SOLHEIM CUP

September 13, 2026

Angela Stanford

Paula Creamer

Brittany Lang

Kristy McPherson

Bernardus

U.S. Team

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the media center of the 2026 Solheim Cup. I'm joined here by the U.S. captain.

Angela, I'll let you open it up to the room here first.

ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, first off, thank y'all so much for covering us this week. I think the only way we continue to grow is if you guys keep writing about us and covering us. So really appreciate everything. And, you know, I know social media's been on fire this week and that's good for women's golf. So really appreciate y'all being here.

I think sometimes the European Solheim Cups, you're having to travel quite a ways from America, for the American writers and TV people. So thank you for making the effort. It really does matter and I appreciate it.

THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll open it up now for questions.

Q. Angela, obviously, you guys had such a great end to yesterday and it seemed like maybe you guys came out a little flat. Wondering why you think that was. And hindsight, of course, being 20/20, would you have made any different changes to the way you went out today?

ANGELA STANFORD: I feel like I still need to think through it, but I don't think I would have done my lineup different because even -- you know, I think Lauren needed the rest. Kupcho needed the rest. Rose needed the rest. Like, the people that went both sessions on Friday, I wanted to make sure that they had some rest. So I wouldn't change that.

I mean, Europe played well. I think sometimes it's not about -- I don't think we played bad. I think we just didn't make enough putts. And if you listen to everything I've ever said, Europeans always putt better. I don't know why. I still don't know why. I mean, I have a good idea, but I'm not going to say it right now. (Laughing.) Apparently I didn't get to know the superintendent as well as I should have. But I think they played really well, and you have to compliment them, and we gave it our best shot.

Q. We talked a lot about the chemistry of the team leading up as well. How do you feel like they came together as a group in this road Solheim Cup?

ANGELA STANFORD: I mean, I think they did great. Like I said, they never wavered. Going into Saturday afternoon, it got tough, and they came together, and they pulled through, and they have stuck together the whole time. I can promise you this hurts more for them than maybe for us because they were the ones playing. The good news is they can show back up in Kentucky in a couple years and make it right. But, no, that core group, they're great.

Q. Reading between the lines of what you just said, were green speeds different than what your team was expecting coming into this week?

ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, for sure. Even when we showed up in July here, they were faster. And I don't think it had anything to do with the rain either. Now, saying that, it's my responsibility to get the team ready. This is the one thing I am kicking myself is that I just didn't keep pushing, you know, we got to figure out how to hit our putts a little bit harder, which is really difficult, like, to change the way you putt.

So I'm a little frustrated with myself that I didn't drive that point home. But, I mean, that's -- you know, there's nothing we could do about that and the team knew that. I mean, nobody complained about it at all. It's me saying this right now that I wish I would have maybe hammered it home more. Like, they're going to be slow, they're going to be slow, they're going to be slow. But we don't play on greens this slow usually, so, yeah.

Q. Angela, we saw the celebrations, and rightfully so, last night when Jen made those two putts and on the bus afterwards. Was it difficult coming down from that, that kind of emotional high?

ANGELA STANFORD: Well, that's kind of tricky because, like, you don't ever want to take away from that moment. Like, you don't -- like, the worst thing I could have done is go in there and be like, Okay, y'all. Come off this high and let's -- you know. So you don't want to take away from those moments. We're never going to see anything like that again. And I think they were -- I think they handled it very well. That's really difficult to do because that's a really high high. Like I said, we've never seen that. So, you know, we don't really know how to react.

But I talked to Kupcho and everybody and they're like, Yeah, we got good rest and -- but, yeah, it did take a minute to come off because it was a pretty high high.

Q. To follow-up, now that the week's over, is there anything that you wish you could have handled differently with Angel's situation and bringing Lilia and all that?

ANGELA STANFORD: No, I mean, I think we did the best we could. We were prepared if Angel couldn't play. And like I said, I think, to Golf Channel yesterday, we wanted to see what we had with Angel, and she went out and got a half a point with Yealimi. Yealimi was a stud this week. And I needed to get Andrea with Yealimi. So I wouldn't have done anything different there.

Q. When you look at Nordqvist's team, who on that squad maybe took you by surprise and how well they played this week?

ANGELA STANFORD: I mean, I haven't really had a chance to really kind of debrief and look at everything. I think -- I said from the beginning her picks were really good. She picked well because this golf course needed high-ball hitters and that's what she did. In match play, you know, it doesn't really matter sometimes where you hit it. So I think she did really good with her picks for this venue. Those young players are really good for them. So, if anything, that's really good for women's golf for this event in the future.

