It’s a milestone week for five-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner Anne van Dam. On Wednesday morning (May 14), she was officially named captain of Team Europe for the 2026 Ping Junior Solheim Cup. Later this week, she’ll also tee it up on home soil at the Dutch Ladies Open, which begins on Friday.
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Reflecting on her captaincy, the 29-year-old said: “It’s great. I’ve been keeping it to myself for a long time now, so it feels good to finally share the news. The phone has been busy, and I didn’t expect this kind of reaction so it’s very nice.”
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Goyer Golf and Country Club is on hosting duties for the first time this week which sees seven other fellow Dutch players in the field. These include Lauren Holmey, Rosanne Boere (a), Hester Sicking (a), Zhen Bontan, Romy Meekers, Mayka Hoogeboom, and Pasqualle Coffa.
“This week means so much to me,” van Dam said. “I still remember playing here as a 17-year-old amateur in my first Dutch Ladies Open. It was the moment I knew I wanted to turn professional. I grew up watching this event, so it brings back amazing memories. I really hope lots of young girls and boys come out this week and feel as inspired as I once was.”
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With great weather expected, van Dam is hoping for good crowds on home soil. She’ll also have the added support of family and friends watching her compete.
“It’s always special playing at home. The Netherlands is such a small country, so it’s easy for people to travel and just come over or a day. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces out there.”
Although Goyer is a relatively new venue for van Dam, she’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I’ve played here a couple times and I’m very excited to tee it up this week and play at Goyer.
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“I wouldn’t say if fits my game in particular because it’s not that long. I can’t hit that many drivers, so accuracy is the key. I think the par-three’s are pretty long so that’s definitely an advantage for me, especially on a day like this. If it gets windy, it’ll be in my favour, so we’ll just have to see how the week plays out.”
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The tournament features 26 rookies including England’s Mimi Rhodes who currently leads the Order of Merit. Van Dam offered some advice to the newcomers: “Just enjoy it. I know it’s hard – you’re suddenly running your own business, handling everything yourself with so many new things. But at the end of the day, it’s still just golf. That’s something I try to remind myself too. I hope they can relax and just have a good time.
