Eight players secure spots on European Solheim Cup team

Lydia Ko wasn’t the only player celebrating at the end of the AIG Women’s Open. Eight European golfers had reason for cheer, too.

As Kiwi Ko left St Andrews with the silverware having ended her eight-year major drought, an octet of Euros followed her out of the ‘Auld Grey Toon’, secure in the knowledge that they’d qualified for next month’s Solheim Cup.

England’s Charley Hull lead the qualifiers after topping the LET Solheim Cup Points List.

Hull, who made her debut in the contest back in 2013, will be making her seventh appearance in the prestigious event and has won 13.5 points from her 22 matches.

The second spot from the standings was clinched by Germany’s Esther Henseleit. The debutant becomes the sixth different German player to represent Europe.

Henseleit catapulted herself into the automatic qualifying spots after her second-place finish at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.

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“I am so excited to be part of the European Solheim Cup team this year,” she said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play in the Solheim Cup since I was a little girl and to be able to qualify for the team is a dream come true.

“I am so excited. It’s been a great summer for me, and I can’t wait to play in European colours at the Solheim Cup in September.”

Six other players join Hull and Henseleit via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings with France’s Celine Boutier leading the way.

This will be Boutier’s fourth consecutive Solheim Cup, having made her debut in 2019 at Gleneagles.

Swedish duo Maja Stark and Linn Grant, meantime, will both be making their second appearance in the competition having made their debuts at Finca Cortesin in 2023.

Stark commented: “I’m very excited about the Solheim Cup, it’s my first one in America. I’m looking forward to seeing how different it is and seeing some few but mighty European fans who are very loud hopefully. It’s a great course as well, so it’s going to be fun.”

“I’m very proud and it will be very fun,” said Grant. “I look forward to playing in the US. I expect a lot of booing, but it will be fun.”

Ireland’s Leona Maguire will be making their third consecutive appearance, having won seven-and-a-half points from the ten matches she has played in.

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Meanwhile, it will be a seventh consecutive appearance for Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who rolled in the putt in 2023 that retained the cup for Europe.

The final player to qualify via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings is Sweden’s Madelene Sagström.

It will also be a fourth appearance for Sagström, who made her Solheim Cup debut in 2017, and her third appearance on American soil.

Captain Suzann Pettersen will round out her team with four captain’s picks on Monday, August 26, at 4pm (BST) live on Sky Sports News and streamed on the LET website here.

“The European team is looking great right now for the 2024 Solheim Cup,” said the Norwegian.

“We have so much experience on the team but it’s also great to have Esther making her Solheim Cup debut this year. The European players have been putting in great performances this year and we’re excited for September.”

The 2024 Solheim Cup takes place at Robert Trent Jones Country Club in Virginia from September 13-15.