Angel Yin Cleared for Solheim Cup Practice as Vu Waits in Uniform

U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford said Tuesday that Angel Yin is playing this week at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, having completed two practice rounds, while former world No. 1 Lilia Vu is on site as the Americans' alternate in case Yin cannot go. Yin has played once since June because of a stomach illness that hospitalized her for six days during the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and she has said she lost 35 pounds as a result.

What has Angel Yin been dealing with?

Yin began experiencing stomach pain and nausea during the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in late June, withdrew during the third round, and was hospitalized for six days. She has not disclosed a diagnosis but has said she lost 35 pounds and had to request different-sized uniforms. She missed the season's final two majors as a result.

Her only competitive start since was the FM Championship in Boston, 15 days before the Solheim Cup, where she shot 81 and 76 to miss the cut. Yin called the improvement from the first round to the second "an immense improvement for her," even though it wouldn't look that way on a leaderboard. She has also said that if she felt unfit to play, she would tell Stanford herself.

What has Stanford said about Yin's status?

"She's playing. She's played two practice rounds," Stanford said Tuesday, adding that the team is still gauging her condition and that Yin is happy to be there. Three weeks earlier, Stanford had said the situation was not an injury, that she and Yin had been in regular contact, and that she was giving Yin "all the runway that she needs." Stanford has not said whether Yin will play both sessions on a given day, or which ones; pairings have not yet been announced.

Two practice rounds and a captain still gauging is the whole verified picture.

Why is Lilia Vu on site as the alternate?

The U.S. captain names two alternates when the team is announced, and the first steps in if a player cannot compete. Vu, who holed the clinching half-point at the 2024 Solheim Cup, had missed 10 straight cuts and slipped to 235th in the world ranking before this week. Rose Zhang is also managing a minor back injury that forced a withdrawal from a tournament in Canada last month, adding a second name to watch on the American side.

Yin was a captain's pick in 2017 and 2023 and qualified via the world rankings in 2019, making the 2026 team automatically on points despite her two-month absence. She carries a 5-3-1 career Solheim Cup record and has two LPGA wins.

Pairings for Friday's opening session are expected to be announced later this week.