When the European Solheim Cup team is finalized after this week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open the host side in Scotland next month will likely have a much more experienced team than the United States, which determines its players after the CP Women’s Open ends Aug. 25. It truly is a changing of the guard for the Yanks.
Also becoming clear is the importance of the captain’s picks – four by Catriona Matthew for Europe and two by Juli Inkster for the U.S. team. Inkster, especially, will have to decide how much to value experience, which those players who are likely to qualify for the team have in very short supply.
Europe’s team came much more into focus after the AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn Golf Club. The three qualifiers as of now off the Ladies European Tour points list are Carlota Ciganda, Caroline Hedwall and Ann Van Dam. The five who qualify off the Rolex Rankings are Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Azahara Munoz, Caroline Masson and Anna Nordqvist.
Those eight players, who appear to be a lock for Europe, have played in a combined 21 Solheim Cups. The 10 Americans currently qualified for the team have played in a combined nine Cups. That’s a startling difference.
Currently qualified off the points list for the Americans are Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Lizette Salas, Jessica Korda, Marina Alex, Megan Khang and Brittany Altomare. Making the team off the Rolex Rankings would be Angel Yin and Austin Ernst.
