By: Max Bechtoldt
After the 2024 European Solheim Cup Team was locked in Monday, captain Stacy Lewis made her three selections to round out the American squad.
The three selections for the United States Solheim Cup were Jennifer Kupcho, Lexi Thompson and Sarah Schmelzel. None of these picks were too surprising, despite the large group of names that were seemingly in play here.
Kupcho will be making her third Solheim Cup appearance, an event where she has had mixed results. She was a breakout star on the team in 2021, going 2-1-1, pairing well with Lizette Salas. In 2023 it was a different story, posting a dreadful 0-2-1. Lewis highlighted her strong partnership with Ally Ewing in the Dow Championship this year as one of the main reasons for the selection.
Lexi Thompson was a pretty easy one to guess, and as Lewis said, was a pretty easy one to pick. Thompson has been a mainstay on this team since she was a teenager. Now, she is by far the most experienced player on the team playing, making her seventh appearance. Thompson has a 9-7-7 career record, including a 3-1 record in 2023, where she really seemed to embrace a leadership role. The results for Lexi this year have shown some form once again found, with four top-10 finishes.
Schmelzel is the only one here that could be somewhat considered a surprise. Angel Yin was likely in play, but her injury at the beginning of the year probably played a role in her not being here. A young player like Alexa Pano was no doubt tempting as well. In the end though, Lewis rewarded a strong season from a breakout player. The 30-year-old Schmelzel has six top-10 finishes and is ranked No. 24 in the CME Standings even though she has had some inconsistent moments. This is her first appearance.
Stay tuned to Fore-All.com for continuing, thorough coverage of the 2024 Solheim Cup.
