GAINESVILLE, Va. – There are solely 4 rookies on this yr’s Solheim Cup and they’re all being thrown into the fireplace in the course of the first session.
U.S. captain Stacy Lewis and European captain Suzann Pettersen revealed in the course of the opening ceremony their Friday morning foursomes pairings, full with two first-timers on all sides.
“There’s no level for them to sit down round and sort of wait and marvel what it’s going to be like. Let’s simply ship them out and allow them to sort of expertise it,” Pettersen mentioned.
“They’re sort of a little bit of that sassy confidence between them, which I like.”
These two are Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela and Germany’s Esther Henseleit. On the American aspect, the rookies are Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel.
Right here’s a have a look at the opening alternate-shot matchups (all occasions ET):
- 7:05 a.m.: Charley Hull/Esther Henseleit (EUR) vs. Nelly Korda/Allisen Corpuz (U.S.)
- 7:17 a.m.: Albane Valenzuela/Celine Boutier (EUR) vs. Rose Zhang/Lauren Coughlin (U.S.)
- 7:29 a.m.: Maja Stark/Emily Pedersen (EUR) vs. Ally Ewing/Jennifer Kupcho (U.S.)
- 7:41 a.m.: Linn Grant/Carlota Ciganda (EUR) vs. Lilia Vu/Sarah Schmelzel (U.S.)
“They’re able to play,” Lewis mentioned of her rookies, an announcement that would stand for all staff members. “They’ve been able to play since Monday, so it’s simply been sort of attempting to calm them down and hold that vitality degree the place it’s.”
Those that must hold their feelings in examine Friday morning as they weren’t included within the preliminary lineup are: Lexi Thompson, Megan Khang, Alison Lee and Andrea Lee for the U.S.; Georgia Corridor, Leona Maguire, Madelene Sagstrom and Anna Nordqvist for Europe.
Maguire will probably be sitting for the primary time in her Solheim Cup profession, having performed all 5 matches in every of the earlier two editions. She and Nordqvist went 0-2 in foursomes at Finca Cortesin in ’23.
Alternatively, Thompson and Khang went 2-0 within the format. Lewis mentioned Thursday that, regardless of that success, it’s unlikely they’ll be paired this time round. “It was simply the [pairings] combos and the way in which they labored out, and slightly little bit of golf course match as nicely,” mentioned Lewis, who added that attempting to match gamers to one another’s golf balls has additionally been a activity.
That wasn’t a problem final yr, when the U.S. swept Europe, 4-0, within the opening foursomes. Lewis mentioned she put in an inordinate period of time specializing in the format, which the Euros had owned over the earlier six cups.
However whereas the U.S. gained six of the eight foursomes, Europe prevailed in fourballs, 6-2. They cut up singles, 6-6, permitting Europe to retain the cup, which it gained in 2021 and 2019.
Because the U.S. seems to win for the primary time in seven years, right here’s a breakdown of the primary 4 matches of the 19th Solheim Cup.
Hull/Henseleit vs. Korda/Corpuz
The U.S. tandem went 2-0 collectively in alternate shot final yr. Korda is 4-2-0 within the format whereas Khang is 2-2-1. As Henseleit is making her debut, Hull is competing in her seventh cup. She is 5-2-1 in foursomes. A type of losses got here final yr when she and Pedersen fell to Ewing and Cheyenne Knight, 5 and 4.
Valenzuela/Boutier vs. Zhang/Coughlin
Boutier appeared destined to have a longtime partnership with Corridor, however after going 3-0 in 2019, they’ve since gone 0-2-1 collectively. That features shedding each foursomes matches in ’23. Captain Pettersen isn’t rolling the cube on a revival, as a substitute pairing the Frenchwoman, who’s making her fourth cup look, with the rookie. It would even be the primary time for a number of tour winner Coughlin and, in a means, for Zhang as nicely. Zhang didn’t play foursomes in her ’23 debut.
Stark/Pedersen vs. Ewing/Kupcho
GAINESVILLE, VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Jennifer Kupcho of The US Workforce prepares to play a shot with Ally Ewing throughout observe previous to the Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership on September 12, 2024 in Gainesville, Virginia. (Picture by David Cannon/Getty Photographs)
Pedersen performed all 4 staff periods in ’23 with 4 completely different companions. A type of was Stark, with whom she halved a Day 1 fourball match. Ewing and Kupcho almost gained this yr’s LPGA staff occasion, ending second. That efficiency – and this pairing – was one of many cause’s Kupcho was chosen as a captain’s choose. This will probably be their first time as companions in a Solheim Cup.
Grant/Ciganda vs. Vu/Schmelzel
CASARES, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 23: Carlota Ciganda and Linn Grant of Workforce Europe fist bump on the seventeenth inexperienced throughout Day Two of The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Membership on September 23, 2023 in Casares, Spain. (Picture by Angel Martinez/Getty Photographs)
Pettersen is hoping Grant and Ciganda’s fourball success, by which they went 2-0 final yr, will carry over to foursomes. Ciganda sat out the opening session in her residence nation after which gained her subsequent 4 matches. Grant performed in all 5 matches as a rookie in Spain and went 1-1 in alternate shot. Vu was additionally a beginner in ’23 and went 0-1-0 in foursomes, a loss that included Ciganda on the opposite aspect. Schmelzel, a 30-year-old captain’s choose, will get a right away alternative to make use of that bundled vitality to her staff’s benefit.
