Since its inception in 1990, the Solheim Cup has grown rapidly in stature and much like the Ryder Cup, it brings an energetic and fiercely competitive atmosphere that can only be fashioned by match-play golf.
With this year’s tournament fast approaching and the Team Europe squad being finalised, it’s shaping up to be another close contest at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Europe’s star player Charley Hull is having an impressive season and is notably elevating her game on the biggest stages, with three top tens at the majors, including a second placed finish at the US Open.
Does Charley Hull Feel Solheim Cup Nerves?
(Image Credit: PIF London Championship)
Asked about her approach to the Solheim while at the recent PIF London Championship, she said: "Just enjoy it, just think it’s another day on the golf course and you’re out with your mates playing golf, just trick your mind like that.
"You’re out there to have fun and it’s only a game at the end of the day."
Whether Hull had that same attitude as a 17-year-old teeing it up in her first Solheim Cup, who knows, but whatever the formula is it’s working.
She boasts a 15-9-3 (W-L-H) record across seven appearances and even came out of her debut with two points in a memorable winning effort for Europe on away soil in 2013.
Will Lottie Woad Make The Difference For Europe?
That experience will hopefully inspire the next batch of Solheim rookies; Lottie Woad, Julia López Ramírez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes.
Woad, who only turned professional just over a year ago, qualified automatically, and Hull is stoked for her to be there.
Asked how she’s feeling about Europe’s chances she replied: "Really good, I’m really glad that Lottie’s in the team, I think Lottie’s a really really cool girl."
Woad arrived on the scene with a splash, winning on her professional debut at the Scottish Open and backing it up with a T8 at the AIG Women’s Open and third place at the Kroger Queen City Championship.
She has continued on a tear through 2026, this time winning the Kroger Queen City Championship as well as registering six top-ten finishes in 17 starts on the LPGA Tour.
Anna Nordqvist Brings in New Generation
The other three rookies were more surprising additions as all were selected by captain Anna Nordqvist, who left out a few notable names.
Chiara Tamburlini will feel hard done by, having been in position to automatically qualify until the final day of the AIG Women’s Open when Esther Henseleit’s runner-up finish pushed her out by less than a point.
Meanwhile, former Solheim players including Emily Kristine Pedersen and Albane Valenzuela could not produce the form to warrant selection, leaving the door open to the next generation of European talent.
In Nadaud and Ramírez, Nordqvist has valued their consistency, having made 12 and 11 cuts from 15 appearances respectively. Rhodes meanwhile made eight of 16 cuts but backed that up with two top ten finishes.
Have Both Teams Underperformed in 2026?
Ultimately nobody put themself in a position where they had to be selected, and according to USA Solheim hopeful Alison Lee that is the same for both sides.
At the PIF London Championship, she said: "I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but I feel like on both sides we haven’t seen amazing performances, all our major tours in general have been pretty much dominated by international players.
"It will be cool to see a lot of new faces play this year, especially someone like Mimi Rhodes, I think she’s a great player and I think she has the potential to play a lot of future Solheim Cups.
"I was a little bit shocked by that pick but I think it will be a good pick for them for future Solheim Cups to come, same with Julia López Ramírez I think she’s an incredible ball striker."
While new faces have the potential to shake things up, they are unlikely to tip the scales significantly in favour of either side if past Solheim Cups are anything to go off.
In recent years the tournament has been decided by the narrowest of margins. Europe were victorious in 2019 by just one point, in 2021 they went back-to-back winning in the states at Inverness Club by two points, the teams then tied in 2023, before the USA claimed the trophy for their own by a three-point swing in 2024.
Europe's Team Chemistry is Special
(Image Credit: PIF London Championship)
Despite new faces, the Europeans will still have chemistry. The majority of the automatic qualifiers have played in multiple Solheim Cups together, while Nordqvist has shared the fairways with them across her nine appearances.
The tight knit group celebrated retaining the trophy in 2023 with a pool party in Spain and Hull has suggested her caddie Adam Woodward as a solid DJ option should they be victorious this year.
"We’ll be playing a lot of songs, Adsy (Adam Woodward) is like the DJ, he came to stay at mine for the last two nights and he was having a little boogie to himself, he was using a cocktail shaker as an air guitar it was hilarious, so he can be in charge of the DJing."
The Solheim Cup takes place from the 11th-13th of September, as Europe attempts to take the trophy back from the USA on home soil.