Q. At what point did you really start to get worried today?

ANGELA STANFORD: (Laughing.) Probably when we got -- when I saw that middle section of Andrea, Yealimi, Auston, they were all 2-down at one point, that's when I was kind of worried because I'm like, well, we're going to have to flip one of those for sure. Yeah, I got worried there because I thought, well -- it's tough because they're playing so good. It was going to be tough.

Q. Just your thoughts on Alison Lee's comeback and just her overall performance this week.

ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, this is where it gets really hard because what she did today was phenomenal, and she doesn't get to walk away with the Cup. Like, it doesn't seem fair being in a team atmosphere that -- I mean, she was a stud this week. I don't know what her record was, but -- 4-0? 4-0. So mama came back and she was 4-0. I'm so happy for her.

But it hurts that she couldn't walk away with the ultimate price, which was the Cup. But, like, I walked up to her on 12 fairway, and I was like, All right. Well, you know, tell me what's going on. She's like, I'm hitting good shots. I just had a hard time with the distances a little bit. But she said, I think I'm okay. I'm like, All right. Well, you got plenty of time. Just one at a time. You'll be fine. She's like, Okay.

And then the next thing I know I'm like, I'm walking to 17 because she's all square. So I said she was a pleasant surprise this year and she deserves -- I'm so happy she had a great week.

Q. Now that there's no strategy secrets to be kept, I'm wondering if you could explain kind of Justin Ray's involvement with your guys' team and how you guys came up with your teams and maybe some statistical decisions that were made and how you formed those and how you strategized the week.

ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, I mean, I'm wondering how honest to be right now. Justin Ray is extremely helpful. We were missing some pieces this week, like, week of. Like, in Spain, we had people, you know, giving us strokes gained in each match, even in practice. And we didn't have that this year.

So, you know, I told him -- because I know he's working with Jim in the Ryder Cup. And just now in the locker room, I told him exactly what he needed to do for Jim. So it does matter. I mean, those things do matter and Justin was a huge help. I mean, he got us to this point. I mean, the only thing that is comforting to me right now is we lost by a point. And over here -- it's easy to get blown out over here. So I think we had the right formula and he helped us make that formula, so, yeah, Justin Ray is awesome.

Q. Any particular reason you didn't have that resource?

ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, we just didn't. See, that's why I couldn't be so honest with you.

Q. Maybe a question for the vice captains. Can you talk about how the atmosphere affected you guys and affected the American players throughout the week.

PAULA CREAMER: I mean, this is a great venue. It really was. The Europeans, there were more out here today than there were yesterday. And yesterday was a beautiful day. I will say, I think that it was different for the girls. Our Americans were there, but they weren't as rambunctious as that we're used to. And that's a, we are very much a vibe, we get that vibe from them. And it was a little bit harder, I believe, this time, because of that. But I mean, you got to tip your hats to the people that win at the same time. Our girls tried. As Ang said, it's a lot to digest right at this moment. We haven't been able to sit there and really dissect every little part of it, which I know she's going to be doing for the next year. And that's why we play this game though. That's why we do it. We have two years, and it's unfortunate for our team because they worked really, really hard and they are truly 12 players that are one. And that's what makes it a win at the same time. But you know, it's just, it was, I think for us, we are very momentum people and with our fans it's important that we can feed off, like get that energy from them and we didn't really feel that as much this time.

Q. Angela, what was the message to the team as you all, you know, came off the golf course today?

ANGELA STANFORD: I didn't really get a chance. We took a team picture, but I told 'em we would go and congratulate the other team and then take a team picture. And, you know, when I get 'em on the bus I'll have something else, but it was just kind of a quick turnaround to say congratulations, let's take a picture, and go do the closing ceremonies.

Q. Really quick, did you say anything to Anna and just congratulate her at all?

ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, I mean, Anna's been a great captain. She kind of the same situation as me, she's been a vice captain. I think she did a great job. I know it's a lot when you're, you know, when she's the home captain. But she seemed to handle everything very well and, yeah, she was a great captain.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Any last remarks Angela or anyone from the team wants to make before we wrap?

ANGELA STANFORD: I just again, thank you. I think, you know, I knew going into this week that the week could maybe have this result, and I still did it. Still committed to it, because I want women's golf to grow. I want this event to grow. Everything we experienced yesterday and today. So, again, thank you for covering us. I hope that, you know, I said Anna and I agree, if we got to the end of the week and women's golf grew just a little bit more, then we did our jobs. So hopefully we've done that, so thank you so much for everything this week and we'll see you in Louisville.