Catriona Matthew and Pat Hurst have revealed their Captain's picks for the 2021 Solheim Cup
It's only 12 days to go until Team USA and Team Europe battle it out Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, where Team USA will be looking to use home advantage to win back the Solheim Cup after a 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 defeat in Gleneagles two years ago.
After the completion of the AIG Women's Open on Sunday evening, where Anna Nordqvist won her third major championship, and the final Solheim Cup points and World Ranking points were finalised, both Solheim Captains were on hand to reveal their teams.
Team Europe - the final 12
First up was Team Europe. The players who automatically qualified were:
Emily Kristine Pedersen (LET SC 126.38 points)
Georgia Hall (LET SC points)
Anna Nordqvist (Rolex World Rankings)
Sophia Popov (Rolex World Rankings)
Charley Hull (Rolex World Rankings)
Carlota Ciganda (Rolex World Rankings)
Due to Hall's performance at the AIG Women's Open, she took the second LET qualifying spot. Nordqvist's AIG Women's Open win has meant that she climbed to 16 in the World Rankings, gaining herself an automatic spot - she will make her seventh Solheim Cup appearance, and add valuable experience to the team.
Team Europe Captain picks
Due to the impact of Covid-19, Matthew was given six picks for this year's match. We're excited to announce that they are:
Melissa Reid Madelene Sagstrom Celine Boutier Leona Maguire Matilda Castren Nanna Koerstz Madsen
After taking on a Vice Captain role at the 2019 Solheim Cup, Mel Reid is back in the team, which we're sure will prove a popular choice amongst the team and Team Europe fans. Madelene Sagstrom, tied second at the AIG Women's Open, makes a return after being a Captain's pick in 2017. France's Celine Boutier, unbeaten at Solheim Cup in 2019, and regular on the LPGA Tour keeps her place.
Then come the rookie picks who will join Sophia Popov at their first Solheim Cup - Leona Maguire, Matilda Castren and Nanna Koerstz Madsen. Leona Maguire has a great reputation when it comes to team golf, having played in three Curtis Cups, and she's had seven top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour this year - surely an easy pick for Matthew.
Matlida Castren is having a great season after winning on the LPGA Tour in June and on the LET in July by winning the Gant Ladies Open. Winning at home in Finland gave Castren her LET membership which she needed to be eligible to be selected. Finally, there is Nanna Koerstz Madsen - maybe a little less known to some but with a tied fith place finish at the AIG Women's Open, she's on great form heading into Toledo.
Team USA - the final 12
Who will this European side be facing? Team USA Captain Pat Hurst confirmed that the following players had secured their spots, seven from LPGA Solheim Cup points and two from World Ranking. They are:
Nelly Korda (LPGA SC points)
Danielle Kang (LPGA SC points)
Ally Ewing (LPGA SC points)
Austin Ernst (LPGA SC points)
Lexi Thompson (LPGA SC points)
Jessica Korda (LPGA SC points)
Megan Khang (LPGA SC points)
Lizette Salas (Rolex World Rankings)
Jennifer Kupcho (Rolex World Rankings)
Nelly Korda Danielle Kang Ally Ewing Austin Ernst Lexi Thompson Jessica Korda Megan Khang Lizette Salas Jennifer Kupcho
Team USA Captain picks
Team USA Captain Pat Hurst has selected Brittany Altomare, Mina Harigae and Yealimi Noh as her captain’s picks for the 2021 Solheim Cup.
Altomare will make her second appearance for Team USA at the Solheim Cup, following her 2-1-1 performance at Gleneagles in 2019. Harigae and Noh will make their Solheim Cup debuts, along with automatic qualifier Jennifer Kupcho.
Brittany Altomare Mina Harigae Yealimi Noh
Hurst commented on her picks:
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but I’m very happy to have Brittany, Mina and Yealimi as my picks for Team USA. Brittany proved that she’s the ultimate team player in 2019 and really came through for us at Gleneagles. Mina and Yealimi have played so well over the last two years, and just because they’re Solheim Cup rookies on paper doesn’t mean they’re rookies inside the ropes. I have no doubt they’ll be great competitors at Inverness.”
Hurst also announced that Stacy Lewis would be her third assistant captain alongside Michelle Wie West and Angela Stanford.
So there you have it – we now know who will be facing each other in Ohio. We’re already excited to see the action unfold - it's difficult to spilt the teams, we think they're very well matched.
We’ll be keeping you up to date throughout, so be sure to keep an eye on the website and our social channels.