Solheim Cup Preview & Predictions
Updated: Sep 10, 2019
Solheim Cup
The 16th staging of the Soheim Cup begins this week, it was first staged in Florida in 1990 and named after club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was the driving force behind its inception, The Solheim Cup is contested between two teams of 12 players over three days. It follows the same format as The Ryder Cup, with 28 matches – eight foursomes and eight fourballs over the first two days and 12 singles on the final day.
Location: Gleneagles, Scotland (The PGA Centenary Course)
Schedule of events:
Thursday 12th Sept
The Solheim Cup Opening Ceremony
Fri 13th Sept
Foursomes Matches (4) 08:10 – 08:46
Fourball Matches (4) 12:40 – 13:25
Sat 14th Sept
Foursomes Matches (4) 08:10 – 08:46
Fourball Matches (4) 12:40 – 13:25
Sun 15th Sept
Singles Matches (12) 11:40 – 13:52
The Solheim Cup Closing Ceremony 18:00
Below we look at both teams below and give you a brief insight into each player and offer some predictions.
Team Europe
Solheim Cup Appearances: 31
Rolex ranking average: 152 108 (without Pettersen)
Average Age: 28
Team USA
Solheim Cup Appearances: 18
Rolex ranking average: 29
Average Age: 26
Europe
Carlota Ciganda (Spain)
Qualification: Solheim Cup points
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 17th (LET) 10th (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 12th
Solheim Cup appearances: 3
Wins: 2 (LET) 3 (LPGA)
Age: 29
Carlotta’s Solheim Cup record is good winning 5, losing 4 and halving 2 of her matches. This year she will be a player that a lot of the team look up to especially with the form she has shown this year. Carlota, is having what can be described as a very consistent season and is unlucky not to have picked up at least one victory.
In her 20 events on the LPGA she has had 8 top 10’s and 3 in her last 4 starts. This season on the LPGA she is 1st for Eagles and 3rd for birdies which could prove crucial in a match play format.
Anne Van Dam (Netherlands)
Qualification: Solheim Cup points
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 8th (LET) 74th (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 74th
Solheim Cup appearances: Rookie
Wins: 4 (LET)
Age: 23
The longest hitter on the LPGA this season with an average of 284 yards, which could be a key factor in foursomes. She had a season to remember last year on the LET winning 3 titles in 6 months, however, she is finding things a little tougher in her first season on the LPGA this year.
1 top 10 in 19 starts which was a few weeks ago back at the Scottish Open which could be a good sign for where this event is taking place.
Caroline Hedwall (Sweden)
Qualification: Solheim Cup points
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 4th (LET) 98th (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 124th
Solheim Cup appearances: 3
Wins: 6 (LET)
Age: 30
She has a good Solheim Cup record with 8 wins, 4 losses. In 2013 she became the first European to win five matches in a single Solheim Cup as her team secured a historic maiden win on American soil.
Caroline, has just made the 11 appearances on the LPGA this season and yet to register a top 10 finish. Her best result of 12th came at the DOW Great Lakes Championship.
She has had much more success back on the LET with 4 top 10s this year including a runner up spot at the Lalla Maryem Cup.
Capable of shooting very low on her given day if she is on it, would love to see her and Lizette Salas go head to head in the singles as it could be a birdie fest.
Charley Hull (England)
Qualification: World Rankings
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 12th (LET) 52nd (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 29th
Wins: 2 (LET) 1 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: 3
Age: 23
Charley, really rises to the occasion during the Solheim Cup and has 7 wins to her name from her 11 matches. Charley Hull became the youngest ever European at a Solheim Cup when she made her debut in 2013 aged just 17
Charley, started the year with a win on the LET at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Open. Back on the LPGA she has had 1 top 10 in her 16 starts. She has finished 30th, 24th and 24th in her last 3 starts, so her game is trending in the right direction.
Georgia Hall (England)
Qualification: World Rankings
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 54th (LET) 69th (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 37th
Wins: 1 (LET) 1 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: 1
Age: 23
Georgia played in all 5 matches last time in her rookie appearance at the Solheim Cup where she won 2 and lost 3 of her matches. However, she took that belief into 2018 and had a fantastic season where she won the British Open.
