Anne Van Dam, the PING Junior Solheim Cup captain for Team Europe, is confident that her young squad has a realistic chance of reclaiming the trophy from the United States at Bernardus Golf this week. Van Dam emphasizes that her players possess the grit to "fight to the last putt" when the outcome hangs in the balance. The competition brings together twelve of Europe’s most promising golfers, all aged between 12 and 18, who will face off against their American counterparts on September 7 and 8 in the PING Junior Soliman Cup.
The venue, Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, will also host the senior Solheim Cup three days later, making it the first occasion that both events share the same course in the same week. The 2026 edition is historic for another reason: it is the inaugural year in which the Junior Solheim Cup captain also serves as a vice‑captain for the senior Solheim Cup.
Van Dam will sit alongside Anna Nordqvist, the European captain for the main event, as one of her vice‑captains. Assisting Van Dam on the junior side is former teammate Bronte Law, who will act as her vice‑captain.
Across the Atlantic, former tour professional Morgan Pressel leads Team USA. Pressel’s side enters the contest as the favorites after defending their title at the Army‑Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia, in 2024. Despite the American advantage on paper, Van Dam remains optimistic. "My team are all fighters," Van Dam said in a pre‑tournament interview.
"They each have big personalities and a feisty attitude. I know they will battle hard to the final putt. That's something you either have or you don't, and every player on our roster has it." She added that Europe currently trails in the overall standings but hopes the junior event will narrow the gap.
Historically, the United States leads the all‑time Junior Solheim Cup record 8‑4‑1, yet Europe turned the tables on home soil in 2023, winning 15‑9 in Spain. Van Dam expressed excitement about watching the young athletes develop over the next two days and beyond.
"There are a lot of future superstars in this field. From the moment I started speaking with them, I could feel how eager they are to learn from me and Bronte.
Playing on the same course that will host the senior Solheim Cup is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience for them." Selection for Team Europe was based largely on the PING Junior Solheim Cup rankings, which are updated after the R&A Girls' Amateur Championship in August. The top six European players in those rankings earned automatic spots.
Van Dam also exercised her captain's picks, adding Spain’s Marta Muñoz after her dramatic 36‑hole victory over compatriot Adriana García Terol in the R&A Girls' Amateur final. García Terol qualified automatically via the rankings, as did Switzerland’s Lana Guyot, who reached the semi‑finals of the same championship. England contributed two more players: Lauren Crump, who captured the Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden, and Annabel Peaford, who was chosen as a captain’s pick. The roster therefore blends automatic qualifiers with strategic selections, creating a balanced team of seasoned competitors and rising talent.
Team USA’s lineup features Asterisk Talley, a two‑time Junior Solheim Cup participant who topped the Rolex AJGA rankings and claimed the US Women’s Amateur title in August. Amélie Zalsman has been in superb form, posting top‑five finishes in every AGJA event she entered this season and finishing runner‑up at the US Girls’ Junior Championship in July. Anna Fang, a key figure in the 2024 U.S.
victory, has risen to 52nd in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings after a strong showing at the Rolex Tournament of Champions in 2025. Both captains bring a wealth of experience. Van Dam and Law both played in the 2013 Junior Solheim Cup, giving them insight into the pressures young players face.
On the American side, former junior participants such as Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee have gone on to successful professional careers, underscoring the event’s role as a pipeline for future stars. The format mirrors the senior competition: on Monday, September 7, six four‑ball matches and six foursomes will be contested, followed by twelve singles matches on Tuesday, September 8. The cumulative points will decide the winner of the Junior Solheim Cup, while the senior Solheim Cup will kick off on September 11 and run through September 13, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf. Beyond the on‑course action, the event highlights the growing importance of junior golf in Europe and the United States.
By staging the junior and senior cups on the same venue within a single week, organizers aim to inspire the next generation, offering them a glimpse of the atmosphere, crowds, and media attention that accompany elite competition. For many of the participants, stepping onto the same fairways that will host legends like Annika Sörenstam, Suzann Pettersen and, this year, Charley Hull, is a defining moment in their budding careers. Van Dam’s belief that her team will “fight to the last putt” reflects a broader shift in European junior golf toward a more aggressive, mentally resilient style of play.
Coaches are increasingly emphasizing psychological training, course management, and the ability to perform under pressure—skills that are essential when a single putt can determine a match. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on the young athletes who may soon become the faces of the senior Solheim Cup.
Whether Europe can overturn the United States’ historical edge remains to be seen, but the enthusiasm, talent, and determination on display promise a thrilling contest and a bright future for women’s golf worldwide.