Morgan Pressel is stepping out of the TV booth to be a captain.
On Tuesday, the American Junior Golf Association announced that the LPGA major winner will be the U.S. Team captain at the 2026 Ping Junior Solheim Cup. Pressel is the first former player on a Junior Solheim Cup team to return as captain.
“I’m tremendously honored to be named the U.S. Ping Junior Solheim Cup captain. I played in the very first Junior Solheim Cup, and it’s been a big part of my career — as has the AJGA. I also know I have big shoes to fill after Beth Daniel’s victory, but I’m really looking forward to it,” Pressel told the AJGA.
In 2001, Pressel, then 12, was the youngest golfer to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Open. She was a member of the inaugural U.S. Ping Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2002. Pressel was named the 2005 Rolex Junior Player of the Year and won 13 AJGA titles. In 2007, she won an LPGA major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
“I’m really excited for the challenge of leading a team. I’ve had the privilege of being an assistant captain under Stacy Lewis the past two Solheim Cups, and I’ve learned a lot from her — her leadership, her ability to bring people together while still letting everyone be themselves,” Pressel said. “This is a new role for me, but I’m passionate about the Solheim Cup, passionate about the future of the game, and passionate about my country.”
Pressel played on six consecutive U.S. Solheim Cup teams 2007 to 2019. She was an assistant captain in 2023 and 2024.
The U.S. leads the all-time series in the Ping Junior Solheim Cup, 8-4-1.
Pressel will be a part of another piece of history as the Junior Solheim Cup in 2026 will share the same course as the Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands. The juniors will compete Sept. 4-7 and then the Solheim Cup will be Sep. 10-13.
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