GAINESVILLE, Va. – There are solely 4 rookies on this yr’s Solheim Cup and they’re all being thrown into the fireplace through the first session.
U.S. captain Stacy Lewis and European captain Suzann Pettersen revealed through the opening ceremony their Friday morning foursomes pairings, full with two first-timers on both sides.
“There’s no level for them to take a seat round and sort of wait and surprise what it’s going to be like. Let’s simply ship them out and allow them to sort of expertise it,” Pettersen stated.
“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 instances 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 stated of her rookies, a press release that would stand for all staff members. “They’ve been able to play since Monday, so it’s simply been sort of making an attempt to calm them down and hold that power stage 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.
However, Thompson and Khang went 2-0 within the format. Lewis stated Thursday that, regardless of that success, it’s unlikely they’ll be paired this time round. “It was simply the [pairings] mixtures and the way in which they labored out, and a little bit little bit of golf course match as effectively,” stated Lewis, who added that making an attempt to match gamers to one another’s golf balls has additionally been a job.
That wasn’t a problem final yr, when the U.S. swept Europe, 4-0, within the opening foursomes. Lewis stated 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. received 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 received 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 dropping each foursomes matches in ’23. Captain Pettersen isn’t rolling the cube on a revival, as an alternative pairing the Frenchwoman, who’s making her fourth cup look, with the rookie. It can even be the primary time for a number of tour winner Coughlin and, in a approach, for Zhang as effectively. Zhang didn’t play foursomes in her ’23 debut.
Stark/Pedersen vs. Ewing/Kupcho
Pedersen performed all 4 staff periods in ’23 with 4 totally different companions. A type of was Stark, with whom she halved a Day 1 fourball match. Ewing and Kupcho practically received this yr’s LPGA staff occasion, ending second. That efficiency – and this pairing – was one of many motive’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
Pettersen is hoping Grant and Ciganda’s fourball success, through which they went 2-0 final yr, will carry over to foursomes. Ciganda sat out the opening session in her residence nation after which received 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 an instantaneous alternative to make use of that bundled power to her staff’s benefit.