CROMVOIRT, Netherlands — Players and captains from the U.S. and Europe said Thursday that this week’s Solheim Cup will be played with respect, a year after heckling from fans marred the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York.
Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked player, insisted the matches will be played respectfully, The Associated Press reported.
“There’s no bad blood,” Korda said. “We all see each other every week on tour. And I think it’s about representing your country well. When you have beef between each other, it’s not always good for the sport.”
Europe won that Ryder Cup 15-13 last September. Europe’s Maja Stark joined Korda in saying the Solheim Cup matches will be played respectfully.
Stark won the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills by two strokes, with Korda tying for second. Korda won this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera, one shot ahead of Europe’s Charley Hull and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez.
Anna Nordqvist, Angela Stanford Reached ‘Mutual Agreement’
Europe captain Anna Nordqvist said she and U.S. captain Angela Stanford reached a “mutual agreement” early in their captaincies that “women’s golf is going to win this week.”
“I think,” Nordqvist said, “the first tee at 7:40 a.m. tomorrow is going to be the place to be in the golfing world.”
Both captains are leading a team for the first time. Nordqvist, of Sweden, addressed the crowd in Dutch for about a minute at Thursday’s opening ceremony. Stanford, a veteran of nine Solheim Cups as a player or assistant captain, was nearly brought to tears praising her team.
Nordqvist played in nine Solheim Cups from 2009 through 2024, the last two as a playing vice-captain under Suzann Pettersen. She was part of five European teams that won or retained the cup and won 17 of her 35 matches. She is a three-time major champion, with her first major coming at the 2009 LPGA Championship and her third at the 2021 Women’s British Open.
When Nordqvist was named captain in February 2025, she called it the greatest honor a golfer can receive.
“Whether we were winning or losing, the Solheim Cup has played such a huge part in my career ever since I made my debut in 2009 in Chicago,” Nordqvist explained at the time, according to the AP.
Stanford, from Saginaw, clinched the last U.S. win in Europe in 2015 with a 2-and-1 singles victory over Pettersen. In 2009, Stanford and Brittany Lang halved a four-ball match against Nordqvist and Pettersen. Lang is one of Stanford’s three assistant captains this week.
In December 2020, Stanford won the Volunteers of America Classic at Old American Golf Club in The Colony. Nordqvist tied for sixth that week.
Anna Nordqvist Tells Europe ‘We Are One Team’
Nordqvist turned to her players on stage at the ceremony. Her team includes players from seven European nations.
“Be brave, play with heart, play for each other and never forget the 11 teammates standing beside you because this week we are not 12 individuals, we are one team,” Nordqvist said.
The European team room carries the message “All in. All heart. All team,” Nordqvist said. At Wednesday night’s gala in a theater in Den Bosch, each European player wore the same navy outfit.
Korda and Allisen Corpuz open the event against Hull and Lottie Woad in foursomes at 12:40 a.m. CT Friday at Bernardus Golf. The U.S. won 15½-12½ in Virginia in 2024 and leads the all-time series 11-7-1.
