The Solheim Cup is about the matches: 28 in total, spread out over three days, with the top pros playing as many as five in the span of 60 hours.

But for the physical therapists on-site this week at Bernardus Golf, it’s all about recovery. That’s their focus: helping players navigate a lot of golf in a very short time.

The need for recovery increases in an event like the Solheim Cup because of the amount of stress and excitement involved. “Even just the good excitement, it’s still stress,” says Alex Herzlin, Team USA’s physio. He’s also the physical therapist for the LPGA Tour. “So recovery is just preached constantly.”

RELATED: Solheim Cup 2026: 10 burning questions answered on the eve of the matches

The physios helping the two teams in the Netherlands will be using recovery tools like compression boots and hands-on physio work to keep players’ bodies fresh. Players are also talked to about nutrition, eating a balanced diet and making sure they’re eating enough during these strenuous days. Your body burns more calories when you’re stressed, Herzlin says. So caloric intake is crucial during Solheim Cup weeks.

Players are also working on their sleep.

“Sleep is the most important,” Herlin says. “It’s instantaneous. You’re going to lose performance the next day if you don’t sleep well. Whereas other types of recovery, it’ll take more time for the effects to happen.”

There are different methods players use to sleep well on the road.

“Some people travel with a pillow. Some people travel with their own light bulbs because they don’t do well with the harsh lights in hotel rooms. They minimise screen time,” Herzlin says.

If a player is staying in a hotel instead of an Airbnb, Herzlin warns against the tendency to start treating the bed as a couch. It’s easy to do; sometimes there isn’t much more than a bed in a hotel room. But when you start using your bed like you would a couch, to watch a movie or sit on while eating a meal, you run the risk of confusing your body when it is time to sleep.

“Your body starts losing that trigger: I get in bed, it’s time to go to bed,” Herzlin said. Treating your bed as anything other than a bed can make it harder for you to fall asleep, and then it’s suddenly harder to compete the next day.

“If you don’t sleep well,” Hezlin says, “now you’re treading water with a weight vest on.”

RELATED: Solheim Cup 2026: Here are the foursomes matches for the first session with a few surprises