By: Max Bechtoldt
Team Europe is set for the Solheim Cup, and this is the last week of qualifying for the Americans. So this is who I think we should see wearing the red, white and blue in Spain.
Note: Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Allisen Corpuz and Megan Khang have already qualified, so this will focus on the other eight slots.
- Rose Zhang – Even though Zhang’s season has relatively cooled from its red-hot start, she has still been impressive consistently in her rookie year. The win at Mizuho in her first event made her eligible for the team, and from that time there was no doubt that she would be punching her ticket to Spain.
- Jennifer Kupcho – This year has been a bit of a struggle for Kupcho coming off her star-making season. She almost got a win at Mizuho, losing to Zhang in a playoff, but overall has only two top-10 finishes. The reason she is so strong here though is her performance in the 2021 Solheim Cup, where she was debatably the MVP for the United States.
- Angel Yin – Though Yin is still looking for her first career win, this season has been a real breakout for her in terms of results. Yin has four top 10s this year on the LPGA Tour with two of those coming in majors. Yin is a powerful player who has a winning career record in the Solheim Cup and is still only 24.
- Cheyenne Knight – I really think this team could use a major overhaul in terms of getting some new blood in the mix. Cheyenne Knight gives a great opportunity for that. Knight is in the top-20 of the CME Standings thanks to her four top 10s, including at the Chevron Championship. Knight also captured a win at the Great Lakes Bay Invitational, which is a massive tryout for the Solheim Cup because of the format. While Cheyenne is anything but a lock to make the team, I think she would be a great selection.
- Ally Ewing – Ewing should be a pretty safe pick to make the team considering her recent strong play. Despite the massive collapse at the AIG Women’s Open, Ewing has still finished in the top 11 in four of her last six starts. Ewing doesn’t have the strongest career Solheim record, but third time could be the charm.
- Alison Lee – I would like to see Lee back on the Solheim Cup squad in 2023, eight years after her lone appearance at 20 years old. Lee has had a really nice bounceback season with six top-20 finishes. She also would be a good chemistry pick who seemingly could be matched up with anyone.
- Danielle Kang – No, Danielle Kang has not looked like herself this year, but I still think her fire is useful for a Solheim Cup team. Kang is a fixture on this team, and has performed solidly in her three previous showings. Though she hasn’t played much (her last four starts are all in majors) she still has three top tens this season, even if those came in the first half of the season.
- Andrea Lee – Though her season has been feast or famine, nobody remaining is trending better as of late than Andrea Lee. She had a very good showing at the AIG Women’s Open and had a great weekend at the Scottish Open. Her missed cut numbers are a bit high, but she still has three top-20 finishes and two consecutive top-10s. If she plays well in Canada this week she can lock herself on the team.
To address what everyone is thinking, no Lexi Thompson is not on this list. Though she is the longest tenured player on the team, her play in 2023 has been poor to say the least. On the LPGA Tour, Thompson has only made two cuts in 2023 and has shot +16 in her last two individual starts. Because of her high world ranking at the beginning of the season, Thompson will safely make this team regardless.
The Canadian Open is the last chance to automatically qualify before the team is locked in by captain Stacy Lewis next week.
