The 2025 Ryder Cup was one of the most celebrated events of the season. After the Masters Tournament, this was the first event that truly got golf fans from every part of the world excited. Although the event failed to generate significant viewership on Sunday due to Team USA’s downfall, it still garnered enough attention to become one of the most talked-about tournaments of 2025. Despite that, Annika Sorenstam still thought that the Solheim Cup doesn’t “need” to copy it to improve itself.

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Solheim Cup is to women’s golf what the Ryder Cup is to men’s golf. And with the events of Bethpage concluded, the conversation about the 2026 Solheim Cup has already begun. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that former Team Europe star player and women’s golf legend, Sorenstam, is already being brought into the conversation about it. In a recent interview on The Loop, she was asked what the Solheim Cup can learn from the Ryder Cup to create the same kind of buzz among fans.

“I think the Solheim Cup has got its own history, it’s own thing. I don’t think we need to copy anything. I think we have our own identity.” While the Ryder Cup has its own place in golf, the Solheim Cup offers a completely different atmosphere for both players and spectators. It’s more of a celebration than a patriotic competition. The spectators are certainly far less rowdy, and the environment is a lot more enjoyable and relaxed. That makes the Solheim Cup a lot more entertaining at times.

However, Sorenstam did mention, “Having said that, I’ve been to the Ryder Cup. I was invited by Darren Clarke, and Angela Stanford is there now. You can get some tips from the captain on what you can do from that perspective and take care of the players. However, the Solheim Cup has a rich history and plenty of excitement. I don’t necessarily think it can do much better. The excitement of the players, how it’s shaping up, and it depends on who’s on the team that people wanna watch.”

With high-profile stars like Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, and Charley Hull leading the charge on both sides, the Solheim Cup certainly has enough star power to drive the fans. Additionally, considering the backlash the fans in New York have received, copying the Ryder Cup would not be the best choice at this point. The atmosphere of the Solheim Cup is great on its own. And as Annika Sorenstam also mentioned, now that the two tournaments are played in different years, they get enough spotlight on each of them without stealing from the other.

Having said that, the 2026 Solheim Cup has already started creating a lot of buzz soon after the conclusion of the Ryder Cup. Let’s see what news has recently broken out that might excite the local fans of the venue hosting the event.

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After the recent reports from the Solheim Cup, Annika Sorenstam’s verdict might come true

Just hours after the conclusion of the Ryder Cup, Anne van Dam was announced as the Team Europe vice captain for the 2026 Solheim Cup. She will take on the role in her home country, the Netherlands, and will assist Anna Nordqvist in leading the squad. For those who are not aware, van Dam is extremely popular in the Netherlands and is a figurehead of the Dutch golf scene. Having her as one of the vice captains will undoubtedly attract a lot of fans to Bernardus Golf. In addition to Anne, Caroline Hedwall & Mel Reid are also deputies to Anna.

In 2019, van Dam & Nordqvist were teammates as they helped Team Europe beat the American side to claim victory in Scotland. It was one of the three consecutive titles Team Europe had held before losing to Nelly Korda & Co. in 2024. With both of them now sitting at the helm, they will lead Charley Hull & Co. in trying to reclaim the Solheim Cup title in the Netherlands next year.