Suzann Pettersen caused a surprise as Europe began their defence of the Solheim Cup by skipping Leona Maguire for the opening foursomes in Virginia.
Pettersen has tapped Charley Hull to lead Europe on Friday morning at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Hull and European debutante Esther Henseleit will raise the curtain on the event against world number one Kelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz. Pettersen’s confidence in Hull comes after the 28-year-old was photographed lighting a cigarette with the help of a spectator on Thursday.
“She’s old enough to make those decisions,” Pettersen said of Hull’s tendency to smoke during games. “She’s a great communicator with the fans here. She found exactly what she needed in that one guy who was standing there. She’s enjoying herself.
“Charley and Esther are a great match. They’re good friends, they get along well. It’s nice to get Charley going; she doesn’t like to sit around waiting. It’s a great combination between the two of them.”
Maguire’s absence will certainly draw attention, including on the American side. The Irish golfer has the best record on the current European Solheim Cup team, having won seven of her 10 matches in the competition. Maguire was the star of Europe’s last victory in the United States, with four and a half points in Toledo in 2021.
Still, Pettersen could point to Maguire’s individual record in 2024: she missed the cut in three of her five majors and tied for 24th for her best result.
Quick guide Donald ‘very happy to hear’ Rahm has appealed fines
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Europe captain Luke Donald has welcomed Jon Rahm’s decision to appeal the fines he received for his move to LIV Golf and remain eligible for the Ryder Cup.
To compete in DP World Tour events, Rahm had to pay or appeal his fines before registration for the Spanish Open closed at noon on Wednesday.
The two-time major winner did so just in time to be included in the Spanish Open field and plans to also compete in the Dunhill Links Championship and the Andalucía Masters to meet his DP membership requirements.
“From my standpoint, I’m very happy to hear that he’s made that decision,” Donald said. “I know he was kind of on the fence.” PA media
“We have a great team,” Pettersen explained. “That’s the best part. All the players are behind the decisions that are made. Of course, players are disappointed if they are not paired straight away, but this is not a sprint. There are still many games to be played. I’m sure you will see Leona on the court, but it’s about how it all comes together this time. She has a great record and she is a tough Solheim player. We all know that, but you will see her.
“You have to go with your gut feeling a little bit. Putting Leona in a foursome is a tough decision, but at the same time you have to go with your gut feeling. There are others who are on paper very much in line.”
In match two, Europeans Céline Boutier and Albane Valenzuela will face Rose Zhang and Lauren Coughlin. Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho will combine for the US in the penultimate foursomes clash against Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark. The session is completed by European duo Linn Grant and Carlota Ciganda facing Lilia Vu and Sarah Schmelzel.
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The clear goal of U.S. captain Stacy Lewis is to break a terrible Solheim run. Europe triumphed in 2019 and 2021 before last year’s draw in Spain – the Americans enjoyed a clean sweep on Friday morning – was enough for Pettersen and her players to retain the trophy. Only two members of the U.S. team, Alison Lee and Lexi Thompson, have tasted Solheim victory.
“That’s our biggest challenge this week,” Lewis said. “The majority of this group hasn’t gotten over the hump yet. The girls have talked about it. They’ve won Junior Solheims, they’ve been on winning Curtis Cup teams. They’ve been on other winning teams before. They understand what it takes. A lot of them have won a lot of competitions too. We’re getting more experience every year and experience is what you need in this event. So I think the direction we’re going is good.”
Lewis, who is known for her statistical approach to pairings, admitted she has a lot of confidence in Korda as a frontrunner. “I wanted to send some experience first,” the American captain said. “There’s nobody better than No. 1 in the world. That pairing was very successful last year and they feel comfortable together. So I have a lot of confidence in them.”
Hull caused an element of European unrest on the eve of the match by having her hip treated on the driving range. She later played down the incident. “I was just getting it back in place,” Hull said. “It always sticks out. We have a physiotherapist with us all week, so I thought I’d make the most of it.”
When pressed about her sometimes unorthodox approach to her time spent in the spotlight, Hull added: “If I like things, I like them for me. If other people don’t like it, well, it’s not their life. I live my life the way I want to live it, not the way anyone else wants me to live it. I guess I just live like a normal person.”