Tour in fairway hitting percentage. This reliability could prove especially important in foursomes, where every shot directly contributes to the team’s overall performance.
Alison Lee returns to the U.S. team in 2026. The Californian previously competed in 2015 and 2024 and will be playing in her third Solheim Cup. She secured her spot via the Rolex World Rankings.
Her return is also notable from a personal perspective: Lee was on maternity leave for much of the qualifying period after her son Levi was born in April 2025. In 2026, she made her comeback with three top-five finishes—at the Mizuho Americas Open, the Dow Championship, and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
This makes Lee’s comeback story a special one, backed by impressive athletic achievements. She is the first mother on the U.S. team since Cristie Kerr in 2017.
Lindy Duncan received the first of three captain’s picks from Angela Stanford. At 35, she is the oldest player on the U.S. team and also the oldest American debutante since Nancy Scranton, who made her Solheim Cup debut in 2000 at the age of 39.
Duncan was on track for a long time to qualify via the Rolex World Rankings. However, she lost her position after the Standard Portland Classic. Over the past two LPGA seasons, she has recorded 14 top-25 finishes, including a seventh-place finish at the 2026 HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Stanford relies above all on Duncan’s putting and maturity: “As far as chemistry goes, I know she’s a rookie. But she’s a very mature rookie. She has a good sense of herself, and that’s exactly what shows me she can fit into this team. She won’t bring any unrest to the team room.”
Duncan is therefore not your typical rookie. Although she’s making her Solheim Cup debut, she brings more than a decade of experience in professional golf.
Megan Khang is heading into her fifth Solheim Cup. The Massachusetts native has competed in the past four tournaments and was named a Captain’s Pick in 2026.
Her overall record stands at 7-3-3 over 13 matches. Even more impressive is the most recent stretch of her Solheim Cup career: In her last eight matches, Khang has won seven times and tied one. In 2024, she remained undefeated as one of only four players in the entire competition.
Her recent form on the tour has been inconsistent, but in the Solheim Cup, Khang has repeatedly proven that she can channel her performance and energy toward the team. Stanford therefore describes her as an emotional driving force: “She’s the battery. She’s the one who gets everything going. When you’re playing in Europe, you need a high level of energy, and she brings that energy—genuinely and authentically. She doesn’t have to try to be that way; it’s just who she is. We know her form is on the rise.”
Rose Zhang was also selected via Captain’s Pick and is playing in her third consecutive Solheim Cup. Her record from previous appearances stands at 4-2-1.
In the 2024 edition, Zhang remained undefeated and won all four matches. In the foursomes, she and Lauren Coughlin prevailed 3 & 2. In four-ball, she won twice alongside Andrea Lee—first 5 & 4, then 6 & 4. In singles, she defeated Carlota Ciganda, also 6 & 4.
None of these four matches went past the 17th hole. Zhang thus delivered one of the most impressive performances of the last tournament and provided Stanford with a strong case for her nomination.
Zhang is important to the U.S. not only because of her results. She brings calm and presence to the team room and has already proven that she quickly finds her rhythm in the unique atmosphere of the Solheim Cup.
Team USA has two rookies in 2026: Auston Kim and Lindy Duncan. This means the U.S. squad is relying more on experience than Team Europe, which is fielding four rookies.
The paths these two players took to Bernardus could hardly be more different. Kim represents the rise of a younger player who secured her spot through the U.S. points list. Duncan, at 35, is significantly older and brings extensive tour experience, even though this is her first Solheim Cup.
For both, the term “rookie” in the Solheim Cup simply means that a player has not yet competed in this event. The label alone says little about their actual experience, skill level, or maturity.
The Americans are traveling to Bernardus as the defending champions. In 2024, Team USA defeated Europe 15.5–12.5 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. For the United States, it was their first victory since 2017—and the win ended a long dry spell in the competition.
In 2023, the match in Spain ended in a 14–14 tie. Because Europe was the defending champion at the time, the trophy remained with the European team. In 2026, the advantage in the event of a tie lies with the U.S.: As the defending champions, the American women would retain the trophy.
