6 contenders to be next European Solheim Cup captain

There was to be no four-peat for Team Europe at the Solheim Cup last week.

The winning run began in 2019 at Gleneagles and if there is one consolation, the 2026 match is back on home soil.

Suzann Pettersen won’t return to the hotseat after two years in charge, marking her tenure with one draw and one defeat.

Meanwhile, her decisions were brought into question by one of her own players, Leona Maguire, who said her snub at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club was a “bitter pill to swallow”.

Should Maguire be part of the next Solheim Cup, she might play under one of Pettersen’s vice-captains, or even one of her teammates.

Here are six contenders to take over…

• Solheim Cup results: How Team USA regained the trophy

• 7 contenders to be next US Solheim Cup captain?

Team Europe Solheim Cup captaincy candidates

Mel Reid

A vice-captain for the 2024 contest, England’s Mel Reid looks primed to step up. The 36-year-old grasped her responsibilities last week and was confident Europe could still win, despite trailing on Friday. That spirit might have rubbed off on the players ahead of Sunday singles and her four Solheim starts as a player offers plenty of experience.

Anna Nordqvist

The Swede was a playing-assistant captain last year, so has a solid understanding of what it takes from both sides. Nordqvist has also spoken of her dream to be a Solheim Cup captain one day, making this move a matter of when, not if. Now an eight-time Solheim Cupper, the major champ’s hat is in the ring.

Caroline Martens

Pettersen could pass the torch to compatriot Caroline Martens, one of her vice-captains in Virginia. The Norwegian filled that role in Spain last year, too, while she admitted to taking care of some of the personalities on Team Europe this year. That could lend her to be a popular candidate among players, despite never teeing it up in the event.

• Where will the Solheim Cup be played in 2026?

• Leona Maguire makes thinly veiled dig at Suzann Pettersen

Laura Davies

A four-time vice-captain, the Englishwoman has long been a shoo-in to lead the European team but never has. But Davies told bunkered before the 2023 match that she wouldn’t be able to give it 100% due to her job as a commentator. Two years is a long time in golf, though, so maybe there is some persuading.

Sophie Gustafson

Sophie Gustafson and Pettersen formed one of Europe’s best Solheim Cup partnerships during their playing days, so would be a welcome choice. She won 16 points across eight appearances, while all three of her wins as a player came in Europe. A vice-captain in 2015, the Swede has captaincy credentials.

Gwladys Nocera

If winning the Junior Solheim Cup gets you a shot, then Gwladys Nocera is in. A 14-time LET winner, she retired in 2018 and has turned her focus to coaching and captaincy. The Frenchwoman Solheim Cup record as a player doesn’t make for good reading (0-4), but Nocera’s junior side won 15-9 on home soil last year.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.