Junior Solheim Cup teams set to make history in the Netherlands alongside their idols
Sixteen years ago, Nancy Lopez and Carin Koch jumped from a 1-meter diving board into a pool at Aurora Country Club in northeastern Illinois. The scene played out at the Ping Junior Solheim Cup, where the kids were upset their two captains didn't go for the 3-meter board.
Team USA had invited Team Europe to an impromptu pool party at the conclusion of competition, where only one of the Maguire twins (not sure which) attempted an actual dive. Most jumped more than once. Lexi Thompson was one of several players who grabbed the hand of a fearful friend and coaxed her off the edge.
The scene played out about 10 miles from the 2009 Solheim Cup venue at Rich Harvest Farms, away from most of the media and fans. That's usually the case for the junior event, which brings together the 12 best and brightest youngsters from the U.S. and Europe to compete every two years in the run-up to the main event.
Camaraderie is at the heart of the Junior Solheim, which began in 2002, but it's also a training ground for the next generation. Players must be between the ages of 12-18 to compete, and the inaugural teams 20-plus years ago included Solheim stalwarts such as Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang and Azahara Munoz.
Junior Solheim Cup teams to compete on same course as pros in 2026
In 2026, history will be made at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands as officials tell Golfweek that Junior Solheim teams, for the first time, will have the opportunity to compete on the same course as the pros.
Switzerland's Albane Valenzuela, who made her debut on the European Solheim Cup team last year, still has the bag from her 2015 Junior Solheim Cup appearance.
'When you're a junior,' said Valenzuela, 'the Solheim is definitely the coolest event you can get.'
World No. 1 Nelly Korda also competed in the 2015 Junior Solheim at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, a 36-hole facility. The Solheim Cup was played on the St. Leon course that year while the juniors competed on the Rot course.
Korda noted that having the events so close made it easier for the pros to come out and watch the juniors, which they did in Germany.
'Having them there too was super cool,' said Korda, 'such a neat experience.'
The added insight, however, of playing the same course, in similar conditions, with the grandstands in place does much to amplify the experience. Valenzuela said she thought about that back in 2015 while playing the Rot course as a junior while the pros played a different course. The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland was similar with the juniors playing the Kings Course while the pros played the Centenary.
'It's kind of nice to benchmark yourself against the pros,' said Valenzuela. 'I think it makes it more fun, makes it more relatable for the viewers as well."
The two junior teams will arrive in the Netherlands on Friday, Sept. 4, and the two-day competition will be held Sept. 7-8. From there, the two teams will attend a number of Solheim Cup festivities throughout the next week and, if the past is any indication, will even hang out in the team rooms with the pros. Every dinner, every first-tee experience proves unforgettable time and again for the wide-eyed teens.
'I always imagined having the Ping Junior Solheim Cup on the same course as the Solheim Cup,' said John A. Solheim, Ping Executive Chairman. 'The opportunity to play the same challenging set up and amazing atmosphere as the professionals is an experience that the junior girls will remember for the rest of their lives. I'm very thankful to the LET, Bernardus and IMG for making this a reality in 2026. It's another big step for the event and I look forward to presenting the trophies to the winning teams on the 18th green at Bernardus.'
While the Junior Solheim captains have yet to be announced, the natural fit for Team Europe is the Netherlands' most decorated player, Anne van Dam. The five-time Ladies European Tour winner represented Europe at both the 2013 Junior Solheim and 2019 Solheim Cup in Scotland, where Europe won in dramatic fashion.
The 29-year-old two-time Olympian is still competing on the LET and LPGA, posting a top-20 finish at last year's AIG Women's British Open at St. Andrews.
Nineteen Junior Solheim Cup players from Europe have gone on to compete in the Solheim Cup as a pro, while the U.S. boasts 13 graduates to the big stage. Team USA leads the all-time series at 8-4-1.
'It's funny, when you think back on junior golf," said Valenzuela, "every time you played in something big, it just felt like the biggest thing in the whole wide world.'
In the Netherlands, it just got even bigger.
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