The historical record also favors Team USA. The official team website lists the record as 11–7–1 in favor of the United States. At the same time, Europe has won three of the past four tournaments or retained the trophy. Moreover, the last U.S. victory on European soil was quite some time ago: In 2015, Team USA prevailed at the Solheim Cup in Germany.
The Americans have the advantage of a combination of Nelly Korda leading the way, several proven match-play players, and an experienced leadership team. Khang, Zhang, Coughlin, and Corpuz have recently shown that they can handle the unique atmosphere. The challenge lies in replicating that level of performance in Europe.
Added to this is the fact that Angela Stanford is serving as captain for the first time and is responsible for the entire team. She must strike the right balance between current form, past Solheim Cup successes, and the chemistry within the pairings. Whether the defending champions can prevail again will therefore not be decided solely by the world rankings.
The Solheim Cup is played in a match-play format. Foursomes and fourballs are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Twelve singles matches follow on Sunday.
A total of 28 points are up for grabs. A tied match earns each team half a point. Europe needs 14.5 points to win the tournament. As the defending champion, Team USA only needs a 14–14 tie to retain the trophy.
For a detailed explanation of match play, foursomes, fourballs, and the singles matches at the Solheim Cup, see our Rules and Format Guide.
The 2026 Solheim Cup will be held in the Netherlands for the first time. The tournament will be played at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, near ’s-Hertogenbosch and Eindhoven. For Team USA, this means the tournament is not only about defending the trophy but also a special away challenge on European soil.
The main matches will be held from September 11 to 13. You can find all the information about the course, the region, and the venue in our article about Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
The U.S. team includes Nelly Korda, Angel Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh, Auston Kim, Lauren Coughlin, Allisen Corpuz, Andrea Lee, Alison Lee, Lindy Duncan, Megan Khang, and Rose Zhang.
Angela Stanford will lead Team USA as captain at the 2026 Solheim Cup. Kristy McPherson, Paula Creamer, and Brittany Lang will serve as assistant captains.
Auston Kim and Lindy Duncan will make their debuts at the 2026 Solheim Cup. This means the U.S. squad consists of two rookies.
Angela Stanford selected Lindy Duncan, Megan Khang, and Rose Zhang as her three Captain’s Picks.
Seven players qualified via the U.S. Solheim Cup points list. Two additional spots were awarded based on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Captain Angela Stanford personally selected three players.
Yes. Nelly Korda qualified via the U.S. points list and will be competing in her fifth Solheim Cup in 2026. She heads to Bernardus as the world No. 1 with a Solheim Cup record of 10-5-1.
The main matches will take place from September 11–13, 2026, at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, the Netherlands.
Yes. The U.S. won the 2024 Solheim Cup with a score of 15.5–12.5 against Europe. As the defending champion, a tie in 2026 will be enough for them to retain the trophy.
The last U.S. victory on European soil came in 2015. At the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, Team USA aims to defend the trophy once again outside the United States.
The 2026 Solheim Cup Team USA combines athletic excellence with extensive experience in the transatlantic showdown. Nelly Korda leads the team as the world No. 1. Players such as Angel Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Lauren Coughlin, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, and Rose Zhang also bring strong personal experience from previous tournaments.
With Auston Kim and Lindy Duncan, there are only two rookies on the roster. While Kim earned her spot via the U.S. points list, Duncan was nominated for her maturity, her putting skills, and her potential to fit into the team dynamic. Together with the new leadership team led by Angela Stanford, this results in a squad that brings a wealth of experience to the table, despite playing on the road.
Whether this mix will be enough for a successful title defense will be decided September 11–13 at Bernardus Golf. One thing is already certain: Team USA is traveling to the Netherlands not only as the defending champion but also with the clear goal of retaining the trophy against Europe once again.
02 Sep 2026
Nelly Korda will certainly play an important role again for Team USA at the 2026 Solheim Cup. (Photo: Imago / Icon Sportswire)