The 2023 Solheim Cup heads to Spain for the first time Sept. 22-24 and a number of new faces might make their debuts at Finca Cortesin. Much can happen between now and then, of course, but U.S. captain Stacy Lewis and European captain Suzann Pettersen have several impressive rookies already the mix.
The selection criteria is different for the two teams. Team USA takes the top seven players from the Solheim Cup points list (points are doubled next year), plus the next two highest-ranked players off the Rolex Rankings. Lewis gets three captain’s picks.
Team Europe takes only the top two players off its points list plus six LET members off the Rolex Rankings not already qualified. Pettersen will receive four captain’s picks.
Right now, Carlota Ciganda seems to be the only Spanish native with a chance to make the team, though Azahara Munoz recently returned from maternity leave and could make a run. Munoz is a veteran of five Solheim Cups and most recently competed in 2019.
Other players not listed below but worth keeping an eye on include: Hawaii’s Allisen Corpuz, California’s Alison Lee, Yealimi Noh, and Mina Harigae, Johanna Gustavsson of Sweden and Germany’s Leonie Harm.
TEAM USA
Lexi Thompson
A veteran of five Solheim Cups, Lexi Thompson has an overall record of 6-6-7. Though Thompson hasn’t won on the LPGA since 2019, she currently leads the U.S. points list.
Jennifer Kupcho
Jennifer Kupcho, a three-time winner this year, made her Solheim Cup debut last year at Inverness and put together a 2-1-1 record. Kupcho won 2.5 points with Lizette Salas as a partner. The pair won together this year at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational team event.
Nelly Korda
A two-time Solheim Cup player, Nelly Korda has yet to play on a winning team. The No. 2-ranked player in the world has an overall record of 5-2-1. She has both won and lost with big sister Jessica as a partner. She’s undefeated in singles.
Jessica Korda
Jessica Korda started winning on the LPGA in 2012 but has only played on three U.S. Solheim Cup teams. Like her sister, Jessica has yet to play on a winning squad. She has an overall record of 5-4-2.
Andrea Lee
Andrea Lee has represented the U.S. in just about every way possible as an amateur, including two winning Curtis Cup teams, two winning Junior Solheim Cup teams and a winning Junior Ryder Cup team. After losing her card last year, Lee is now fifth on the points list after capturing her first LPGA victory in Portland.
Danielle Kang
A six-time winner on the LPGA, Danielle Kang made a rousing debut in the Solheim Cup in 2017 when she put together a 3-1-0 record. It hasn’t gone as smoothly since, however, as she only managed to score one point in each of her last two appearances.
Megan Khang
Though she has yet to win on the LPGA, Megan Khang continues to climb the Rolex Rankings and put herself in contention. A veteran of two Solheim Cups, Khang has an overall record of 1-3-2. Still finding her footing in the event.
Marina Alex
Marina Alex’s first and only Solheim Cup appearance was a memorable one. It was Alex who suffered that momentous loss to Suzann Pettersen in 2019 that won Europe the Cup. Alex, whose record is 1-1-2, would surely love another chance to replacing that lasting memory.
Ally Ewing
Ally Ewing’s first Solheim Cup appearance came as a surprise when she replaced an injured Stacy Lewis onsite in Scotland. She made the team again in 2021 and has a 2-5-1 record. Ewing has won on the LPGA in each of the last three seasons.
Lilia Vu
Like Andrea Lee, Lilia Vu has a decorated amateur career wearing red, white and blue. The former UCLA standout represented the U.S. on winning teams in 2018 at the Curtis Cup, Palmer Cup and World Amateur Team. While she hasn’t yet won the LPGA, Vu has certainly garnered the attention of Lewis.
Lucy Li
After Lucy Li wrapped up her 2023 LPGA card on the Epson Tour, she took advantage of several starts on the big tour to see what it’s like in contention. Once Li has the opportunity to play full time on the LPGA, expect her to rise quickly up the Rolex Rankings with her consistent play.
Lizette Salas
Lizette Salas isn’t high on any lists at this point in time, but her history at the Solheim and, most notably, her chemistry with Jennifer Kupcho makes her an intriguing pick. A veteran of five Solheims, Salas went 2-0-1 with Kupcho in Inverness and then won the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational alongside her this summer. Put simply: They bring out the best in each other.
TEAM EUROPE
Celine Boutier
Celine Boutier is currently the top-ranked player on Team Europe and she has a sparkling record of 5-1-1 in two appearances. The Frenchwoman is undefeated with partner Georgia Hall in foursomes.
Leona Maguire
The MVP of the 2021 Solheim Cup, Leona Maguire went 4-0-1 in her maiden appearance, competing in all five matches. The Irishwoman formed a strong partnership with veteran Mel Reid, though Reid has dipped to No. 144 in the Rolex Rankings.
Georgia Hall
A member of the last three Solheim Cup teams, England’s Georgia Hall seems to thrive on this electric stage. She was 4-0-0 in Europe’s 2019 victory. Hall has an overall record of 7-5-1.
Anna Nordqvist
Suzann Pettersen named veteran Anna Nordqvist a vice captain this time around, but if she’s healthy, one would expect the reliable Swede to compete. A nine-time winner on the LPGA, Nordqvist has competed in every Cup for Europe since 2009. She has an overall record of 14-10-3.
Madelene Sagstrom
While Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom is undefeated in singles play, she has yet to win a point in team competition. The long-hitting Sagstrom first competed for Europe in 2017 and again last year.
Linn Grant
Sweden’s Linn Grant lit up the Ladies European Tour this season, winning four times. The former Arizona State player already has a built-in partner in close friend Maja Stark. The two Swedes are undefeated in foursomes play, representing Sweden together on numerous occasions and winning the historic Sunningdale Foursomes in 2019.
Maja Stark
Maja Stark earned her LPGA card with a victory earlier this year at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. Stark also won four times on the LET in 2022. The former Oklahoma State standout contended in her first start on the LPGA since becoming a member, ultimately finishing eighth in Portland.
Charley Hull
This Englishwoman has come a long way since asking Paula Creamer for an autograph at the 2013 Solheim Cup. Charley Hull is now a veteran of five Solheim Cup contests and a member of three winning teams. She has an 11-5-3 record and has played with a number of different partners over the years.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen
Nanna Koerstz Madsen became the first player from Denmark to win on the LPGA earlier this year in Thailand. The 27-year-old made her Solheim debut last year at Inverness and finished 1-1-1. She’s currently ranked 37th in the world.
Pia Babnik
Pia Babnik will be 19 years old by the time the Solheim Cup rolls around. She finished third at the Chevron Championship this year and won twice on the Ladies European Tour in 2021. The tall, long-hitting native of Slovenia is currently ranked 59th in the world.
Carlota Ciganda
Carlota Ciganda, a two-time winner on the LPGA, could be the only Spaniard on the team for the inaugural Solheim Cup in Spain. The fiery, aggressive player has a 7-8-4 record in five appearances. She’s 3-1-1 in singles play and will be the crowd favorite next year.
Matilda Castren
The first player from Finland to ever win on the LPGA, Matilda Castren enjoyed a fine debut in Toledo last year, partnering with Nordqvist to put together a 3-1-0 record. Her performance has dipped of late, however, as she’s currently 83rd in the world.
