The Solheim Cup is fast approaching, with only a few more months for the best players in the United States and Europe to qualify for one of the biggest events in women’s golf.
Here are the players WGDNews is projecting to make the European team in 2026:
No. 1 Charley Hull – Not only is Charley Hull the highest ranked European in the world right now at No. 4, she’s also got a wealth of experience dating back to 2013 when she was still a teenager. She’s also just the most well rounded and consistent European player, building up a 15-9-3 overall Solheim Cup record.
No. 2 Lottie Woad – Captain Anna Nordqvist and vice captain Mel Reid have basically all but confirmed Woad’s spot, and why not? She is the future of the European team at just 22-years-old and without even a full year as a professional under her belt, she has already risen up to No. 9 in the Rolex Rankings.
No. 3 Celine Boutier – It is really hard to imagine any scenario where Boutier isn’t on the Solheim Cup team. Boutier finished 2025 in strong form and even though she hasn’t done anything significant in 2026, it never goes too long between strong finishes for the 32-year-old from France. Boutier has been on every team since 2019 and holds an overall winning record at 7-6-3.
No. 4 Linn Grant – I think it is pretty easy, at least for now, to shrug off Grant’s horrible 2024 Solheim Cup performance as a fluke. Grant went 0-4-0 but looked good the previous year, building up a 3-2 record. On pure talent, Grant might be among the top players on this team and she showed it in 2025, grabbing some fantastic finishes, including a win, despite some inconsistency.
No. 5 Maja Stark – Stark won a major in 2025, she is absolutely a lock to make this team for that reason alone. Stark has had her moments this year, but I think finding some more consistency in 2026 would really go a long way in her securing future spots on this team as well. Stark has had a solid couple of performances in the Solheim Cup, with a career 3-3-2 record.
No. 6 Carlota Ciganda – Like Hull, Ciganda has been on every European Solheim Cup team since 2013, and while it is a bit of a mixed bag of performances, she is absolutely a player you want in the team room. A slam dunk future captain, for the last couple of playings, it has seemed like it could be Ciganda’s last, but her staying power has been tremendous and her game would really have to fall apart for Nordqvist to consider replacing her with anyone else.
No. 7 Esther Henseleit – This is truly the last pick to feel any kind of locked in confidence in, Henseleit is quietly off to a really good start on this LPGA Tour season. Already she has three top-12 finishes and brings a level of consistency that much of this team lacks. Though she didn’t have a big role on this team in 2024, going just 1-1-1, expect her to be on the course a lot more in 2026.
No. 8 Mimi Rhodes – There really feels like theres a solid four open slots for potential Solheim Cup rookies to occupy on this team (not including the already locked in Lottie Woad), and England’s Mimi Rhodes certainly looks the most secure at the moment. Rhodes won three times on the LET in 2025 and already has two top-10 finishes in her LPGA Tour rookie season. This team will get younger in 2026, and Rhodes is a big part of that equation.
No. 9 Leona Maguire – Maguire, the lone returning player for the rest of this list, will likely depend on a captain’s selection, which always adds some uncertainty. Maguire’s last top-15 finish on the LPGA Tour came in July, 2025. That is a problem. The positive? She has shown herself to be a fantastic player in the Solheim Cup going 8-3-1 in her career, even carving out a 1-1 record in 2024 despite being put on the bench for most of the competition.
No. 10 Julia López Ramírez – Let’s play it risky for some of these last few picks, shall we? López Ramírez reminds me a lot of Auston Kim on the United States side. A big-time power player with talent just bursting at the seams. Like Kim, López Ramírez is starting to show good results as well. López Ramírez already has two top-15 finishes this year and is one of the best ball strikers in the world.
No. 11 Chiara Tamburlini – Tamburlini, a three-time LET winner, is adapting to the LPGA Tour relatively well in her rookie season, grabbing her first top-25 finish of the year at the Ford Championship this past week. She played well in two of the majors last year, finishing top 15 at both the U.S. Women’s Open and the AIG Women’s Open. Expect her to show more good results throughout the year.
No. 12 Nastasia Naduad – This time last year, Nastasia Naduad was maybe most known for playing at Evian in a weekend pairing with Nelly Korda and Minjee Lee. Now, she is a real threat to be competing against Korda at the Solheim Cup. Naduad won her first LET event in November and secured her LPGA Tour card at Q-School. The 21-year-old has looked impressive early this year, with top-30 finishes at both the Founders Cup and Ford Championship.
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