Meet US, European teams

The 19th edition of the Solheim Cup will begin this week at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va., where the Americans will try to take ownership of the Cup for the first time since 2017. Europe won by one point in 2019, two points. in 2021 and the teams tied last year, which means that Europe will finally hold the cup.

And if you’re wondering why the annual Solheim Cup is being played this year after it was already held in Spain last year, that’s because the organizers are trying to get back on track by swapping the Ryder Cup with the Solheim Cup (the 2020 Ryder Cup has been moved to 2021 due to Covid). The Solheim Cup will now be played in even-numbered years, with the next one scheduled for 2026 in the Netherlands.

This year’s Solheim Cup starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday. Stacy Lewis will captain the American team, with Suzann Pettersen leading Europe. Scroll below for team rosters and player records.

US Solheim Cup program

Nelly Korda (Solheim Cup: 4th / Record: 7-4-1)

What version of Korda will we get? He won five straight to start the season – and six of seven tournaments – but followed that up with three missed cuts and a T26. She almost won the AIG Women’s Open last month but played the last five holes in three over and finished two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko. However, the star of the American team will have high expectations this week. He is 2-0-1 all-time in singles play.

Lilia Vu (Solheim Cup: 2nd / Record: 1-3-0)

Vu won two majors in 2023 and went 1-3-0 in his Solheim Cup debut. She missed the first two majors of 2024 but played well and took part in the second of the last three, including the Women’s Open a few weeks ago.

Lauren Coughlin (Solheim Cup: 1st / Record: 0-0-0)

It’s his Solheim Cup debut, but few pros have played better. He won two months ago and has finished in the top 10 in five of his six starts.

Ally Ewing (Solheim Cup: 4th / Record: 3-8-1)

A three-time Tour winner, he is coming off his best season, having finished in the top 10 at three of the five majors.

Allisen Corpuz (Solheim Cup: 2nd / Record: 2-1-1)

Last year’s US Women’s Open champion had a strong debut in Solheim with a 2-1-1 record.

Megan Khang (Solheim Cup: 4th / Record: 4-3-3)

His fourth Solheim Cup last year was his best, finishing 3-0-1 and leading the US by 3.5 points. At 2-0-1, he is undefeated in singles play.

Andrea Lee (Solheim Cup: 2nd / Record: 1-2-1)

He is ranked 9th in birdies this season. That is huge in match play.

Rose Zhang (Solheim Cup: second / Record: 0-2-1)

The 21-year-old star was unsuccessful in his Solheim Cup debut last season. Now that those feelings are out of the way, there is nowhere to go but up.

Alison Lee (Solheim Cup: 2nd / Record: 1-3-0)

Lee is returning to the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2015, when he was an LPGA rookie.

Jennifer Kupcho (Solheim Cups: 3rd / Record: 2-3-2)

As the captain chosen this year, Kupcho did not win in last year’s Solheim Cup after playing successfully (2-1-1) in the previous two years.

Sarah Schmelzel (Solheim Cup: 1st / Record: 0-0-0)

The appointment of the 30-year-old captain marks his first appearance in the Solheim Cup. He’s in the top 10’d in seven of his 21 starts this season.

Lexi Thompson (Solheim Cup: 7th / Record: 9-7-7)

Thompson received the captain’s choice for what may be his last Solheim Cup as a player, as he announced earlier this year that he will retire from the LPGA program full-time starting in 2025. But he was not a surprise this year. (like last year), especially since she went 3-1-0 in the 2023 Solheim Cup, including a crucial 2-1 victory over Emily Kristine Pedersen in the final singles match of the series. This will be his best team in 7 Solheim Cup games.

List of European Solheim Cup

Charley Hull (Solheim Cups: 7th / Record: 12-7-3)

One of the most experienced and productive players on the European Solheim Cup team, Hull’s 13.5 points ranked seventh in team history — and that’s outside of his 1-2-0 record last year.

Esther Henseleit (Solheim Cup: 1st / Record: 0-0-0)

The 25-year-old won silver representing Germany at this summer’s Olympics in Paris, and was also in the top 10 for two of the five 2024 events.

Celine Boutier (Solheim Cup: 4th / Record: 5-4-1)

Boutier won four times last year, but has yet to lift the trophy in 2024. He went 5-1-1 in his first two Solheim Cups but went 0-3 last year.

Maja Stark (Solheim Cup: 2nd / Record: 2-1-1)

Stark tied for 10th at the Olympics last month; at 24, he is the youngest player on the European roster.

Linn Grant (Solheim Cup: 2nd / Record: 3-2-0)

Grant, a two-time All-American at Arizona State, was 3-2 in his Solheim Cup debut last year. His three points are tied for second on the team.

Leona Maguire (Solheim Cups: 3rd / Record: 7-2-1)

It only took two Solheim Cups for Maguire to prove himself. He was 3-2 last year and owns a 7-2-1 record in his two starts. Last year she took down Rose Zhang 4 and 3 in singles.

Carlota Ciganda (Solheim Cup: 7th / Record: 11-8-4)

Last year’s Solheim Cup MVP, Ciganda went 4-0 in Spain and defeated Korda 2-1 in Sunday’s singles, the deciding point of the match. This will be his seventh Solheim trophy, the same number as his teammate Hull.

Madelene Sagstrom (Solheim Cup: 4th / Record: 3-5-1)

Sagstrom was 1-1-1 at last year’s Solheim Cup. He is ranked 11th in birdies this season.

Georgia Hall (Solheim Cup: 5th / Record: 9-7-1)

Hall has not won since winning the 2022 Aramco Saudi Ladies International, but has 22 finishes (including a T5) in her last four starts this week.

Anna Nordqvist (Solheim Cup: 9th / Record: 15-13-3)

Nordqvist received the captain’s appointment and will compete in the 9th Solheim Cup (the most of this year’s 24 players), joining Catriona Matthew and Suzann Pettersen for the second player in European history. (Laura Davies has 12 at most.)

Emily Kristine Pedersen (Solheim Cup: 4th / Record: 5-6-1)

Pedersen, the captain’s choice, is playing in the Solheim Cup for the fourth time. He was 2-2-1 last year.

Albane Valenzuela (Solheim Cup: 1st / Record: 0-0-0)

This will be Valenzuela’s Solheim Cup debut, but the captain’s choice has had plenty of success playing the game – she was the US Women’s Amateur runner-up in 2017 and 2019.

Josh Behow

Golf.com Editor

As managing editor of GOLF.com, Berhow manages the day-to-day and long-term programming of one of the most widely read news and service websites in the sport. He spends most of his days writing, planning, organizing and wondering if he will ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and two children. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.