Nordqvist Picks Four Rookies for 2026 European Solheim Cup Team
By Staff Writer
4 min read
LoopGolf
Key takeaways
- Europe's 12-player Solheim Cup team combines eight automatic qualifiers with four captain's picks Anna Nordqvist announced on August 3, 2026.
- Four players -- Lottie Woad, Julia López Ramírez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes -- will make their Solheim Cup debuts.
- The 20th Solheim Cup runs September 11-13 at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, the first edition held in the Netherlands.
- Esther Henseleit claimed the final automatic spot with a runner-up finish at the AIG Women's Open after birdieing the 72nd hole to force a playoff.
- The United States, which won the last Solheim Cup 15.5-12.5 in Virginia in 2024, is defending the trophy against a European side that has won five of nine home editions.
Anna Nordqvist completed her 12-player European Solheim Cup team on August 3, 2026, adding four captain's picks to eight automatic qualifiers a day after the AIG Women's Open decided the last of the ranking spots. The team will try to win back the trophy at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands from September 11-13.
Who were Nordqvist's four picks?
Leona Maguire, the highest-ranked European in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings who did not qualify automatically, will play her fourth consecutive Solheim Cup. She went unbeaten on her 2021 debut at Inverness, has collected 8.5 points across 12 career matches, and has posted three LPGA top-10 finishes this season.
The other three picks are rookies. Julia López Ramírez, a former world No. 1 amateur from Spain, ranks second in driving distance on the LPGA Tour with five top-25 finishes in 2026. Nastasia Nadaud, a 21-year-old LPGA rookie from France, joins Céline Boutier as the team's second French player. Mimi Rhodes of England won three Ladies European Tour titles in 2025 and was named Rookie of the Year; she also holed the half-point that clinched GB&I's win at the 2024 Curtis Cup at Sunningdale.
How did the other eight qualify?
Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit took the top two spots on the Ladies European Tour's Solheim Cup points list. The next six automatic places went by the Rolex Rankings to Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Céline Boutier, Carlota Ciganda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen.
| Player | Route | Solheim Cup status |
|---|---|---|
| Charley Hull | LET points list | Returning |
| Esther Henseleit | LET points list | Returning |
| Lottie Woad | Rolex Rankings | Rookie |
| Maja Stark | Rolex Rankings | Returning |
| Linn Grant | Rolex Rankings | Returning |
| Céline Boutier | Rolex Rankings | Returning |
| Carlota Ciganda | Rolex Rankings | Returning |
| Nanna Koerstz Madsen | Rolex Rankings | Returning |
| Leona Maguire | Captain's pick | Returning |
| Julia López Ramírez | Captain's pick | Rookie |
| Nastasia Nadaud | Captain's pick | Rookie |
| Mimi Rhodes | Captain's pick | Rookie |
How did Henseleit close out her spot?
Henseleit forced a playoff with a birdie on the 72nd hole at the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, then lost to eventual champion Shiho Kuwaki. The runner-up finish was still enough to leapfrog Chiara Tamburlini for the final automatic berth on the points list. To qualify, a player must be a Ladies European Tour member, a European national, and have competed in at least eight ranking events during the qualifying period.
Who missed out?
The highest-ranked players left off were Dewi Weber at world No. 87, Madelene Sagström at 88, Ingrid Lindblad at 91 and Helen Briem at 94 -- just seven ranking places separating the first name from the last. Weber, who is Dutch, was the only one of the four with a home-soil tie to a Solheim Cup being played in the Netherlands for the first time.
What is Europe trying to do here?
The 2026 match is the 20th Solheim Cup, with Nordqvist facing American captain Angela Stanford. The United States won the last edition 15.5-12.5 in Virginia in 2024. Europe has won five of the nine editions staged on home soil, though the 2023 match at Finca Cortesin finished level -- the first tie in the event's history. A four-rookie team means at least two of them have to produce points from the opening session.
A four-rookie team means at least two of them have to produce points from the opening session.
Frequently asked questions
Who is on the 2026 European Solheim Cup team?
Charley Hull, Esther Henseleit, Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Céline Boutier, Carlota Ciganda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen qualified automatically. Anna Nordqvist added Leona Maguire, Julia López Ramírez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes as captain's picks.
When and where is the 2026 Solheim Cup?
The competition runs September 11-13, 2026, at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, the Netherlands -- the 20th edition of the event and the first held in that country.
How do players qualify for the European Solheim Cup team?
Two routes: the top two players on the Ladies European Tour's Solheim Cup points list, and the next six available players in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. Qualifiers must be LET members, European nationals, and have played at least eight ranking events.
Who missed out on a spot?
Dewi Weber, Madelene Sagström, Ingrid Lindblad and Helen Briem were the highest-ranked players left off the team, ranked world No. 87 through 94.
Who won the last Solheim Cup?
The United States won the 2024 Solheim Cup 15.5-12.5 in Virginia. Europe has won five of nine editions held on home soil.
- Solheim Cup
- Anna Nordqvist
- Leona Maguire
- Charley Hull
- Esther Henseleit
- Bernardus Golf
- LPGA
- Ladies European Tour
