Solheim Cup legend reveals the "tough as hell" times the new European captain has faced in recent years

Anna Nordqvist will lead Europe in the 2026 Solheim Cup at Bernardaus, Netherlands. Notabky, she has been a playing vice caption to close friend Suzanne Pettersen twice in the biennial event.

As she takes on the captain's role next year, Nordqvist will want to avenge Europe's loss in the 2024 edition. The tournament legend has seen more than her fair share of struggles in recent times.

Two years, Nordqvist and her husband, LPGA caddie Kevin McAlpine, announced on social media that they were going through with a divorce. However, not long after the announcement, McAlpine passed away suddenly at the age of 39. It was certainly a life shattering event for Anna Nordqvist.

Solheim Cup legend Suzann Pettersen recently said that such a harrowing incident really changes one's perspective of life, relationships and golf. She further added (via Golfweek):

"What's the importance of another shot or another tournament or another, I don't know, an another victory? I really just think it puts life in perspective when you go through a kind of severeness like that, and I really hope I don't need to see any other friends have to go through what she's been through because I know it's been tough as hell to be honest, literally. I don't think there's another word for it,"

Anna Nordqvist stated that when she was going through her "hardest time", she tried to just put one foot after the other and that eventually became her motto. She even got a tattoo on her spine saying, 'One day at a time'. Previously, she had gotten a tattoo stating, 'I am enough' when she was going through personal struggles.

Nordqvist's story is nothing short of inspiring. Through every hurdle that life threw her way, she has emerged stronger and soon, she will lead the European side at the Solheim Cup, something that was a part of her "wildest childhood dreams."

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"I think my life perspective is very different now" - 2026 Solheim Cup Europe captain Anna Nordqvist

Anna Nordqvist at the Solheim Cup (Source: Getty)

In November 2024, Anna Nordqvist underwent a surgery on the second day of her off-season to remove a grapefruit-sized cyst from her stomach. She later found out that it was not cancerous.

However, she wasn't allowed to lift anything for a month. Here's what she said at the time (via Golfweek):

"I think my life perspective is very different now … I would say I'm like completely different person but like I'm really not. I'm just more myself, and I'm happy and content with where I'm at. It's taken quite a lot of therapy, a lot of work to deal with a lot of the trauma that I've had to deal with, but I think I just wake up every day just trying to make the best,"

Nordqvist will have her hands full in the coming months as she will have to plan for the Solheim Cup next year.