Hoping to win the Solheim Cup for the fourth time in a row, the 12 members of Team Europe are ready to get started at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, VA. With back-to-back years of the event, Suzann Pettersen – like Team USA’s Stacy Lewis – is this year’s captain again. Team Europe’s assistant captains are Mel Reid, Laura Davies and Caroline Martens.
8 of the players qualified through their Rolex Ranking. The remaining four were captain’s picks.
Let’s dive into each player’s recent seasons and Solheim Cup history, starting with the highest ranked players.
Qualified Team Europe Players
- Celine Boutier – World #10 (France)
Age: 30
Rookie Year: 2017
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Having missed only two cuts this season, Paris Olympian Celine Boutier will prove to be one of the most consistent players on Team Europe. She also had an amazing 2023 season, winning four events, one of which was the major championship – the Amundi Evian in her home country. Boutier has proven herself a strong competitor, even in her collegiate years as she led her Duke team to an NCAA Golf Championship title.
- Charley Hull – World #12 (England)
Age: 28
Rookie Year: 2015
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Matching Lexi Thompson year-to-year in Solheim Cup appearances, Charley Hull is a standout player. With two career wins on the LPGA Tour and three on the Ladies European Tour (LET), Hull was a shoo-in for the Solheim Cup. She is currently ranked fourth in the LET’s Order of Merit, Europe’s equivalent of the Rolex Rankings, and just wrapped up play in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Linn Grant – World #25 (Sweden)
Age: 25
Rookie Year: 2022
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2023, 2024
Winning the 2023 Dana Open, Linn Grant had another great T3 finish there this year and managed to have four top-10s this season. Linn was a big contributor to Team Europe last year and looks to do the same – or better – this year. A fun fact about Grant is that she won an amateur championship at the same golf course where her grandfather won his own amateur championship 49 years prior.
- Maja Stark – World #27 (Sweden)
Age: 24
Rookie Year: 2022
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2023, 2024
Maja Stark is a name you constantly see near the top of major championship leaderboards, particularly the U.S. Women’s Open. With one LPGA Tour win and 6 LET wins – plus a T10 finish at the Paris Olympics – Stark is a fierce competitor looking to keep the Cup in Europe’s possession once again this week.
- Esther Henseleit – World #30 (Germany)
Age: 25
Rookie Year: 2021
Solheim Cup Appearance: 2024
Speaking of the Olympics, let’s give a round of applause to Paris’ silver medalist Esther Henseleit. If that’s not a confidence booster coming into yet another event where you get to represent your country and your continent, I don’t know what is. Henseleit has only played in four LET events this season yet ranks as their 7th best player in the Order of Merit.
- Leona Maguire – World #35 (Ireland)
Age: 29
Rookie Year: 2020
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2021, 2023, 2024
In 2022, Leona Maguire became the first Irishwoman to win on the LPGA Tour – no one else has won since, either. Maguire, said to be very competitive by her teammates and friends, also holds the record for the lowest-ever final round score at a women’s or men’s major; she shot 61 at the Amundi Evian Championship in 2021. A fun fact about Maguire is that she has a twin sister named Lisa who also played professional golf until 2019.
- Carlota Ciganda – World #36 (Spain)
Age: 34
Rookie Year: 2012
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Yet another player who is about to compete in her 7th Solheim Cup, Carlota Ciganda has done Spain proud. She just wrapped up her third Olympics in Paris and has all the memories of winning the last Solheim Cup in her home country. Last year, she was most celebrated for going undefeated in all her matches and beating Nelly Korda for the winning match point.
- Madelene Sagstrom – World #43 (Sweden)
Age: 31
Rookie Year: 2017
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2017, 2021, 2023, 2024
Not only can LSU alumna Madelene Sagstrom bomb her drives, she also has a 21% chance that she’ll shoot birdie or better on average per hole. That powerful combo will make her a tough match in either fourball or the final day of match play, where birdies are the hero of the day.
Captain’s Picks for Team Europe
- Georgia Hall – World #48 (England)
Age: 28
Rookie Year: 2018
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Given Georgia Hall’s Solheim Cup resume, it’s no surprise that Captain Suzann Pettersen chose Hall for this year’s roster. She’s playing well coming into this week, represented Great Britain at the Paris Olympics and has a winning record from her last Team Europe appearances.
- Albane Valenzuela – World #63 (Switzerland)
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2021
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2024
A three-time Olympian, Albane Valenzuela is no stranger to competing on the world stage. She also happens to be an incredible match play golfer, having come in second in the U.S. Women’s Amateur twice. Pettersen’s hope is that her match play capabilities will withstand the pressure that Sunday is certain to bring. Valenzuela is the first Swiss to play on Team Europe at the Solheim Cup.
- Anna Nordqvist – World #72 (Sweden)
Age: 37
Rookie Year: 2009
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Well, the number of times Anna Nordqvist has represented Europe in the Solheim Cup should be all the explanation for this captain’s choice that you need. With 9 LPGA wins and a winning Solheim Cup record, there’s no doubt that Nordqvist has what it takes to add points to Team Europe’s score. Nordqvist’s 9 appearances makes her the most represented Swede in this event’s history – Annika Sorenstam competed in 8 Solheim Cups. Captaincy in some capacity looks certain for this player whenever she’s ready.
- Emily Kristine Pederson – World #103 (Denmark)
Age: 28
Rookie Year: 2017
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2017, 2021, 2023, 2024
Emily Kristine Pederson is just coming off her second stint representing Denmark at the Olympics. Entering her fourth Solheim Cup – with a relatively even record – makes Pederson the most represented Dane in Solheim Cup events. She’s a solid choice to round out the team.
