Suzann Pettersen Names 2024 European Solheim Cup Team

Suzann Pettersen has named the 12 women she hopes will retain the Solheim Cup for Europe.

Eight players qualified automatically after the AIG Women’s Open, more of which later.

It meant the captain had four picks.

The first of those was former Open champion Georgia Hall, of England, who said she was delighted to be chosen. She said: "My game is in good shape and I am looking forward to making my fifth successive appearance as we try to make it four wins in a row."

Next up was Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, a woman who lives for the Solheim Cup and had already been named as a vice-captain. This will be her ninth appearance. Pettersen said: "She brings so much to the table and there was no way this team was going to be without her."

Norqvist said: "I am honoured to be playing in my ninth match. It means so much to me to be picked and I can’t wait to play."

The third pick was Emily Pedersen, of Denmark, another golfer with a proven Solheim Cup pedigree. Pettersen said: "When it comes to matchplay she is one of the best. She has great energy."

The player said of her fourth appearance: "I am so excited to have been picked. The Solheim Cup is the highlight of my career."

And the final choice was Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela, who will be making her first appearance.

Pettersen said: "She was disappointed not to make the last team and it set alight a fire in her. She is great around the greens, is smart and is such a nice girl."

Valenzuela was thrilled. She said: "I am speechless. This has been a dream for me and I cannot wait to represent Europe and go after it."

Pettersen said: "I think we have a great team, a great blend of youth and experience. These rookies are not really like rookies. We cannot wait. I know we are going to be facing a strong American team but now the fun begins. I now have to look at all my potential pairings and work out the permutations. This is a dream come true for both the players and myself."

The eight automatic qualifiers were England's Charley Hull, Ireland's Leona Maguire, France's Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda of Spain, Germany's Esther Henseleit and Swedish players Maja Stark, Linn Grant and Madelene Sagstrom.

Europe go into the 19th staging of the event as the holders, having retained the title with a 14-14 draw in Spain last year after winning the previous two editions.

The 2024 Solheim Cup will be held from 13-15 September at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. Looking at the overall record, the US lead 10-7 with one draw.

Hull, who made her debut in 2013, will make her seventh appearance after finishing top of the Ladies European Tour (LET) Solheim Cup points list. The 27-year-old, ranked 10th in the world, has won 13½ points from her 22 matches.

Henseleit, who was second on the points list, will be making her debut. The 25-year-old, who jumped into her qualifying spot by finishing runner-up at the recent Scottish Open, said: "It's been a dream of mine to play in the Solheim Cup since I was a little girl. I can't wait to play in European colours."

Pettersen added: "We have so much experience on the team but it's also great to have Esther making her Solheim Cup debut."

The other six automatic qualifiers are in the team through their world golf rankings. This will be Boutier’s fourth consecutive Solheim Cup, having made her debut in the 2019 victory at Gleneagles and also played in the win in Ohio in 2021 before last year's thrilling draw in Spain.

Maguire will be making her third appearance and has amassed 7½ points from the 10 matches she has played in.

The event is usually contested every two years but is being played in consecutive years to move it into even-numbered years and avoid clashes with the Ryder Cup, which was delayed from 2020 to 2021 because of Covid and is now played in odd-numbered years.