By: Max Bechtoldt
European Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen locked in her picks for the 2024 team this morning, and unlike last year, there weren’t any shocking names announced.
The four players announced today to be representing Europe at the 2024 Solheim Cup, played on American soil from Sept. 13-15, will be Georgia Hall, Anna Nordqvist, Emily Pedersen and Albane Valenzuela. None of these names were too surprising, as most people considered them to be the four favorites here.
Georgia Hall and Anna Nordqvist were the obvious locks. Both Solheim Cup veterans who still play quality golf on the LPGA Tour, it would have been a strange sight to see either not in the blue and yellow. Emily Pedersen, despite her world ranking, was seen as a favorite of the captains because of her strong play in previous Solheim appearances, including 2023.
The one spot that was a bit of a question mark was the final one, which went to Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela. Valenzuela was considered one of the favorites to secure a captain’s selection in 2023, but was ultimately left off. In 2024, her play hasn’t been the most consistent on the LPGA Tour, but she does have a par of top-10 finishes, including a runner-up in Thailand.
I believed that Alexandra Försterling of Germany had done enough to get a spot on this team. While her LPGA Tour results this season have been a bit erratic, she has been terrific on the Ladies European Tour, with four wins in the last year, including against a strong field in Tampa. I thought it was a good chance to get a potential future star some experience in this format.
Regardless, Pettersen went much more chalk than she did in 2023, and has a team that should have a good shot at keeping the Solheim Cup once again.
