By: Max Bechtoldt
With the 2024 LPGA Tour season now in full swing, the potential teams for the Solheim Cup are beginning to take shape, and the possibilities are intriguing.
When the 2023 Solheim Cup ended, I had a strong feeling that most of the team would be back. It would have been a shocker for at least 10 of them not to be back in the team room following the tie against Europe. Now, enough players for the United States are getting their hats in the ring. So how many players will be back in Virginia this year?
The Mortal Locks
Let’s start with the easy ones. Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Megan Khang and Allisen Corpuz are all mortal locks. I don’t think anybody will argue with that. Korda and Vu are the top-two ranked players in the world, and have six combined wins in the last two years. Corpuz still has her major title counting this year and is top 15 in the Rolex Rankings. She’s in. Khang has never been better than she has been the last two years and was the best player for the U.S. in 2023.
The Very Close to Mortal Locks
The next level are Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang, both of whom I am confident will be selections by Stacy Lewis if they don’t qualify on points. Thompson has bounced back from the worst stretch of her career and had her best Solheim Cup performance in 2023. She also finished top 10 in her last four events on the season. Zhang is the future of the team at only 21-years-old. She didn’t have a strong first appearance in Spain, but the future is still bright for one of the biggest stars on tour.
At the moment though, I don’t find any of the last six spots locked in.
The Probably Tier
Cheyenne Knight feels like the first in this tier of players I would guess is going to be back in 2024. Despite some poor recent results, she does have two top-ten finishes on this young season and was very good in 2023, going 2-0-1 on the week. Alison Lee also feels like a relatively secure piece of the team. The first player mentioned not from 2023, Lee has done everything but win recently, finishing runner-up in her last three 2023 events and just finished T3 in Los Angeles. Finally, Andrea Lee is off to a very strong start in 2024. In five starts she has three top-10 finishes including top sevens in her last two events.
Maybe
I will put Angel Yin here, because if she has recovered from injury and is in good form, she will be on the team. She hasn’t played yet in 2024 but is great in the team room and played well in the 2023 Solheim Cup. Like Yin, Ally Ewing is a great leader and chemistry piece despite not having played well in her Solheim career. Sarah Schmelzel has looked terrific in this young season, with three top-tens in a row, she is currently No. 7 in the CME Standings. Jennifer Kupcho looked lost in 2023, but if she can bounce back and post good results that are reminiscent of her 2022 season, she will be on the team. Especially if her playing partner Lizette Salas can get healthy and be in the mix as well.
The One Big Question
Will Stacy Lewis select Danielle Kang? Over Kang’s last eight events, she has one top-20 finish. Kang has played on the last four Solheim Teams to mixed results, with a 7-9 career record. Kang brings a fire and edge that most of the Americans don’t, and I think many would argue nobody on the team cares more about this event. She feels a bit like the equivalent to Justin Thomas on the 2023 Ryder Cup team. Will Lewis make the same decision Zach Johnson did? I think there’s a good chance she does.
The Possibilities/Long Shots
There are other players who can sneak in there. Bailey Tardy and Ryann O’Toole aren’t the most consistent of players, but have had strong results already that could start their momentum. Alexa Pano is an opportunity to get a young, super talented player some experience. Pano is only 19-years-old and has a runner-up finish already this season. Similarly Lucy Li is only 21 and has three top-15 finishes this year. Finally, rookie Auston Kim has broken out well, and has one of the best weapons on the team with her incredible distance of the tee.
The 20 players mentioned here feel like the pool to choose the final 12 from unless an unforeseen breakout happens. Which, is possible. I’m not sure many had Vu, Corpuz and Zhang in their predictions at this point in 2023.
