Angela Stanford Facts: 25 Things You Didn't Know About The US Solheim Cup Captain

Angela Stanford had a long professional career, and played on the LPGA Tour from 2001 until her retirement in 2024.

A big milestone came when as captain of the 2026 US Solheim Cup team.

With such an established career, get to know the American here.

Angela Stanford Facts

1. Angela Gwen Stanford was born November 28th, 1977, in Fort Worth, Texas.

2. She started playing golf at the age of 10.

3. Stanford credits her dad, who introduced her to the game, golf instructor Amy Fox, coach Angie Larkin and Mike Wright as the individuals who have influenced her career the most.

4. Stanford graduated from Texas Christian University in 2000.

5. During her college career, she was a four-time All-American and a four-time All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) selection.

6. That year, she was a member of the US Curtis Cup team and a semifinalist at the British Ladies Amateur.

7. Stanford turned professional in 2000 and placed tied fourth in the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn exempt status for the 2001 LPGA season.

8. She claimed her first LPGA Tour title at the 2003 ShopRite LPGA Classic.

9. Stanford's seventh and final victory on the circuit came 17 years later at the 2020 Volunteers of America Classic, appropriately in her native Texas.

10. Stanford was a member of six US Solheim Cup teams: 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015, winning three times.

11. Of those wins, the one in 2015 was particularly memorable because she defeated Suzann Pettersen in the Sunday singles to help the US win in Germany.

12. Not only was it her first Solheim Cup point in six years, but, ahead of the 2026 edition, it remained the last time the team had won the title in Europe.

13. She was a Solheim Cup assistant captain in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

14. She established the Angela Stanford Foundation in 2009, focusing particularly on scholarships for young people whose families have been affected by cancer.

15. She was inducted into the TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

16. She claimed one Major title in her career, the 2018 Evian Championship.

17. That earned her a place in the Guinness World Records as the female golfer with the most Major starts before claiming a victory, with 76.

18. Her five-shot win at the Major was also notable because it came later in her career, at the age of 40.

19. She very nearly had a Major win 15 years earlier, but had to make do with T2 at the 2003 US Women's Open.

20. She made 98 consecutive Major appearances between 2002 and 2024.

21. In total, she made 103 Major starts in her career.

22. She won back-to-back editions of the Senior LPGA Championship in 2023 and 2024.

23. In 2025, she was named US Solheim Cup captain, succeeding Stacy Lewis in the position.

24. She finished her LPGA Tour career with 100 top-10s.

25. Her overall career earnings stood at $12.3m at the time of her retirement from the professional game.