Solheim Cup 2026 USA team captain Angela Standford prepares for battle

I'm Paul Miles, News Radio 840, WHAS. We do big events well here in Louisville, of course. You know about our golf history and love of golf here with huge events coming in two years. Solheim Cup will be here. The captain of this year's team, the 26th Solheim Cup team, ready to head overseas to take on the Europeans. Is Angela Stanford in the studio with me now? What's up, Captain? I'm having a great day. I'm hanging out here in Louisville. Now I get to talk to you. Isn't this great? How does this get better? It can't get any better. All right, first off, how do you like having the captain title? Because you're not flying an airplane. I love it. I have loved every second of every day. And I've said it's the pinnacle in my career. And it, you know, it's been awesome. I've loved it. You've played in a bunch of these Solheim Cup. So it's fun to do this international competition for people here in Louisville that know what the Ryder Cup was. And we had it so long ago. It was a long time ago, 2008, I think. Long time now. But we get it. The whole thing, the Europeans versus the Americans and the singing and the carrying on, the cheering. We embrace this kind of a thing. So this is a great city. We're going to do it here in two years. But you have to captain the team overseas. What are, you know, what's like your pregame thought about going into the Netherlands and taking on the Europeans? Well, I mean, it's a much different atmosphere. I mean, obviously when we're in Europe, you're playing an away game and you've listened to the men say how difficult it is to win on the road. It's the same for us. It's very difficult for the Europeans to win in America. It's always been very difficult for us to win over there. Out of the 10 times we have played over there, we've only won three times. So it's a great challenge, and I'm looking forward to it. And we get to make our picks on August 24th. So that's two weeks from today. It's getting exciting. Oh, yeah. Because people are already in on points. The first seven get in that way. How many is it? First seven off our points and then two Rolex rankings who aren't already qualified. And then I make my selections on the 24th. So the points cut off, the world ranking, all that cuts off on the 23rd. And then we'll announce the 24th. I got you. Yeah. Well, it's pretty exciting. And then do you start getting fruit cakes and fruit baskets and things from people and love letters and who knows what else? I'm starting to get a few phone calls from players and I'm still waiting on the gifts. So there's still a window about 14 days here. What's the protocol as far as that's concerned? Can somebody send you a fruit basket? Sure. Oh, I love this. Absolutely. I love the sound of that. And Europe, of course, they're going to have a lot of loaded talent, but you can't really assess all that until you know what your team is. Yeah, well, the Europeans have already made, and has already made her selection. Yeah, so they cut off after AIG, and she did great. Her picks were really good, and I think they're going to be dangerous. You know, they, I think they're really young, so they don't really know any different. You know, they don't understand losing or winning, and I think sometimes that makes a team dangerous, but.

We're also pretty dangerous too. Yeah, you've got some seasoned people. Isn't Nellie Cordes? She's been in a bunch of times. Yeah, Nellie's our veteran for sure. I think Jennifer Kupcho is going to have a great Solheim. Allison Corpus, people forget about her, but I say she's the backbone of our team. I mean, she's very steady. You know, you ask her to do something, she'll do it. There's a lot of good energy around this group, and I'm looking forward to taking them over to Europe. You have assistant captains, of course, to do all that stuff, like to weigh in on your selections and all that. And also to sort of be a minder, I guess, for certain teams and squads. Is that, you know, is that the way you delegate the authority when it comes to this? A little bit. I think just being aware of my assistants who are Paula Creamer, Christy McPherson, Brittany Lang, just being aware of their personalities and some of the personalities on the team and sending them out to watch practice rounds together. So they all kind of feel comfortable being around each other. And then they give me great feedback. I mean, I chose them for a reason. I trust them. I trust their intuition. I trust their guts. And we're having a ton of fun. I mean, every time we get together, I mean, we're just laughing. Like, some of the girls saw us at one event. They're like, y'all just look like you're having a blast. That's the way it's supposed to be. The team feeds off of that, too. Yes, very much so. The collegiality, that's the way that goes. We're speaking with Angela Stanford. She's the captain of our Solheim Cup team that goes at it in the Netherlands here. It was like three weeks from now, four weeks. How close are we? We leave September 5th. Okay, yeah. The tournament dates are September 11th through the 13th. Okay, we're in the tournament now. What do we start with foursomes? Is that what it is? Yes. Ultimately, we get to single matches. And then that's got to be the most critical element, isn't it, when you're looking at Europe's roster and yours and each of your players and you've got to line them all up? And personalities are involved in this too, right? Yes, for sure in the four ball. So people would know that also as alternate shot. I think the personality matters more there. I mean, you're really one unit there. And then when you play the four ball in the afternoon, you're playing your own golf ball. So I think the personality, it's not as important in the afternoon. And then obviously, Americans historically have always been great on Sunday in the singles. So I think the thing we've learned recently is we have to kind of get out ahead in the morning matches and the foursums and try to create some momentum there because, again, historically, we haven't been great in that format. But our goal is, it's kind of like think about baseball. And, you know, when you get into the playoffs, you have those short series and they get into their bullpins and they're just using everybody to try to win games. That's what we're going to do. We're going to try to get as many points as we can, as fast as we can. Well, it's time for the alternates, though, I mean, the beginning. Do you pick the person who hits the drive on one? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, does the other person feel diminished by that?

