Solheim Cup Team Europe 2021
Everything you need to know about Team Europe ahead of the 2021 Solheim Cup
Solheim Cup Team Europe 2021
The 2021 Solheim Cup between the United States and Europe gets underway on Saturday 4 September at Inverness Club in Ohio, with play lasting for three days and finishing on Monday 6 September.
Europe are the current holders of the Solheim Cup, after beating the US to victory in 2019 at Gleneagles.
Europe’s captain on that occasion was Catriona Matthew, who retains that status as her team prepares to travel to the United States.
She represented Europe nine times as a player between 1998 and 2017 in the Solheim Cup, picking up three victories and a wealth of tournament experience.
England’s Laura Davies, Scotland’s Kathryn Imrie, and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen will assist Matthew as her vice-captians, but who will be playing for Team Europe in the 2021 Solheim Cup?
Related: Solheim Cup 2021 – What You Need To Know
Solheim Cup Team Europe 2021 – How It Stands
Emily Kristine Pedersen
Sanna Nuutinen
Sophia Popov
Charley Hull
Carlota Ciganda
Georgia Hall
Six Captain’s picks
Team Europe isn’t finalised yet, but the team of 12 players will be announced the week before the tournament.
European players must be a current member of the Ladies European Tour (LET) in order to be eligible for team selection at the Solheim Cup.
The top-two eligible players on the LET Solheim Cup points ranking at the end of the qualifying period, accumulated from LET events over the course of the season, will make the European team.
Meanwhile, the top-four eligible players on the Women’s World Golf Rankings at the end of the qualifying period, who have not already qualified through LET Solheim Cup points, will also be a part of the team.
Finally, Europe will have six players selected by the captain, meaning Matthew can pick anyone she likes regardless of their season’s form in attaining LET or World Ranking points.
Matthew’s six captain’s picks is an increase from the original plan of four, an adjustment made after considering the pandemic’s impact on playing schedules.
The Women’s Open at Carnoustie is the final event left on the Ladies European Tour calendar before Team Europe’s automatic spots are finalised, but there are six players who will make the team as it stands.
Currently Emily Kristine Pedersen (126.83) and Sanna Nuutinen (81.75) will make Europe’s Solheim Cup team through LET Points, while Sophia Popov, Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda, and Georgia Hall will qualify through Women’s World Golf Ranking points.
Despite this, a victory at the Women’s Open is worth 80 LET Solheim Cup Points, so virtually anyone could propel themselves onto Team Europe with a win at Carnoustie.
Alice Hewson currently has 77.17 points, while Nanna Koerstz Madsen has 69.08 from just six tournaments – for comparison, Nuutinen has played in 28 events.
Mel Reid, Leona Maguire, and Matilda Castren are all within the top-50 of the Women’s World Golf Rankings, meaning they all have an outside chance of making the European team automatically too.
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