Which Team Has The Edge at The 2023 Solheim Cup

Team-based golf is fascinating due to the rarity of their occurrence. Once every two years, the best 24 players from Europe and America go head-to-head to decide which team reigns supreme.

The Solheim Cup has produced some jaw-dropping moments throughout its history, and that rivalry is seemingly deepening as each edition passes.

The big question is: who has the advantage as we gear towards the first day of the 2023 Solheim Cup?

We break down each team, detailing their experience and potential impact of rookies to understand who should be entering the competition with the most confidence.

Experience

As a collective, team Europe has 30 Solheim Cup appearances within their ranks, which should be advantageous once the pressure starts to crank.

If, at any stage, Europe find themselves up against the wall, there are several players who the rookies will look at for inspiration.

Anna Nordqvist’s involvement will mark her eighth appearance and the veteran holds a positive record: 14-10-3.

Carlota Ciganda will surely be an important member of team Europe as the Spaniard will play in her sixth Solheim Cup.

Charley Hull is another name who will be making her sixth appearance, and the Englishwomen’s record of 11-5-3 will strike fear into her American competition.

Making her fifth appearance for team blue is Caroline Hedwall as the 36-year-old is welcomed back into the team following her omission from the 2021 version.

If we browse the American team, there are only 17 combined Solheim Cup appearances, which is a stark contrast compared to team blue.

For some players, experiencing this event for the first time can be quite an overwhelming feeling - which could result in below-par performances.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Nelly Korda - still only 25 years of age - is ranked second in the world and the American has been a brilliant golfer for a significant amount of time.

Despite her success as an individual, she’s never been on the winning team and she’ll be eager to correct the record come Sunday afternoon.

Lexi Thompson is the most capped Solheim Cup player for America, having represented her country on five occasions previously.

She joins Angel Yin and Danielle Kang as the only members of the team who have experienced winning a Solheim Cup; she’ll undeniably be crucial if America are to win the cup for the first time in six years.

From an experience perspective, it looks like Europe will be heading to Spain with a slight advantage in that department.

Rookies

Three European players will be making their debut in the 2023 Solheim Cup, and fans should be ecstatic about their involvement.

Linn Grant is the highest ranked player among the three and the Swede enjoyed a stellar 2022 season on the Ladies European Tour.

Grant was victorious on four occasions throughout the calendar year - and she added a fifth title in May 2023 after winning the Jabra Ladies Open.

Interestingly, she was crowned champion of the Swedish Matchplay Championship on the Nordic Golf Tour as an amateur, which highlights her strength in the format.

Maja Stark joins her countrywoman in Grant as being a rookie to this European team; the 26-year-old is a six-time European Tour champion.

Moreover, Stark has a LPGA win to her name after she was victorious in the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational.

Completing the newcomer lineup for Europe is Gemma Dryburgh, who will be hoping her experience in the 2014 Curtis Cup proves valuable for her trip to Spain.

The Scotswoman earned her maiden LPGA Tour win when she scooped the Toto Japan Classic title.

As opposed to Europe’s three, there are five Americans who will be introduced to the Solheim Cup for the very first time.

The world number one, Lilia Vu, has rightfully earned her place in America’s team and the 25-year-old - who won two of five major championships this year - will be keen to add to her highly successful campaign.

Allisen Corpuz is ranked inside the world’s top 10 and her capture of the U.S. Women’s Open earlier in the season demonstrates she is a force to be reckoned with.

Despite being a two-time LPGA champion by the time the 2021 Solheim Cup took place, Ally Ewing added a third before she was included for the first time.

The American also finished T6 at the 2023 Women’s Open, so there’s no questioning her ability to perform well under pressure.

Andrea Lee found out she needed to finish 13th or better at the CPKC Women’s Open to qualify for the Solheim Cup team the night before the final round.

She jumped from T18 to T13 during a heroic finale to book her place in Spain despite knowing the pressure!

The 25-year-old has one LPGA Tour win to her name, having triumphed in the Portland Classic in 2022.

Perhaps the most exciting rookie from both teams is the brilliant Rose Zhang - who recorded victory on her first LPGA Tour start.

Still only 20 years old, there is a lot of curiosity around the young golfer and the American team will be hoping for her very best.

History Beckons

This Solheim Cup is set to be fascinating as Europe lean on experience and America decide to bring in young blood in a bid to wrestle the cup back from their bitter rivals.

If Europe can culminate the event in winning style, they would have won the Solheim Cup on three consecutive occasions for the first time in history.

On the other hand, America will be looking to end that streak and earn a win of their own - for the first time since 2017.

We are surely guaranteed a blockbuster weekend on the Costa del Sol!