We take a look at who is in contention for Team Europe and Team USA ahead of the Solheim Cup; Team Europe will be looking to secure a third consecutive victory; the Solheim Cup takes place from September 22-24 in Spain, live on Sky Sports
Tuesday 15 August 2023 12:48, UK
With the Solheim Cup just over a month away, we take a closer look at who is set to represent Team Europe and Team USA in Spain....
Team Europe will be made up of the top two in the European Solheim Cup standings following the ISPS Handa World Invitational, alongside the next eligible six in the world rankings, with Pettersen then naming her four captain's picks in a live show on Sky Sports Golf on Tuesday August 22.
Pettersen - who scored the winning point during the 2019 contest - will captain Europe at Finca Cortesin from September 22-24, live on Sky Sports, where the hosts will be aiming to register a third consecutive victory for the first time in the tournament's history.
Celine Boutier currently leads the way in the European Solheim Cup standings after her wins at the Evian Championship and Scottish Open, Maja Stark sitting in second with fellow Swede Linn Grant right on her tail.
The next six in the world rankings are currently Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, Grant, Carlota Ciganda, and Anna Nordqvist.
With Maguire, Hall and Hull all comfortably inside the world's top 20 they are set to qualify for Team Europe via their world ranking, with Grant also set for a Solheim Cup debut and Ciganda on track for an automatic spot following top-20 finishes in three of the four majors this year on home soil in Spain.
There is plenty of competition for who could get that final automatic place via the world rankings as Nordqvist has been ever-present for Team Europe at the Solheim Cup since 2009 and is set to be a playing vice-captain for this year's contest, with Stark and Madelene Sagstrom rounding out the top eight who could claim the final automatic spot.
There is then plenty of debate as to who should get one of Pettersen's captain's picks.
If vice-captain Nordqvist is beaten for the final automatic spots, she will be one of Pettersen's four choices, while Gemma Dryburgh is chasing a maiden Solheim Cup appearance.
The Scot is the only other European player currently in the world's top 50 after a breakthrough LPGA Tour victory last season. She recently posted a top-10 finish at the Evian Championship and finished 36th in the AIG Women's Open.
Germany's Olivia Cowan secured a top-10 finish at the AIG Women's Open but would be a rogue pick, with the likes of Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Albane Valenzuela, and Stephanie Meadow hoping they have shown enough this season for a call-up.
Should Pettersen want another Spanish option in her side then Carmen Alonso and Nuria Iturrioz have both won on the Ladies European Tour this season, while Ana Pelaez Trivino is inside the world's top 100 after three runners-up finishes in 2023.
Team USA will be finalised after the completion of the CP Women's Open on August 27. The top seven players in the US Solheim Cup standings automatically qualify alongside the next top two in the world rankings.
After her dominant victory at the AIG Women's Open and second major win, Lilia Vu will be in Spain, with Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz already having mathematically secured a place in the team.
Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Danielle Kang, and Lexi Thompson currently round out the top seven in the US Solheim Cup standings, with rising star Rose Zhang and Angel Yin the next top two in the world rankings.
Andrea Lee is next in line in the standings, with Ally Ewing Yin's closest challenger via the world rankings to make Stacy Lewis' side.
The LPGA Tour season heads to Northern Ireland next for the ISPS Handa World Invitational, beginning on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf, which is the final event in the qualification campaign for Europe's Solheim Cup team. Stream the LPGA Tour, Solheim Cup and more with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.
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