Tag: 2023 Solheim Cup

Meet the 12 players representing Team USA at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

Five players will make their debut for the American side next month in Spain.

With both rosters now set, it’s just about time for the 2023 Solheim Cup.

After European captain Suzann Pettersen announced her four captain’s picks last week, U.S. captain Stacy Lewis made her three selections on Monday to complete her 12-player team bound for Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain, Sept. 22-24. Team USA is comprised of the top seven players in the U.S. Solheim Cup standings, the top two players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking (not already eligible) and three captain’s picks.

The Americans have been victorious 10 times, most recently in 2017 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa, while the Europeans are looking for a third consecutive win and their eighth overall.

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Meet the 12 players who will take on the Europeans at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

Meet the 12 players representing Team Europe at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

Three players will make their debut for the European side next month in Spain.

In just a month’s time the U.S. and Europe will square off at the 2023 Solheim Cup, and one of the two squads has been set.

European captain Suzann Pettersen announced her four captain’s picks on Tuesday, completing the 12-player team bound for Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain, Sept. 22-24. Team Europe is comprised of the top-two players in the Europe Solheim Cup standings, the top-six players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking (not already eligible) and four captain’s picks.

The Americans have been victorious 10 times, most recently in 2017 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa, while the Europeans are looking for a third consecutive win and their eighth overall.

Meet the 12 players who will take on the U.S. at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

Second major victory this year propels Lilia Vu to top of women’s world ranking

For the first time in the history of the Rolex Rankings, the top-two players are from the U.S.

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Nelly Korda’s fifth stint atop the Rolex Rankings was short-lived as Lilia Vu’s second major championship victory this year has made her the new women’s World No. 1.

Vu ran away from the pack to claim the 2023 AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath near London on Sunday for her third win this year after previously earning her first LPGA win earlier this season at the Honda LPGA Thailand and the Chevron Championship in April.

The 25-year-old is the fourth American to earn the No. 1 ranking since the inception in 2006. Vu also became the first American to win two major championships in a single season since Juli Inkster in 1999.

She also moves to No. 1 in the standings for the 2023 Solheim Cup team, though she had mathematically clinched her spot following the U.S. Women’s Open in July.

“Being the best in the world, that’s just crazy to me,” said Vu following her win at Walton Heath. “Just thinking about the struggle I had this year and just to come out with that has been — it’s just incredible.”

Korda is now ranked No. 2, which means for the first time in the history of the Rolex Rankings the top-two players are from the United States.

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One year to Spain: See what the 2023 Solheim Cup teams could look like with several new faces

A handful of rookies could make their event debut at Finca Cortesin.

The 2023 Solheim Cup heads to Spain for the first time Sept. 22-24 and a number of new faces might make their debuts at Finca Cortesin. Much can happen between now and then, of course, but U.S. captain Stacy Lewis and European captain Suzann Pettersen have several impressive rookies already the mix.

The selection criteria is different for the two teams. Team USA takes the top seven players from the Solheim Cup points list (points are doubled next year), plus the next two highest-ranked players off the Rolex Rankings. Lewis gets three captain’s picks.

Team Europe takes only the top two players off its points list plus six LET members off the Rolex Rankings not already qualified. Pettersen will receive four captain’s picks.

Right now, Carlota Ciganda seems to be the only Spanish native with a chance to make the team, though Azahara Munoz recently returned from maternity leave and could make a run. Munoz is a veteran of five Solheim Cups and most recently competed in 2019.

Other players not listed below but worth keeping an eye on include: Hawaii’s Allisen Corpuz, California’s Alison Lee, Yealimi Noh, and Mina Harigae, Johanna Gustavsson of Sweden and Germany’s Leonie Harm.

Opening hole at the Solheim Cup in Spain will be a risky drivable par 4

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a first hole like this in the Solheim Cup.”

The first hole at the 2023 Solheim Cup will be unlike anything else in event history. That’s because organizers at Finca Cortesin in Spain have created a drivable par-4 opening hole to crank up the challenge and suspense. The new 280-yard par 4 has a large lake on the left side that reaches to the front of a sizable green.

