The European Solheim Cup team will go in search of a hat-trick of wins at Finca Cortesin in Spain between 22 and 24 September.
In the previous match, at Inverness Club in Ohio, Catriona Matthew’s Team Europe beat Pat Hurst’s Team USA 15-13 for its seventh win overall.
With home advantage, optimism is high for more success in the build-up to this year’s match. Here are the key facts on Team Europe as anticipation builds for the 2023 edition.
Team Europe Captain
Taking over from Matthew for the 2023 Solheim Cup is Norwegian Suzann Pettersen. The 42-year-old claimed 21 professional wins, including two Majors before retiring in 2019.
In fact, the end of Pettersen’s playing career marked a moment of Solheim Cup history, as her final putt defeated Marina Alex to give Team Europe the trophy.
Could there be a more suitable candidate for the captaincy given that send-off? Certainly, there is plenty of faith in Pettersen to do a fine job in the role, as she has already been confirmed as captain for the 2024 match.
Pettersen competed in a total of nine editions of the Solheim Cup in her playing career, winning four times. Can she forge a similar reputation as captain?
Vice Captains:
- Anna Nordqvist
- Laura Davies
- Caroline Martens
Likely Team Europe Players
Celine Boutier
Celine Boutier currently tops the LET Solheim Cup standings, with the top two from that list earning automatic qualification.
Boutier claimed her maiden Major win in her homeland of France in July’s Amundi Evian Championship and followed that up the week after with victory in the Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open. Those wins followed victory in the LPGA Drive On Championship in March to make her a shoo-in for qualification.
Boutier already has two Solheim Cup appearances under her belt, in 2019 and 2021, and has an impressive 5-1-1 scoring record.
Maja Stark
The Swede is yet to represent Team Europe in the Solheim Cup, but there’s every chance she will in 2023, as she holds the second automatic qualifying position, behind Boutier, in the LET…
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