By: Max Bechtoldt
Though Team USA left the Solheim Cup without the Cup for the third consecutive playing, the team showed a lot of progress this year. This was the best European team ever and the very young and inexperienced Americans pushed them to a tie. Here is a grade for every player on Team USA this week:
MEGAN KHANG (Record – 3-0-1) : A
Even when Megan Khang isn’t at her best, she brings out the best in those she plays with. She was at her best this week though. Khang serves as a major locker room piece to the team, getting Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang fired up in their pairings. This led to a surprisingly strong performance out of Thompson and the only half point for Zhang. On Sunday, despite holding a major power disadvantage, she defeated phenom Linn Grant in the first match to get some early red on the board. Khang’s importance to the team isn’t always judged by her record, but here it could be.
LEXI THOMPSON (Record – 3-1-0) : A-
Who saw this week coming out of Thompson? It is no secret Thompson has played the worst golf of her career in 2023, and there were major concerns at how effective she would be in the Solheim Cup. Thompson embraced her veteran role, and contributed well to her team wins. Her putter looked pretty sharp and she was driving the ball well all week. On Sunday she grabbed a win over Emily Pedersen, and while it wasn’t pretty, it was a big performance in a crucial anchor match.
ANGEL YIN (Record – 2-1-0) : A-
This is one of those grades that is fueled by the actual play on the course and not purely the performance on paper. Angel Yin was electric on the back nine Saturday, and followed that up with a comeback victory over Europe’s top ranked player Celine Boutier on Sunday. Yin’s putt on 17 to win her singles match was the moment of the event for the United States. Yin has clinched her spot in the 2024 Solheim Cup with that weekend performance.
(Cheyenne Knight)
CHEYENNE KNIGHT (Record – 2-0-1) : A-
While I am a huge believer in Cheyenne Knight, and have been saying since early April that she should have a spot in Spain, even I didn’t see an undefeated week coming. Despite only playing three rounds, Knight put 2 1/2 points on the board. In the opening foursomes round, her and Ally Ewing gave no space for hope against Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen. In Saturday fourball Knight was the first witness to Yin’s rally. On Sunday she got a crucial halve despite being down the entire match, even falling to down three at one point. Knight showed a lot of fight this week, and should be penciled in for a spot in 2024.
DANIELLE KANG (Record – 2-2-0) : B+
Not all records are built equally, and Danielle Kang’s 2023 Solheim Cup really proves that. Like Lexi, there was a lot of concern around Kang’s recent form in 2023. Kang silenced those discussions. Kang entered Sunday with a misleading 1-2 record, as her putter was looking great and she was keeping her matches alive. On Sunday she slammed the door on Charley Hull early and put a crucial red point on the board. Getting a big spark out of DK was essential to the success the Americans saw in Spain.
ALLISEN CORPUZ (Record – 2-1-1) : B
The first of the two American major champions on the team, Corpuz had a solid Solheim Cup debut with some big moments. Most prominently, her 5&3 victory alongside Nelly Korda in Saturday foursomes. Her and Korda formed a formidable foursomes pairing that we likely will see a lot of for the next 6-8 years. She stumbled in her singles match against Maja Stark, one that had a lot of importance to a potential United States win, but all in all a solid week that gives a lot of hope for the future.
ANDREA LEE (Record 1-2-1) B-
Not a strong week, but not a bad week either for the Solheim Cup rookie. Lee fighting out a halve against Georgia Hall, a match that on paper would seem to be a blowout for Europe, was crucial to the Americans’ comeback hopes. Her and Kang grabbing a win in Friday foursomes against Hall and Boutier was also a big momentum builder coming out of the first session. A pretty average week for Lee overall.
(Nelly Korda)
NELLY KORDA (Record – 2-2-0) : B-
Saying Korda had her worst Solheim Cup performance isn’t really an insult, she’s a tremendous Solheim Cup player, but she is held to a high standard that she didn’t really reach. While the partnering with Corpuz is something to get really excited for in the future, the losses on Saturday afternoon and Sunday are glaring. The loss to Carlota Ciganda is understandable, as Ciganda hit two of the best pressure shots you’ll ever see, but Korda missed a tricky but ultimately makable putt on 16 to halve the hole. In an important match your best player has to make that if you want to win.
LILIA VU (Record – 1-3-0) : C+
The highest ranked American in the world was on the cusp of having a complete nightmare of a Solheim Cup debut. Thankfully for her, she showed up on Sunday, looking like the player who has three wins and two majors in 2023. She dominated Madelene Sagström, winning five of her first six holes, with five birdies. I do give some extra credit to a strong Sunday performance, and Vu delivered the goods when it mattered, even if the rest of the week was one to forget.
ALLY EWING (Record – 1-3-0) : C
After getting off to a blazing start, winning her opening foursomes match along with Knight 5&4, the rest of the week took a significant downturn. This was all really summed up by her loss to Caroline Hedwall in singles, despite being UP3 on the back nine. It is hard to completely blame Ewing for the loss, Hedwall birdied five of the last six holes, turning into a completely different player. But for Ewing to not get more halves than she did is still a tough look. She did get a full point on the board early for the United States, but it still wasn’t a good showing.
ROSE ZHANG (Record – 0-2-1) : C
Playing in the Solheim Cup at 20-years-old as the most hyped American women’s golfer ever has to be tough. It has to be even tougher in a road environment. Zhang had flashes of brilliance, like her incredible tee shots on hole one, leading to an eagle to open up Sunday singles. But those flashes still couldn’t lead to a full point on the board. I give her a break for Sunday overall, Leona Maguire would have crushed anyone on the United States, but it is hard not to look at this performance as disapppointing.
JENNIFER KUPCHO (Record – 0-2-1) : C-
I will say this of the United States team, I don’t think anyone’s performance this year is without some level of merit. Everyone had strong moments, which is what led to the best performance in the event since 2017. If anyone really struggled though, it was Kupcho. Clearly she was missing Lizette Salas, who is injured but has formed a dynamite pairing with Kupcho. She really struggled to get anything going. She did get a fourball halve alongside Allisen Corpuz against Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark, but after her strong 2021 performance, it is tough to leave 2023 without any wins.