“It is a good decision to have made this change,” said Finca Cortesin managing director Vicente Rubio in a release. “The characteristics of the new hole one will allow us to accommodate more than 1,000 people over the tee, which will make for a great atmosphere. I think it’s the perfect hole to start a Solheim Cup.

“This hole is, as they say, a risk and reward hole. Players can either try to reach the green with one shot or play more conservatively. The design of the hole and the great difference in height between the tee and the green will make it a spectacle, and I have no doubt that it will be a success.”

The event will be held in Spain for the first time one year from now, September 22-24. Suzann Pettersen will lead Europe, which has won the last two contests, and Stacy Lewis will captain Team USA.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a first hole like this in the Solheim Cup,” said Lewis. “You can reach the green, but the water comes into play quite a lot…It’s like an amphitheater. The stands are going to be high up, practically above you, which will make the public feel very close. It’s definitely a great hole for the Solheim Cup.”

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Suzann Pettersen names Laura Davies, Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Martens as three vice captains for 2023 Solheim

The European Solheim Cup team will have plenty of experience leading it.

European Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen has named her three vice captains. The event’s next staging will be played September 2023 at Finca Cortesín in Casares, Spain.

Dame Laura Davies will once again serve as a vice captain along with Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Martens. Davies, who made 12 appearances in the Solheim as a competitor, served as vice captain under Catriona Matthew in two victorious showings in 2019 and 2021.

Nordqvist, a three-time major winner, has competed in the last seven editions, securing 15.5 points during that span. She has been on four winning teams and could potentially be a playing vice captain in Spain.

The Solheim Cup 2021
Matilda Castren of Team Europe and Anna Nordqvist of Team Europe at the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Martens, a close friend of Pettersen’s, competed on the LET for eight seasons.

Pettersen calls being named Solheim Cup captain the greatest honor of her career.

“I’m excited for what Caroline, Anna and Laura can bring to Team Europe as we look to defend the Cup on Spanish soil in the Costa del Sol,” said Pettersen in a release. “With all three of them by my side, I couldn’t ask for anything better, and I’m certain that they will be great for our team.”

U.S. captain Stacy Lewis has so far named Natalie Gulbis and Morgan Pressel as two of her assistants. Team USA hasn’t won the Cup since 2017.

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Natalie Gulbis named assistant captain for U.S. team at 2023 Solheim Cup

Stacy Lewis named Natalie Gulbis an assistant captain for the 2023 squad.

Stacy Lewis, who will be the captain of the U.S. squad at the 2023 Solheim Cup, named Natalie Gulbis an assistant captain for the team.

Gulbis, 39, played on three winning Solheim Cup teams (2005, 2007, 2009) and posted a 5-4-1 mark. She went 2-0-1 her singles matches. Gulbis joined the LPGA in 2002 and has one victory, the 2007 Evian Masters.

“There’s nothing more inspiring than wearing the Red, White and Blue and representing the United States. Playing on my three Solheim Cup teams is among the highlights of my career, and I was so excited when Stacy asked me to work with her for the 2023 squad,” said Gulbis in a statement released by the LPGA.

Morgan Pressel will also be an assistant for the Solheim Cup, which will be held in Spain at Finca Cortesin, September 22-24, 2023.

“When I accepted this captaincy, I knew that I wanted the team around me to love this event as much as I do. Natalie completely fits that role,” said Lewis in a statement released by the LPGA. “She’s been a great friend since my rookie year, and I knew that she would be perfect as one of my assistant captains. Natalie has been a fantastic resource for me throughout my career, both personally and professionally, and I know her positive spirit will be an awesome influence in the team room.”

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Suzann Pettersen, one of Europe’s most colorful Solheim Cup players, named 2023 captain

“This is the biggest honor of my career.”

