For 17 years, the Solheim Cup has been the heartbeat of Anna Nordqvist’s career. She made nine appearances, had a stunning 17-15-3 record, and had just stepped into a well-deserved captaincy role. However, that streak now comes to a halt. Weeks before she leads Team Europe into battle, the 39-year-old Swede has announced her retirement from professional golf.
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Nordqvist broke the heartbreaking news herself in an Instagram video.
“Twenty years ago I came to the U.S. with two suitcases, a golf bag and a dream of one day competing with the best golfers in the world. I’m very proud of how far I’ve come and grateful for the dream I’ve been able to live ever since.”
“It hasn’t always been easy, especially being so far away from my family, but they have supported me every step of the way. I’ve fallen so many times, but I never gave up, and I stood up every time I fell.”
“I don’t know how to say goodbye to something that means so much to me, but this is going to be my last week walking inside the ropes, competing on tour. I’m not sure what the future has in store for me, but it’s with a grateful heart, I’ve decided to retire from professional golf to focus on my health and my family. Love, Anna.”
In a note, Nordqvist adds that this week’s FM Championship in Boston will be her last tournament as a player.
The timing has caught all the fans off guard, naturally. Just weeks ago, Nordqvist shared the seventh at the AIG Women’s Championship, becoming the first sitting Solheim Cup captain to crack the top 10 of a major in a Solheim Cup year. Notably, before that, she made the cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, another first for a captain in her role.
Her 2026 season has still produced impressive results. Off the course, however, the picture has been different. Nordqvist underwent surgery in 2024 to remove benign cysts from her stomach and has spoken about wanting to prioritize her health and her family ever since.
That said, Nordqvist’s legacy in the sport has been one of the most iconic ones. She arrived on the LPGA Tour in 2009 and wasted no time making her mark. She won her first major, the LPGA Championship, in just her fifth start as a rookie.
The same year, 2009, also marked her debut appearance at the Solheim Cup in Chicago, and she has never missed an edition since. As a result, she became one of Europe’s most reliable performers, a run that spanned five American captains and Solheim Cup editions.
Had Nordqvist played this September’s match, it would have marked her tenth appearance. Instead, she will lead the team for the first time at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt near Den Bosch in North Brabant, the Netherlands, from September 7th to 13th.
As hard as the decision may have been, tributes have already poured in from fans and her fellow players. Ten-time major winner and fellow Swede Annika Sorenstam praised her “great career,” while Jessica Korda and Austin Kim were among those sending congratulations. As Nordqvist closes the playing chapter of a two-decade career, the focus now shifts entirely to the sidelines, where she takes the biggest assessment of her career yet.