Angela Stanford has been on both sides of the Solheim Cup. As a player and as an assistant captain. She knows the pressure that comes with managing the team while being a part of the crew on the course. And with the murmurs surrounding Keegan Bradley‘s Ryder Cup captaincy gaining pace, the veteran player can’t help but sympathize with him, laying out potential troubles he might face.

“I just think there is so much that we don’t know. Like a perfect example, he played the course a ton in college. Does he feel like he can use that knowledge best playing or does he feel like he can use that knowledge best as a captain?” Stanford wondered in a recent press conference in Boston ahead of the FM Championship. Keegan Bradley has spent extensive time practicing and competing at the Bethpage Black during his college golf career. He attended St. John’s University, which is nearby to the 2025 Ryder Cup venue.

The captain of USA holds a natural edge with his deep familiarity with the course’s layout and nuances — an advantage that could prove decisive. For Stanford, that’s something Bradley needs to emphasize. As he recently put it, “I’m especially proud to be the Ryder Cup captain at Bethpage. I just think that place is absolutely stunning and amazing. I just think that everything it’s about is stunning and amazing.”

But ultimately, the real question is whether Bradley can release some control, trust his instincts, and stand by the plans he’s already mapped out. The weight of that dual role isn’t lost on Angela Stanford. “Kind of gave me chills. Like, because you just don’t have this many opportunities. You’re just wearing two hats, and it’s already so much pressure as a player.” She competed in six Solheim Cups as a player between 2003 and 2015, later serving as an assistant captain in 2021, 2023, and 2024. With her appointment as the U.S. Solheim Cup captain for 2026

But Stanford’s concerns don’t end here. Her next worry for Keegan Bradley is his pairings. Who does he choose to play with? There are several factors that come into play here — player compatibility and chemistry, as well as complementary playing styles. Bradley has already revealed that the Ryder Cup will open with foursomes before moving into four balls in the afternoon, a decision which has caused a lot of debate on the internet.

“There are so many things behind the scenes that we don’t know. If you’re just looking at it he’s obviously one of the best — if you’re going to pick six, he’s one of the six,” Stanford says. Her statements add value because, as per reports, Keegan Bradley is expected to choose himself as one of the players on the team.

Bradley faces a unique challenge. If he plays, he won’t have a headset — no live access to the behind-the-scenes chatter that drives quick adjustments. Scoreboards will give him the basics, but real-time calls will rest with his five vice captains — Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, and Gary Woodland. With only about an hour between sessions, he’ll need to trust that they read the unfolding matches exactly as he would.

Stanford understands this scenario as she has seen this dynamic up close with her own peers. Pat Bradley, a three-time US Solheim Cup player in the 1990s, later took the reins as captain in 2000. More recently, Stacy Lewis led the American side in both 2023 and 2024, with Stanford herself serving as her assistant captain on both occasions.

“It would be fun to watch, but I just think he has to be really confident and trust himself,” Stanford says of Bradley. Yet even as she offers him this advice, Stanford is preparing to step into the captain’s role herself starting next year.

Angela Stanford set to lead in the Netherlands

Angela Stanford will take the helm as captain of the United States Solheim Cup team for the 2026 matches at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. The event, often considered the equivalent of the Ryder Cup, is set for September 11-13. Stanford will go head-to-head with Team Europe’s Anna Nordqvist in what’s already shaping up to be a fierce showdown. Stanford brings a wealth of experience to the role, having competed in six Solheim Cups as a player and served as an assistant captain three times. Her legacy includes the winning point in 2015 against Suzann Pettersen, capping off a career that stretched over two decades with seven LPGA titles and a major at the 2018 Evian Championship.

As captain, Stanford will oversee player selection and pairings among a dozen other things. The US roster will feature seven automatic qualifiers based on Solheim Cup points, two from the world rankings, and three of Stanford’s captain’s picks. She has already named Paula Creamer and Kristy McPherson as assistant captains and added Brittany Lang as an assistant captain in June 2025. With the format consisting of foursomes, fourballs, and singles over three days, the US team will need 14 points to retain the cup after winning in 2024.

“I’m extremely grateful to be named the next American captain for the Solheim Cup and join a list of my heroes in the game. I consider this the pinnacle of my career,” Stanford said after the announcement earlier this year.