Suzann Pettersen was named 2023 European Solheim Cup captain at a press conference in Spain on Monday. The colorful Norwegian player, who has been both the hero and the villain of the biennial match, will try to carry on the momentum set forth by Catriona Matthew, who led Europe to consecutive victories in 2019 and 2021.

The next match will take place in Spain’s Costa del Sol from September 18-24, 2023.

Pettersen, 40, has represented Europe in nine Solheim Cups as a player and twice as vice captain. In 2019, she famously sank the winning putt at Gleneagles and then walked off into retirement with son Herman in her arms.

“I am simply thrilled to be named Solheim Cup captain,” said Pettersen. “This is the biggest honor of my career.”

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Pettersen made her Solheim debut in 2002 at Interlachen Golf and Country Club in Minnesota and helped lead Europe to victory in 2003, 2011 and 2013 before returning from maternity leave in 2019 to deliver the most impactful seven-foot putt of her career.

Prior to being named a wild card pick in 2019, Pettersen has competed in only three Rolex Ranking events in 18 months, with two missed cuts and a T-59 in the CP Women’s Open.

Her performance in Scotland was nothing short of legendary.

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“We are delighted that Suzann has accepted the role of captain for the 2023 Solheim Cup,” said Alexandra Armas, chief executive of the Ladies European Tour. “She has been the heart and soul of the European team for almost 20 years and, with 21 points earned from nine appearances, her record speaks for itself.”

Pettersen took on the role on villain in 2015 when a concession controversy erupted on the final day in Germany.

The incident occurred on the 17th green at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club in four-balls when rookie Alison Lee picked up an 18-inch putt for par that she thought Europe had conceded. As Charley Hull walked off the green, Pettersen told the group’s rules official that the putt hadn’t been given.

The miscommunication resulted in a loss of hole for Lee and partner Brittany Lincicome, who walked to the 18th tee stunned.

After the Americans failed to birdie the final hole, Europe closed the match, 2 up, and Lee and Hull broke down sobbing.

The Americans responded with the biggest come-from-behind victory in Solheim Cup history, with Team USA overcoming a four-point deficit to triumph, winning 8.5 points in singles play Sunday.

Pettersen later issued an apology.

Now a mother of two, Pettersen served as vice captain for Matthew at Inverness in September, helping Europe take home the Cup despite having only a small number of friends and family present due to travel restrictions.

A two-time major champion, Pettersen has 21 LPGA and LET titles, including 15 on the LPGA. She won the 2007 McDonald’s LPGA Championship (now KPMG Women’s PGA) and 2013 Evian Championship.

“My best golfing memories are from the Solheim Cup,” said Pettersen. “You are out there with your teammates, your friends, and you all work for one goal. You fight for your friends and you share incredibly precious moments.”

Team USA has yet to name its next captain.

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Solheim Cup headed to Spain in 2023 but then? The biennial match will be played on even years starting in 2024.

The Solheim Cup is moving back to even years starting in 2024 to avoid a clash with the Ryder Cup.

The Solheim Cup is moving back to even years starting in 2024 to avoid a clash with the Ryder Cup. With the Ryder Cup moving to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers had previously announced that the men’s match-play event would permanently remain on odd years going forward.

“With the world sporting schedule changing so much due to current difficulties, we felt it was in the best interest of the Solheim Cup to return to an off-year rotation with the Ryder Cup,” Dennis Baggett, Executive Director of the Solheim Cup, said in November of 2020. “When the competition returns to the United States in 2024, I have no doubt fans will have an incredible opportunity to celebrate the best women golfers from the United States and Europe as they represent their home countries.”

The Solheim was first played in 1990 and remained on an even-year rotation until 2003. That move came about because the Ryder Cup switched to even years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks postponed the 2001 competition to 2002.

While future dates will be spread apart, the next staging of the biennial competition offers an opportunity much like in 2021 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. In 2023, the Solheim Cup heads to Spain for the first time from Sept. 22-24, one week ahead of the Ryder Cup’s debut in Rome.

The dates and venue for the 2024 Solheim Cup will be announced at a later date.

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