The 2026 Solheim Cup enters its opening phase with Angel Yin cleared to compete for the United States after a serious health scare threatened her place on the team. Yin was hospitalized twice after withdrawing from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June and subsequently lost 35 pounds while dealing with gastrointestinal problems. She returned at the FM Championship in late August, shooting 81-76, but said Wednesday at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands that she is now “feeling great” and that her game is improving each day.
U.S. captain Angela Stanford confirmed that Yin will play, provided she remains fit. “She’s here. She’s playing — she’s played two practice rounds,” Stanford said. “She will play because that’s in the spirit of this competition.” Under the captains’ agreement, every player must appear in at least one team session during the first two days, while Yin is also expected to compete in Sunday singles. Lilia Vu remains available as an alternate, but substitutions will no longer be permitted once Thursday evening’s opening ceremony begins. Any later withdrawal would leave the U.S. with 11 players and force it to concede a point in singles.
Yin’s selection carries significance given her record in the event: she went 4-2 across the previous two Solheim Cups and has five top-10 finishes in her last nine major championships. “I know it’s crazy that I’m here because I played a week before in Boston,” Yin acknowledged, referring to her two poor scores. Teammate Alison Lee said Yin has not appeared fatigued and described her as “one of the hardest working girls here this week.”
Meanwhile, the United States has overhauled its qualification process for the 2027 Ryder Cup, which will be played at Adare Manor in Ireland. Captain Jim Furyk will still make six captain’s picks, but the other six players will qualify solely through points earned during the 2027 season, beginning with the American Express in January and ending with the BMW Championship in August. Points will be awarded at 31 events, with majors worth 3,000 points, the Players Championship worth 2,850, Signature and playoff events worth 2,250, and regular PGA Tour tournaments worth 1,500. The change eliminates points from the previous year and shifts the emphasis entirely to current form as the Americans seek their first road Ryder Cup victory since 1993.