There was a huge subplot to the AIG Women's Open for European players as it offered the final chance to secure Solheim Cup places.
European captain Anna Nordqvist now knows her final eight automatic qualifiers after the conclusion of the final women's Major of the season at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
The AIG Women's Open also offered the final chance for those not bagging spots to impress Solheim Cup stalwart Nordqvist enough to grab one of her four captain's picks.
And those picks will be announced on Monday, the day after the final round of the AIG Women's Open, while there's still some time to run for Team USA with Angela Stanford not naming her side until August 24 following the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.
The 2026 Solheim Cup will take place the weel of September 7-13 at Bernardus Golf Club in the Netherlands and with double points on offer at the AIG Women's Open there was plenty to play for in Lytham.
The top two on the European Solheim Cup points list automatically qualify, with six spots filled by the top six European players on the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings.
Nordqvist will then complete her team with four captain's picks, but despite plenty of support she's decided against picking herself and being a rare playing captain.
The 39-year-old Nordqvist has played in the last nine Solheim Cups and with a 17-15-3 record only five players have won more matches in the event - and with a T7 finish at the Evian Championship, T28 at the Women's Scottish Open and T29 at the AIG Women's Open, the form is there, but she's already ruled herself out of consideration.
So who will be playing for Europe? Here's who has guaranteed their place following the AIG Women's Open...
Who has qualified automatically for the Solheim Cup?
Charley Hull finished top of the Solheim Cup points list on over 264 points, almost double the player who bagged the crucial second spot.
"I can't believe I've qualified for my eighth Solheim Cup," said Hull. "I'm very proud to represent Team Europe again in front of the home fans in the Netherlands."
Esther Henseleit was next on the points list, meaning one of the big consolations of her playoff defeat to Shiho Kuwaki at the AIG Women's Open is the luxury of knowing her Solheim Cup place is secure, without needing to rely on a captain's pick.
Before the final Major of the year, Swiss player Chiara Tamburlini held second place, but she misses out by less than a point.
To rub salt into her wounds, Tamburlini, who missed the cut at Royal Lytham & St Annes, would have clinched an automatic place had Henseleit finished worse than solo second. As a result, her hopes now rest with Nordqvist's captain's picks.
That leaves the six other automatic qualifiers, each of whom gets their via their world ranking.
Lottie Woad is the highest-ranked European, and the Englishwoman has secured her maiden Solheim Cup appearance.
The Swedish pair of Maja Stark and Linn Grant have also qualified automatically, giving each their third Solheim Cup appearance.
French star Celine Boutier has also qualified, meaning she will make her fifth appearance at the Solheim Cup.
There's also the vastly experienced Carlota Ciganda, with the Spaniard playing in the match for the eighth time, with Danish player Nanna Koertz Madsen set for her second Solheim Cup appearance after her maiden appearance came in 2021.
While Tamburlini missed out due to Henseleit's runner-up finish in the AIG Women's Open, it opened the door for Madsen, who walks through it owing to Henseleit no longer qualifying via her world ranking.
Position |
Name |
Country |
How They Qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
1. |
Charley Hull |
England |
Solheim Cup Points List |
2. |
Esther Henseleit |
Germany |
Solheim Cup Points List |
3. |
Lottie Woad |
England |
World Ranking |
4. |
Maja Stark |
Sweden |
World Ranking |
5. |
Celine Boutier |
France |
World Ranking |
6. |
Carlota Ciganda |
Spain |
World Ranking |
7. |
Linn Grant |
Sweden |
World Ranking |
8. |
Nanna Koertz Madsen |
Denmark |
World Ranking |
Who could get a Solheim Cup captain's pick?
Nordqvist will have the usual quandary over her four captain's picks come Monday, but Leona Maguire must be close, with a world ranking not too far beneath Madsen.
She also has Solheim Cup pedigree having gone unbeaten in 2021, 3-2-0 in 2023, although only playing two matches in 2024.
She's a fiesty competitor though and dogged matchplayer so she has to be near the top of the list for Nordqvist.
Considering how unlucky she was to miss out on automatic qualification, Tamburlini is sure to at least be in consideration as a possible rookie, and what about former World No.1 amateur Julia Lopez Ramirez for a wildcard selection?
The big-hitting Spaniard topped the LPGA Tour driving distance stats as a rookie in 2025 by averaging 285.42 yards off the tee, and is second this year, while she came through Q-School to get a full LET card to become eligible for Solheim Cup selection.
Among those with Solheim Cup pedigree, Emily Kristine Pedersen has four appearances for Europe under her belt but failed to qualify for the AIG Women's Open.
Meanwhile, Georgia Hall has been on the last five teams in the tournament and must be another name near the top of the list, despite missing the AIG Women's Open cut in her first appearance since giving birth in February.
Perhaps one clue as to Nordqvist's thinking came in an interview with Sky Sports following her final round at the AIG Women's Open.
She said: "Overall, with the picks, if you played well this year, you're probably going to get a pick. But the only way to really control it was by playing yourself in."