I don't know. I'm hitting the second shot. Don't hit in the weeds. Actually, I've told one of our players, I had this conversation with one of our players recently, and I kind of told her to be ready to hit the first shot and to be ready mentally and to start thinking about that. And she kind of made a comment about where that ball is going to go. And I said, you know what, I don't care where it goes. I just want you to hit it really hard. So I said to her, just like swing hard and let's go. You've been a star of golf since you were a little kid. Who taught you? Where'd you learn it? Did you see it? Did you see a woman on TV? And you said, that's for me. What happened? My dad introduced me to the game, and it was more, I always told people, two birds with one stone. At the time, there were women scholarships being left on the table for golf. And when I was born, my brother was born, my mom said, you can't really go play golf every day. And he said, well, if I take Angela with me, she can't say no. So it was kind of my dad. My dad was pretty smart about it. But I loved it. I loved playing all the different sports. And golf was. It's the hardest game I've ever played, and I love it. I have a 21-year-old daughter, and that's a great one. I'm going to remember that line. But she does get out on the course with her friends down again and doesn't really take it that seriously. But I think in the back of her mind, she's like, I could do this my whole life. Oh, yeah. That's the beauty of the game. You can't be a boxer your whole life. You can't play basketball. You can't dunk at your whole life. But you can play golf your whole life. You can play with your family. You know, you go on vacations with your family. You can play with your friends. I mean, that's a great thing about golf and it's outside. So, yeah, I'm very fortunate and blessed that I got to play at a very high level for a long time. But now I have this wonderful game of golf that I get to play forever. You mentioned Paula Kramer. Didn't you set her up in a Solheim so she could go finish it off? It probably happened the other way around. Is that the other way around? I think so. That's what we're going to say today because Paul is not here. Oh, I like that. That's fun. How do you feel about the overall run at this title over there? I know it's tough for America to win, but you can win in Europe. Yeah, you know, I think for us, people, what I need to preach to the team is, okay, look, we've only won one Solheim Cup since 2017. And when I say that out loud, people are like, wow. Wow, like they can't believe it. But we need to remember that, you know, we need to start winning. And we won in 24. Now it's time to hang on to this cup. So we need to go over really focused. We haven't won over there since 2015. And like I said, we've only won over there three times. So I think it's a great challenge. I think we're going to be really focused and I'm excited. Is this a deal where the LPGA actually holds onto a physical trophy that has to be taken back and put up for grabs or the one that we won in 24 and a case somewhere? So I can't give you all the secrets today. But yes, we will have a cup with us and, you know, hopefully we're bringing that thing back. That's the whole thing is to wave it in their face. Yeah, we got it.

Like the kid on Simpson's, that's the whole idea. Yes. And then, of course, coming to Valhalla in two years, and then our ticket's going to go on sale soon for that. Right after the event this year. So as soon, so turn on the TV, watch us on the golf channel all weekend, and then Monday morning, buy your tickets for Valhalla 28. My golf buddy is listening. You're going to say, why didn't you ask her what she's doing these days in terms of scoring? Are you still, you can still kill it, can't you? I mean, you still throw up some respectable numbers. Yeah, we have the LPGA Legends event. So it's like the LPJ seniors going on this week up in Columbus, Indiana. And then the week after that, the USGA Senior Women's Open happens. So I can't play in that second one yet, but we have some legends events that I still play in. I've won the senior a couple times. So. I'm going to try to win it again. You're still doing it. As long as there's a six on the front of that. Who cares, right? Angela, it's great meeting you. Thanks for having me. Best of luck. Go USA. Team USA. We felt a lot of that love through World Cup. So this is just the next. Keep going. Yeah, just the next episode and people pulling for America. Buy your tickets. I think it's like September 14th this year. Like Monday morning, get online, buy those tickets. But we're pulling for you here in a couple of weeks and looking forward to. Thank you. Golf channel's on all week in my house. Thank you. Angela Stanford, she's captain of our Solheim Cup team headed off to the Netherlands soon. Back in a minute on News Radio 840, WHAS.