ANGELA DING NAMED US ASSISTANT CAPTAIN FOR 2026 PING JUNIOR SOLHEIM CUP

PING and the American Junior Golf Association have named AJGA Communications Director Angela Ding as Assistant Captain to assist Morgan Pressel with the 2026 PING Junior Solheim Cup United States team.

Modeled after the Solheim Cup, the PING Junior Solheim Cup is a biennial event featuring the 12 best

female junior golfers (ages 12–18) from the United States against their European counterparts. The team

match-play competition includes foursomes, four-ball, and singles matches over two days and rotates

between U.S. and European host sites, coinciding with the Solheim Cup. The fourteenth edition of the

event will be held September 7–8, 2026, at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands, immediately prior

to the Solheim Cup.

Ding developed her competitive golf career through the AJGA, competing in four AJGA events and

gaining experience on a national stage. She represented the United States at the 2016 Euro Junior Cup and San Diego at the 2016 Girls’ Junior America’s Cup, highlighting her accomplishments in elite junior

competition. Building on this foundation, she continued her success at Lehigh University, earning Second

Team All-Patriot League honors as a sophomore. 

Ding’s journey from aspiring junior golfer to mentor and leader reflects a full-circle moment: her early AJGA experiences and prior work as a communications official for junior tournaments have prepared her to guide the next generation of players while continuing to contribute to the game that shaped her career.

Since joining the AJGA full-time in 2022 as a Communications Coordinator, Ding has advanced to

Communications Director and has served as the media official for more than 35 AJGA events, amplifying

many of them through the organization’s social media platforms. She previously served as Assistant

Captain for Team West at the 2025 Wyndham Cup and now brings that experience to the PING Junior

Solheim Cup.

“This role represents a full-circle moment in my golf journey. Growing up playing AJGA events, I

dreamed of opportunities like this, and now having the chance to give back to the game while serving as

Assistant Captain is incredibly meaningful. Working alongside leaders I’ve long admired makes it even

more special, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to support and guide the next generation of players,”

said Ding.

The championship course will host the two-day competition at the start of Solheim Cup week, marking

the first time the same course has staged both the PING Junior Solheim Cup and Solheim Cup. Twelve of Europe’s top female junior golfers, aged 18 and under, will compete for the trophy against the

U.S. team. The European team will include six automatic selections from the PING Junior Solheim Cup

Rankings and six captain’s picks by Captain Anne van Dam, with the aid of Vice Captain Bronte Law.

Pressel, who captains the American side, competed in both the PING Junior Solheim Cup (2002, 2005)

and Solheim Cup (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019). Other AJGA alumnae who have advanced from

the PING Junior Solheim Cup to the Solheim Cup include Brittany Lang, Paula Creamer, Alison Lee,

Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel, Angel Yin, and Lexi Thompson. Team Europe alumnae making the

same transition include Carlota Ciganda, Georgia Hall, Caroline Hedwall, Charley Hull, Caroline

Masson, Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist, Florentyna Parker, Emily Kristine Pedersen, Beatriz Recari,

and Melissa Reid.

For the first time ever, the PING Junior Solheim Cup 2026 will share the same course as The Solheim

Cup at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands. The junior event will be played from September 4-7,

immediately ahead of The Solheim Cup, which runs September 7-13.

The PING Junior Solheim Cup is a team match play competition between Europe and the United States,

each team featuring the best 12 female golfers born 2006 and later (18 years and younger).

The competition consists of 24 matches – six foursome matches, six fourball matches and 12 singles

matches.

The aim of the competition is to give juniors the opportunity to further their golfing careers by playing

match play at a high level and for the competitors to meet, learn and be inspired by the professional

players playing in The Solheim Cup.

The 2026 event marks the 14th time the PING Junior Solheim Cup team will be contested, with the U.S.

Team currently leading the series 8-4-1. In 2024, the U.S. took back the trophy after winning 18.5-5.5 at

Army Navy Country Club in Virginia.

The PING Junior Solheim Cup was established by PING CEO and Chairman, John A. Solheim, back in

2002 and since has developed a deserved reputation for showcasing the talents of the world’s best female

junior players, with players like Rose Zhang, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant, Lexi Thompson and Korda

sisters, Nelly and Jessica, all playing in the match before graduating to The Solheim Cup.

The tournament owner and title partner, PING, designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of

golf equipment including metal woods, irons, putters, and golf bags. The family-owned company was

founded in 1959 by the late Karsten Solheim. Solheim is the only person to be inducted into the World

Golf Hall of Fame as a golf club manufacturer. Today, the Phoenix-based company is under the direction

of Solheim's youngest son, John A. Solheim. PING game-improvement products can be found in more

than 70 countries. For more information, visit PING.com.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall

growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through

competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships and has an

annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 10,000 members from 50 states and

51 international countries and territories. Through initiatives like the Liberty National ACE Grant, a

financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors

charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.

TaylorMade and Rolex are the AJGA’s Global Partners, supporting the AJGA for more than 60 years

combined. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. Rolex, in its fourth

decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004 and assumed the

Global Partner position in 2026. adidas has been with the AJGA for many years and became a Premier

Partner in 2026.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors

have compiled more than 1,000 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Patrick

Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods,

Paula Creamer, Jessica Korda, Nelly Korda, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson and

Rose Zhang