The 12 members of Team USA compete in the Solheim Cup this week at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, VA. Stacy Lewis is the team captain for the second year in a row, with Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer, Angela Stanford and Morgan Pressel as assistant captains.
9 of the players qualified through their Rolex Ranking. The remaining three 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 USA Players
- Nelly Korda – World #1
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2017
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
It’s no surprise that Nelly Korda is playing in her fourth Solheim Cup this week given the season she’s had so far. With 6 wins, 5 of which were consecutive and included a major championship, Korda has had a historic season and is ready to turn Team USA’s record around this week.
- Lilia Vu – World #2
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2019
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2023, 2024
Lilia Vu burst on the scene in 2023 with four wins, two of which were major championships. Hailing from UCLA, where she holds the record for most individual collegiate titles (8), Vu is no stranger to international team matches, having competed in last year’s Solheim Cup as well as the Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and USA World Amateur Teams as an junior player in 2018.
- Rose Zhang – World #9
Age: 21
Rookie Year: 2023
Solheim Cup Appearance: 2024
Rose Zhang started her professional career off with a bang, winning her first event – the first time that’s happened since 2019. She was coming off her second consecutive NCAA Golf Championship individual title a week prior. She also won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2023, another prestigious title.
- Lauren Coughlin – World #14
Age: 31
Rookie Year: 2018
Solheim Cup Appearance: 2024
A UVA alumna, Lauren Coughlin won two tournaments in three weeks this season: the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada and the AIG Women’s Open in Scotland. With two other top-4 finishes in two major championships, Coughlin had no problem playing her way onto her first Solheim Cup team.
- Ally Ewing – World #18
Age: 31
Rookie Year: 2016
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024
While she doesn’t have any wins this season (yet), Ally Ewing is a consistent player, having made the cuts of every event but one this year. She also had four top-5s this season, and with her extensive Solheim Cup experience, she’ll be a key player for the team no matter where the captain plays her.
- Megan Khang – World #21
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2016
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Meghan Kang and Lauren Coughlin have their first LPGA tournament win in common – the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada. With a few more cuts missed than Ewing, Khang has three top-3 finishes this season. Even if her strong performance didn’t qualify her for the team, there’s no doubt she would have been a captain’s pick – her personality and laughter is contagious, and she brings a smile to everyone’s face.
- Alison Lee – World #26
Age: 29
Rookie Year: 2015
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2015, 2024
Alison Lee is one of the Team USA members who has been on tour long enough to have played in a much earlier Solheim Cup. While that event is tainted by poor memories – which some media members during the press conference were kind enough to dredge up – we want to focus on the positives. Did you know that Lee is ranked #2 on the LPGA in eagles, having had 8 this season? With at least two par fives this week reachable in 2, Team USA has a ringer for match play.
- Allisen Corpuz – World #28
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2022
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2023, 2024
2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion, Allisen Corpuz, has had a consistent season like Ewing. With a nice T4 finish at the FM Championship two weeks ago, Corpuz is hopefully feeling great coming into her second Solheim Cup. As the second most accurate driver on the LPGA Tour this season, she’d be a great choice for the foursomes pairing on Saturday. Some of the holes on Robert Trent Jones are pretty tight, but that’s nothing her 84% driving accuracy average can’t handle.
- Andrea Lee – World #44
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2021
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2023, 2024
Despite no wins this season (yet), Andrea Lee has racked up an incredible amount of earnings – $1.2 million, largely in part to a T3 finish at the U.S. Women’s Open. Another consistent player that can charge up the leaderboard, Lee would have been another solid captain’s pick if needed.
Captain’s Picks for Team USA
- Lexi Thompson – World #39
Age: 29
Rookie Year: 2012
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Wouldn’t you choose Lexi, too? She has made every Solheim Cup team since she turned professional at 15 years old. Thompson has been a powerful role model for so many girls getting into golf. Assistant Captain Paula Creamer says, “She has definitely made a huge impact on the game of golf for the juniors and everything. She’ll definitely be missed, but she’ll always be there, that’s for sure. I don’t think she’s going too far away from the game, just not out here.” Here’s hoping we’ll see her back in 2026 as a captain or assistant captain!
- Jennifer Kupcho – World #50
Age: 27
Rookie Year: 2019
Solheim Cup Appearances: 2021, 2023, 2024
Jennifer Kupcho has only missed two cuts this season and has placed top-10 three times in her last 6 starts. She is tied at second with Alison Lee on number of eagles this season and also ranks fifth for most birdies. Between her Solheim Cup experience and ability to go low, it’s no wonder she was a captain’s pick this year.
- Sarah Schmelzel – World #58
Age: 30
Rookie Year: 2019
Solheim Cup Appearance: 2024
You don’t always get rewarded for your hard work when it comes to golf, but that’s exactly what happened to Sarah Schmelzel this season. Lewis chose Sarah Schmelzel to round out Team USA because she’s a strong player that made an incredible comeback after a hospitalization caused by her endometriosis earlier this season. Schmelzel’s grit carried her through her next two rounds (the day after she was hospitalized!) and through her recovery, and Lewis knows that’s a key trait to have going into a match the entire team is determined to win.
