By: Max Bechtoldt
As I did with the United States team, I will now look at five possible picks for captain Suzann Pettersen to make if the choice was up to her today. I will not be using any of the players from the qualifying article and will be picking the next five I believe are in line:
Maja Stark (pictured above) – Maja Stark is comfortably on this team. The 24-year-old Swede had a solid first outing in 2023, going 2-1-1 and finding a solid partnership with Linn Grant. Stark is one of the best young European players in the world, is young and has a lot of upside still. She’s the most guaranteed player not mentioned yet.
Caroline Hedwall – I was skeptical about Hedwall’s inclusion in 2023. Hedwall was not in good form, was outside of the top 100 in the world and doesn’t give a lot of young upside. Despite only playing two matches, Hedwall showed her value, mounting a huge comeback against Ally Ewing in singles. I don’t expect Pettersen to change her tune in 2024 on Hedwall.
Anna Nordqvist – This is a bit dependent on how much Anna Nordqvist is playing in 2024, but her experience should be valuable once again to this team. Nordqvist is 15-13-3 in her career and was a playing captain in 2023. The three-time major champion did have one of her weaker Solheim Cup performances last year, going 1-3, but I doubt that is much of a worry for Pettersen.
Emily Pedersen – Captain Pettersen is one who seems likely to stick to her guns, which is why I do think the controversial pick of Emily Pedersen will repeat here. Pedersen was a pick seemingly out of nowhere, but it worked out as she went 2-2-1. Over her last two Solheim Cup appearances, Pedersen is 5-3-1 and hasn’t shown much reason to not be back.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff – The criticism around Shadoff’s 2023 snub was wide-reaching in the women’s golf world. She has Solheim Cup experience and was in much better form than many of the captain’s picks. If she is playing well in 2024, I could see Pettersen correcting that snub, especially since Madelene Sagström had a pretty flat 2023 event. Shadoff herself doesn’t have a strong record in the Solheim Cup, but is a solid fourball player.
