Team Europe Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen will name her four captains picks on Tuesday to finalise her 12-woman squad for Finca Cortesin next month.
Europe will be bidding for a historic three-peat in Spain after Catriona Matthew led the girls in blue to back-to-back victories in Gleneagles and Ohio including a second ever win on US soil.
Following the conclusion of this weekend’s ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Galgorm Castle, Team Europe will be made up of the top-two in the European Solheim Cup standings with the next best six in the Rolex Rankings filling up the remaining automatic places.
This gives Norwegian legend Pettersen – who held the winning putt in 2019 – four picks to finalise her team as Europe aim to win three successive Solheim Cups for the first time in the competitions history.
Frenchwoman Celine Boutier leads the way in the European standings courtesy of her maiden major title at the Evian Championship and Scottish Open win. Swedish duo Maja Stark and Linn Grant are in close pursuit in second and third respectively.
Leona Maguire is set for an automatic selection courtesy of her world ranking. The two-time LPGA Tour winner is second in the list with a ranking of 14, behind Charley Hull who broke into the top-10 for the first time after a runner-up finish at the AIG Women’s Open.
They are followed by former AIG Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall, Grant, Carlota Ciganda and Solheim Cup legend Anna Nordqvist.
Hull, Maguire and Hall are all poised for an automatic selection while Grant and Ciganda appear like certainties after impressive major championship form.
That provisionally leaves one automatic place up for grabs via the world rankings.
Stark and Madelene Sagstrom appear best placed to challenge vice-captain Nordqvist who has been an ever-present for Europe at the Solheim Cup since 2009.
If two of the above three players miss out it seems they will earn captain’s picks from Pettersen which hypothetically leaves just two places up for grabs.
Stephanie Meadow will hope her solid season has been enough to get the nod although it appears unlikely.
Europe boast just one other European player in the top-50 in the world in the shape of Scottish player Gemma Dryburgh.
The Scot posted a top-10 in the Evian Championship while she has also enjoyed a breakthrough season on the LPGA Tour.
England’s Alice Hewson hopes her impressive finish at the AIG Women’s Open will sway Pettersen’s judgement in her favour but she might fall foul to the experience of Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Emily Kristine Pedersen.
Upon reflection, it seems Europe boast a wealth of experience and depth and they are shaping up to possibly have their strongest ever side in the contest.
For the first time ever, Europe might be heading into the Solheim Cup as favourites, at least on paper.
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