Solheim Cup: Europe and USA teams announced

Solheim Cup captains Annika Sorenstam and Juli Inkster have finalised their teams for the biennial bout in Iowa in two weeks’ time.

Both made their wildcard picks – Sorenstam four and Inkster two – upon the conclusion of the Ricoh Women’s British Open, with the big news that Catriona Matthew won’t be playing in a Solheim Cup for the first time since 2002. Instead, the wildcard picks went to Anna Nordqvist, Caroline Masson and rookie duo Emily Kristine Pedersen and Madelene Sagstrom.

It likely signals the end of Matthew’s playing career in the Solheim Cup, although she will play an integral part in the proceedings at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in her role as vice-captain. She is hot favourite to lead the European team at Gleneagles in 2019.

Inkster, meanwhile, turned down the opportunity to go for Solheim Cup veterans Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel with her captain’s picks, instead opting for Austin Ernst and Angel Yin.

What the captains said

Sorenstam

On Matthew:

On rookies:

Inkster

On Creamer omission:

On Ernst: “She’s consistent. She’s a really good ball-striker. Hits a lot of greens. I just felt last time (in 2015), she was just on the outside looking in and I had to tell her no. This year, she was the same kind of outside looking in. I just felt she deserved a chance to see what she can do.”

On 18-year-old Yin: “She played a little bit on the LET last year. Kind of got her feet wet. Came over here and has played well. She’s a big hitter. Sometimes she misses a lot of fairways but she’s got a good short game and she’s a good iron player, and she’s fearless. If there’s that right pin, she’s going for it.”

Team Europe – Top 8

Georgia Hall

Age: 21

Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie

Record: N/A

Florentyna Parker

Age: 28
Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie
Record: N/A

Mel Reid

Age: 29
Previous Solheim Cups: 2
Record: 4-3-1

Carlota Ciganda

Age: 27
Previous Solheim Cups: 2
Record: 4-1-2

Suzann Pettersen

Age: 36
Previous Solheim Cups: 8
Record: 16-11-6

Charley Hull

Age: 21
Previous Solheim Cups: 2
Record: 6-2-0

Jodi Ewart Shadoff 

Age: 29
Previous Solheim Cups: 1
Record: 2-1-0

Karine Icher

Age: 38
Previous Solheim Cups: 3
Record: 5-4-1

Team Europe wildcards

Anna Nordqvist

Age: 30
Previous Solheim Cups: 4
Record: 8-7-1

Caroline Masson

Age: 28
Previous Solheim Cups: 2
Record: 2-3-2

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Age: 21
Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie
Record: N/A

Madelene Sagstrom

Age: 24
Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie
Record: N/A

Team USA – Top 10

Lexi Thompson

Age: 22
Previous Solheim Cups: 2 
Record: 3-2-2

Stacy Lewis

Age: 32
Previous Solheim Cups: 3
Record: 4-7-1

Gerina Piller

Age: 32 
Previous Solheim Cups: 2
Record: 3-2-2

Cristie Kerr

Age: 39 
Previous Solheim Cups: 8 
Record: 15-14-5

Jessica Korda

Age: 24
Previous Solheim Cups: 1
Record: 1-2-1

Danielle Kang

Age: 24 
Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie 
Record: N/A

Michelle Wie

Age: 27 
Previous Solheim Cups: 4 
Record: 7-7-1

Brittany Lang

Age: 31 
Previous Solheim Cups: 4
Record: 5-6-3

Brittany Lincicome

Age: 31 
Previous Solheim Cups: 5
Record: 5-11-2

Lizette Salas

Age: 28
Previous Solheim Cups: 2
Record: 1-3-2

Team USA wildcards

Austin Ernst

Age: 25 
Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie 
Record: N/A

Angel Yin

Age: 18
Previous Solheim Cups: Rookie 
Record: N/A