This year as been a bit harder going, with only 1 top 10 in 19 starts on the LPGA and no top 20 in her last 5 starts.
Has the ability to be one of the best putters on her day and really needs to use this team competition to try to rediscover some of last years form.
Azhara Munoz (Spain)
Qualification: World Rankings
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 19th (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 36th
Wins: 5 (LET) 1 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: 3
Age: 31
Azhara, has 4 wins to her name from 11 matches with 6 losses in her previous Solheim Cup matches.
Her season has been much like fellow Spaniards Carlota, very consistent. She has had
6 top 10’s in her 20 starts on the LPGA this year and was runner up at the KIA Classic.
Azhara, is 9th this year in putts per GIR with 1.76
Caroline Masson (Germany)
Qualification: World Rankings
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 57th (LET) 34th (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 48th
Wins: 1 (LET) 1 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: 3
Age: 30
Caroline, has found her previous 3 appearances a little hard going with just the 3 wins from 11 starts. She has been an ever-present member since her debut in 2013.
Caroline, will look to keep her good form going from the CP women’s open where she finished 7th and she was 11th at the British Open, so has been playing well recently.
2 top 10’s in 20 appearances on the LPGA this year. 17th for GIR in 2019 with 71.64%
Anna Nordqvist (Sweden)
Qualification: World Rankings
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 28th (LET) 53rd (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 69th
Wins: 3 (LET) 8 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: 5
Age: 32
Anna, has made 5 Solheim Cup appearances and her experience will be much needed for Team Europe this year. She has a good record in the event with 11 wins from her 20 matches, 7 losses and 2 halves.
She has only had 1 top 10 in 20 starts this year on the LPGA and has missed her last 2 cuts but did play better when back in Europe at the British and Scottish open finishing 11th and 13th respectively.
16th in driving accuracy for 2019 with 77.31% and will look to take this form into the event.
Celine Boutier (France)
Qualification: Captains Pick
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 19th (LET) 22nd (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 60th
Wins: 1 (LET) 1 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: Rookie
Age: 25
Celine, picked up her first LPGA victory at the Handa Vic Open right at the beginning of the season. She is another player who has had a very consistent 2019 season.
For me she was a dead certain captains pick due to her form this year with her win and 4 top 10’s in her 22 starts. She finished 6th at the British Open and was 26th last time out in Portland.
Boutier was born in France to Thai parents
Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England)
Qualification: Captains Pick
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 74th (LET) 51st (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 82nd
Wins: 0
Solheim Cup appearances: 2
Age: 31
In Jodi’s 7 matches in her 2 previous appearances she has had 3 wins and 4 losses. She comes into this event as a captains pick after a good start to the 2019 season. She had 4 top 10’s in 16 starts on the LPGA with a best of 8th 4 times!
She missed the cut in her last event and needs to find the form from the beginning of the year to play well here.
Bronte Law (England)
Qualification: Captains Pick
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 41ST (LET) 23rd (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 26th
Wins: 1 (LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: Rookie
Age: 24
Bronte, was another player for me that was a must have in this team. She has probably been the best Brit on the LPGA this year where she claimed her first ever win at the the Pure Silk Championship back in May
As well as the victory she had had 2 top 10’s from 19 LPGA starts. Bronte, has bounced back well in recent weeks with a string of good results after a series of missed cuts.
She was one of “our 10 to watch for 2019” and she has really proved why this year.
Suzann Pettersen (Norway)
Qualification: Captains Pick
Order of Merit 2019 ranking: 171st (LPGA)
Rolex Ranking: 635th
Wins: 7 (LET) 15 ( LPGA)
Solheim Cup appearances: 8
Age: 38
The most experienced player on team Europe and possible the most debatable of the captains picks.
Her record in the event is good with 16 wins (4th on the all-time list) from her 33 matches, 26 losses and 6 halves.
She earned a wildcard pick from Captain Catriona Matthew despite having limited playing time since the birth of her first child in 2018. her eight appearances, which would have been nine were it not for an injury in 2017 will be vital experience for Europe