When it comes to future U.S. Solheim Cup captains, Team USA has a deep pool of candidates. So deep, in fact, that it might be some time before we see some big names take the helm.
Stacy Lewis recently named a record four assistant captains for the 2024 Solheim Cup, adding Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome into the fold. Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford return as assistants after working with Lewis last year in Spain.
What does the Solheim Cup committee look for in choosing a captain? Past Solheim Cup experience is a must. While winning a major isn’t a requirement (i.e. Rosie Jones), it’s definitely preferred.
And given how much the Solheim Cup has grown over the years, experience as an assistant captain will surely be seen as a vital component.
The list of players who should be given the honor is so long, in fact, that it’s hard to see how someone like Dottie Pepper gets back into the fold, though it’s certainly possible.
Here’s a list of decorated players who are likely to get the nod in the coming years:
Assistant Captain Angela Stanford of Team United States looks on during a practice round ahead of the start of the 2021 Solheim Cup at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
It’s hard to imagine anyone else leading Team USA in the the Netherlands in 2026. Stanford, who is in the midst of her third stint as an assistant captain, loves a good home game. A seven-time winner on the LPGA, including the 2018 Evian, Stanford played on six Solheim Cup teams, defeating Suzann Pettersen in a pivotal singles match in 2015.
Morgan Pressel plays her shot from the second tee in her match with Anna Nordqvist of Team Europe during the final day singles matches of the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
No one on the list sees more golf shots on the LPGA than Pressel, who now works as lead analyst for Golf Channel/NBC. The former Kraft Nabisco champion has now twice served as an assistant captain for Lewis, most recently playing on the team in 2019. Her time will come soon.
Paula Creamer of Team USA celebrates birdie on the 10th green during the final day singles matches of the Solheim Cup at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 20, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
For a long time, Creamer was the face of Team USA. When it comes to the Solheim Cup, Creamer is all about the team, and she’s a natural leader. From her rookie year in 2005 to 2017, Creamer didn’t miss a Solheim Cup. A 10-time winner on the LPGA, she became the youngest player in U.S. Solheim Cup history when she qualified as a rookie in 2005. She also holds the record for most foursomes victories with seven and set the pace early in strong singles play (5-2-0).
Michelle Wie and Danielle Kang of Team USA dance on the first tee during the morning foursomes matches of the Solheim Cup at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 19, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
A member of five Solheim Cup teams, Wie West served as an assistant captain to Pat Hurst for the 2021 Solheim Cup at Inverness. A captain’s pick in 2009, Wie West made Beth Daniel proud with her 3-0-1 performance at Rich Harvest Farms to lead Team USA to victory. More importantly, Wie West had a blast doing it. It proved to be a pivotal week in her career.
Cristie Kerr of Team USA holds the Solheim Cup trophy during the closing ceremony after the final day singles matches of The Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 20, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
The most prolific American winner on the LPGA over the past 25 years, Kerr played in her first Solheim Cup back in 2002. A 20-time winner on the LPGA, including two majors, Kerr compiled an 18-14-6 record in her nine appearances. The mother of two last qualified for a Solheim Cup team in 2017. She has played a limited schedule on the LPGA in recent years.
Team USA’s Brittany Lincicome hits out of a bunker on the second hole during a singles match at the Solheim Cup golf tournament Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
An eight-time winner on the LPGA, including two majors, Lincicome paired with good friend Brittany Lang four times in four-ball play at the Solheim and went 4-0. Lincicome, also now a mother of two, didn’t miss a Solheim Cup from 2007 to 2017.
Brittany Lang of team U.S. reacts as she walks off the eleventh green during the final round of the 2013 Solheim Cup at the Colorado Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
A veteran of five Solheim Cups, Lang last represented the red, white and blue in 2017. A two-time winner on the LPGA, including the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open, the laid-back Texan joins Kerr as the only players on this list who have yet to fill the role of assistant captain.
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