Anna Nordqvist to captain Europeans at next year's Solheim Cup in bid to reclaim trophy from US

LONDON (AP) — Anna Nordqvist was appointed Monday as the captain of the European team for next year’s Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, and described the role as “the greatest honor you can get as a golfer.”

Europe will look to reclaim the cup after losing 15½-12½ on U.S. soil last year. That was the Americans’ first win since 2017.

Nordqvist, a 37-year-old Swede who is a three-time major champion and still active on the Ladies European Tour, was a playing vice-captain in the 2023 and 2024 matches and has represented Europe nine times in the biggest team event in women’s golf.

She is one of the European team’s most successful players, winning the Solheim Cup five times and claiming 17 victories in her 35 matches in the events.

“Whether we were winning or losing, the Solheim Cup has played such a huge part in my career ever since I made my debut in 2009 in Chicago,” Nordqvist said. “The friendships I have made, and the memories created during the nine matches I’ve played, make it so incredibly special to be given the opportunity to be European captain at my 10th Solheim Cup.”

In an interview with Swedish news agency TT, Nordqvist said she has been “under incredible stress for so many years” because she produces high levels of cortisol — a stress hormone — and has undergone therapy and learned trauma management to handle the issue.

“It has knocked out my entire system on the golf course, at times I could feel rather unconscious,” she was quoted as saying. “There are several tournaments I don’t even remember having played. The Solheim Cup in Spain (in 2023) is one of them. I remember a few holes here and there.”

She also said she had surgery in November after doctors discovered a large cyst and a tumor in her stomach. They turned out to be benign, but that ordeal also caused her “a great deal of anxiety,” she said.

“Today I would say that I feel very good," Nordqvist, whose last major was the British Open in 2021, told TT, “but it has taken a very long time to get here and it has been a tough journey.”

The 2026 edition will take place at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, a village in southern Netherlands close to the historic cathedral city of Den Bosch. It will be the first time the Netherlands hosts the Solheim Cup.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf