Anne Van Dam, the PING Junior Solheim Cup captain for Team Europe, is convinced that her youngsters have a genuine shot at wresting the trophy back from the United States at Bernardus Golf this week. The Dutch star emphasized that her players will "fight to the last putt" in pursuit of the win. A group of twelve elite European golfers, aged between 12 and 18, are set to face Team USA on September 7 and 8 in the PING Junior Soliman Cup at the Bernardus Golf resort in the Netherlands.
The competition arrives just three days before the senior Solheim Cup kicks off on September 11, a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. For the first time in the event’s history, both the junior and senior Solheim Cups will share the same venue and be played within the same week, creating a unique atmosphere for the young competitors who will walk the same fairways as the world’s best women golfers later that month. The 2026 edition also marks a historic first for the captaincy structure. Van Dam, who will also serve as a vice‑captain for the senior Solheim Cup under Anna Nordqvist, becomes the inaugural PING Junior Solheim Cup skipper to hold a dual role.
Her former teammate from the 2013 junior competition, Bronte Law, will act as her vice‑captain, adding another layer of experience to the European bench. Across the Atlantic, Morgan Pressel leads Team USA and enters the contest as the favorite. The American side are defending champions after their 2024 triumph at the Army‑Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. Pressel’s roster includes a mix of rising stars and seasoned junior performers, many of whom have already tasted success on the AJGA circuit.
Despite the United States’ strong pedigree—an all‑time record of eight wins, four losses and one tie in the junior event—Van Dam remains optimistic. "My team are all fighters," she said. "They all have big personalities and very feisty attitudes.
I know they will fight hard to the last putt. That's sometimes a very hard thing to teach someone.
You either have that, or you don't. Everyone on our team has that." Van Dam added that she hopes Europe can close the gap in the overall standings.
"Europe is a little bit behind in the total points, and I would love for them to catch up," she explained, underscoring the importance of each individual match in the two‑day format. The competition format mirrors that of the senior event: six four‑ball matches and six foursomes on Monday, September 7, followed by twelve singles matches on Tuesday, September 8.
The cumulative score will determine which side lifts the Junior Solheim Cup. Team selection for Europe was largely driven by performance in the R&A Girls' Amateur Championship held in August. The top six finishers in the PING Junior Solheim Cup rankings after that tournament earned automatic spots.
Van Dam used her captain’s picks to round out the squad, selecting Spain’s Marta Muñoz after she defeated compatriot Adriana García Terol in the 36‑hole final of the R&A Girls' Amateur. García Terol, along with Switzerland’s Lana Guyot—who reached the semi‑finals—also qualified automatically. England contributed two players: Lauren Crump, who captured the Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden, qualified via the rankings, while Annabel Peaford was added as a captain’s pick. The English contingent brings a blend of recent tournament victories and steady ranking points.
On the American side, the headline name is Asterisk Talley, a two‑time Junior Solheim Cup participant who currently tops the Rolex AJGA rankings and captured the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in August.
Amelie Zalsman has been in fine form all season, posting top‑five finishes in every AJGA start and finishing runner‑up at the U.S. Girls’ Junior 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.
Both captains bring a wealth of personal experience to their roles. Van Dam and Law both played in the 2013 Junior Solheim Cup, giving them insight into the pressures young players face on such a stage.
Pressel, a former junior competitor herself, has guided many of her players through the transition from junior to elite amateur competition. Past participants who have moved on to the senior tour also feature on the rosters. Team USA’s lineup includes future LPGA stars such as Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee, all of whom cut their teeth in the junior event.
Europe’s side boasts names like Charley Hull, Georgia Hall and Anna Nordqvist—who will captain the senior Solheim Cup in 2026—adding depth and a sense of continuity between the junior and senior programs. The stakes are high for the European youngsters, who see the chance to play on the same course as the senior Solheim Cup as a career‑defining moment.
"For them, playing on the same venue as the Solheim Cup is groundbreaking," Van Dam said, noting the inspirational value of the experience. The tournament will be streamed live on Sky Sports Golf, with all three days of the senior Solheim Cup also available on the same platform from September 11‑13. Golf fans can follow the action, compare scores across the junior and senior events, and watch the next generation of talent emerge. As the teams prepare to tee off, the central question remains: can Europe overturn the United States’ historical dominance and reclaim the Junior Solheim Cup?
Van Dam believes her squad’s fighting spirit, combined with the added motivation of playing on a world‑class venue, gives them a realistic chance. The coming two days promise intense competition, dramatic swings, and plenty of putts that will be fought for until the very last stroke.