Catriona Matthew reveals Solheim Cup wild cards

The European Solheim Cup team for next month’s match at Gleneagles has been finalised with the announcement of captain Catriona Matthew’s four wild cards.

The Scot has chosen Bronte Law, Celine Boutier, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Suzann Pettersen to round out her team for the match with Juli Inkster’s US side on the Perthshire resort’s PGA Centenary Course from September 13-15.

They join Anna Nordqvist, Caroline Masson, Caroline Hedwall and Anne Van Dam, as well as Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz in the European team.

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Law and Boutier will both make their debuts in the match but it is
the inclusion of Pettersen that’s bound to raise the most eyebrows. A
veteran of eight Solheim Cups, the Norwegian has played only two events
since November 2017 after taking time off to have a baby.

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However, she has convinced Matthew to take a gamble on her for next month’s match, promoting her from her position as vice-captain to player.

“Suzann has just come back from having her baby but once she came back and got playing, she realised those competitive juices were still there,” Matthew told bunkered.co.uk. “She has been practicing tremendously hard and she is raring to go and fired up.

“She brings that invaluable huge amount of experience that the younger players can look up to and respect. She is stepping away from her vice-captain role but she is going to be huge for us out there on the golf course and will be a leader no doubt.”

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Pettersen added: “Catriona knows that match play brings out the absolute best in my game and that I will be ready to deliver points for her come September. I honestly believe that my best contribution to our Solheim Cup campaign will be on the course and I am very grateful to Catriona for having the confidence to choose me for this year’s team.”

Three-time Solheim Cup player Mel Reid has taken Pettersen’s place on Matthew’s backroom team having missed out on a spot in the side as a player. Matthew admitted that telling some players they hadn’t made it hadn’t been easy.

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“This is the biggest event in women’s golf and everyone wants to play
in it so it is difficult to make those phone calls. There are only 12
places on the team unfortunately and that’s the way it goes.

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“But I’m feeling good and excited. There’s definitely a
weight off of the shoulders now that everyone knows the final picks. I
mean its obviously been on my mind for the last few weeks. I had an idea
of who the picks were going to be but it’s nice to just get it done and
get the team finalised now. We can now start focusing on how we are
going to win the cup back.”

US
captain Juli Inkster will reveal her two captain’s picks when
qualifying for the American team ends at the CP Women’s Open in a
fortnight’s time.

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Additional reporting by Ryan Crombie