Pettersen banks on experience with Solheim Cup picks

Leona Maguire with the 2023 Irish Golf Writers' Association Female Professional of the Year award

Europe will bid for a Solheim Cup “four-peat” next month with a wealth of experience in the side after skipper Suzann Pettersen named three veterans and just one rookie as her four wildcards.

The Norwegian picked Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, England’s Georgia Hall and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist for the matches at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club from September 13-15 with Swiss star Albane Valenzuela handed her first cap.

Germany’s Esther Henseleit will be the only other new face in the side after she qualified automatically alongside England’s Charley Hull via the LET Solheim Cup points list.

With Hall, Nordqvist and Pedersen getting picks, the side features 10 of the 12 who tied in Spain last year to lift the Solheim Cup for the third time in a row.

Leona Maguire, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, France’s Celine Boutier and Swedish trio Maja Stark, Linn Grant and Madelene Sagström all made it automatically via the world rankings.

“That’s what you need going to the US,” Pettersen said of her experienced side. “Playing away is not easy. So I am really leaning on a lot of experience with these players and these girls, the top eight, really know how to get this done.”

Pettersen also opted for experience with her picks with Pedersen making her fourth appearance, Hall her fifth and Norqvist her ninth, making her the most capped Swede.

“Georgia has already proved herself to be a very passionate Solheim Cup player with her past experience and she is a player you want on your team,” she said.

“Anna has the experience; she has a great record in the Solheim Cup... Emily is a player who lives and dies for the Solheim Cup. She has a huge passion together with her past experiences, I know what I am getting with Emily.”

As for rookie Valenzuela, she said: “She has played some solid golf over the last two years and, especially this year, has proven she’s worthy of a spot on this team.”

Beating the Americans is also part of the logic behind the DP World’s Tour decision to appoint Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari as playing captains for January’s Team Cup—formerly the Hero Cup—as Europe continues its Ryder Cup succession planning.

Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland will clash at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort from January 10 to 12.

The teams will comprise the leading four available Continental European and GB&I members from the final Race to Dubai Rankings, with the five remaining players on each side selected by Rose and Molinari in consultation with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

The event is the successor to the Seve Trophy, which gave Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Nick Faldo, Paul McGinley, and Thomas Bjørn their first taste of captaincy before taking on the Ryder Cup job.

As such, Molinari (41) and Rose (44) can be considered front runners for the 2027 Ryder Cup captaincy at Adare Manor.

Meanwhile, nine Irish players tee it up in the First Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School today.

Michael Young, Daniel Mulligan and Brandon St John play at Golf Nazionale north of Rome while Royal Dublin amateur Hugh Foley joins Ciaran Lavery, Danny Brennan, Rowan Lester, Liam Grehan and JR Galbraith at The Players Club in Bristol.