This year on the LPGA Tour had been mostly about Inbee Park — and rightly so, with the South Korean winning the first three women’s major championships of 2013. But on Sunday, American Stacy Lewis altered the conversation somewhat with her victory in the Women’s British Open, which produces a big spark for the Solheim Cup.
When Colorado Golf Club in Parker hosts the biennial Solheim Cup matches between the U.S. and Europe Aug. 16-18, Lewis will be the participant with the most success in 2013. The former University of Arkansas golfer has won three times this year and will be the only competitor with a major championship title in 2013.
While the South Koreans as a group lead the way in women’s golf, the Americans and Europeans who will square off in the Solheim Cup have some pretty impressive credentials in their own right. Both teams were finalized on Sunday shortly after the conclusion of the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews in Scotland.
The automatic qualifiers — 10 on the American side and eight on the European — were set, then U.S. captain Meg Mallon announced her two wild-card picks, and Europe’s Liselotte Neumann her four. (Neumann is pictured above, at left, with Mallon.)
The USA’s automatic qualifiers — Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Brittany Lincicome, 18-year-old Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Brittany Lang, Lizette Salas and Morgan Pressel — were supplemented by Mallon’s choices of former teenage phenom Michelle Wie and Texan Gerina Piller, who’s winless on the circuit but is ranked No. 57 in the world.
“I’m just thrilled to finally have my team announced,” Mallon said. “I have 12 players who I am very excited to have on this team. They have all played their hearts out over the last two years. … We are playing on all cylinders right now and I’m really excited about it.”
Wie has won twice on the LPGA Tour, but not since 2010. However, that didn’t dissuade Mallon.
“Michelle to me was a no‑brainer,” the captain said. “With her experience, she can handle the big stage. She’s played well in Solheim Cups, and I just really believe in Michelle Wie, and am excited for her to be coming to Colorado.”
Said Wie, who will be playing in her third Solheim Cup and has a 4-3-1 record: “I am so happy and so honored and so grateful to be a captain’s pick. To play under Meg and be with all the girls again, it’s a dream come true.”
The eight qualifiers for defending champion Europe were Suzann Pettersen, Carlota Ciganda, Catriona Matthew, Caroline Masson, Beatriz Recari, Anna Nordqvist, Karine Icher and Azahara Munoz. Neumann filled out her squad by naming wild-cards Charley Hull, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Caroline Hedwall and Giulia Sergas. Hull, a 17-year-old from England, will be the youngest player in Solheim Cup history.
U.S. team members have won a combined seven major championships and 50 LPGA Tour events. One American player — Lewis, who’s second behind Park — is ranked among the world’s top 10 women’s golfers.
The Europeans have won a combined three majors, 21 LPGA Tour events and 26 Ladies European Tour tournaments. Both Pettersen (third) and Matthew (eighth) are ranked among the top 10 in the world.
The Americans will have four Solheim Cup rookies on their team — Thompson, Korda, Salas and Piller. Meanwhile, the Europeans will have six first-timers: Ciganda, Masson, Recari, Sergas, Hull and Ewart Shadoff.
A couple of the most experienced Solheim Cup players ever — one on each side — won’t be back this year: American Juli Inkster, a nine-time Solheim Cupper and eight-time major champion, and England’s Laura Davies, a four-time major winner who had played in all 12 previous Solheim Cups.
“I spoke to (Davies) yesterday, and she knew and she said that, ‘You know, I haven’t played enough. I tried but I haven’t performed well enough, and I just wish you and the team the best of luck and just go get ’em; you can do it in Colorado,'” Neumann relayed.
AMERICAN TEAM
Stacy Lewis of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. — LPGA Tour Victories: 8, including 3 in 2013. … Major Wins: 2. … World Ranking: 2. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 1 (1-3 record). … College Golf: University of Arkansas. … Age: 28.
Paula Creamer of Windermere, Fla. — LPGA Tour Victories: 9, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 1. … World Ranking: 11. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 4 (11-3-5 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 27 on Aug. 5.
Cristie Kerr of Miami — LPGA Tour Victories: 16, including 1 in 2013. … Major Wins: 2. … World Ranking: 12. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 6 (11-12-3 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 35.
Angela Stanford of Fort Worth, Texas — LPGA Tour Victories: 5, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 16. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 4 (3-7-3 record). … College Golf: Texas Christian. … Age: 35.
Brittany Lincicome of Seminole, Fla. — LPGA Tour Victories: 5, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 1. … World Ranking: 38. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 3 (4-6-1 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 27.
Lexi Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla. — LPGA Tour Victories: 1, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 26. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: none. … Age: 18.
Jessica Korda of Bradenton, Fla. — LPGA Tour Victories: 1, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 28. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: none. … Age: 20.
Brittany Lang of McKinney, Texas — LPGA Tour Victories: 1, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 50. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 2 (2-3-2 record). … College Golf: Duke. … Age: 27.
Lizette Salas of Asuzu, Calif. — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 19. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: Southern California. … Age: 24.
Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla. — LPGA Tour Victories: 2, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 1. … World Ranking: 41. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 3 (7-2-2 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 25.
Michelle Wie of Jupiter, Fla. (wild card pick) — LPGA Tour Victories: 2, including 0 in 2013. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 82. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 2 (4-3-1 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 23.
Gerina Piller of Plano Texas (wild-card pick) — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 57. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: Texas-El Paso. … Age: 28.
EUROPEAN TEAM
Suzann Pettersen of Norway — LPGA Tour Victories: 11, including 1 in 2013. … LET Victories: 5. … Major Wins: 1. … World Ranking: 3. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 6 (12-8-5 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 32.
Carlota Ciganda of Spain — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 2. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 30. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: Arizona State. … Age: 23.
Catriona Matthew of Scotland — LPGA Tour Victories: 4, including 0 in 2013. … LET Victories: 4. … Major Wins: 1. … World Ranking: 8. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 6 (11-8-6 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 43.
Caroline Masson of Germany — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 1. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 58. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: Oklahoma State. … Age: 24.
Beatriz Recari of Spain — LPGA Tour Victories: 3, including 2 in 2013. … LET Victories: 1. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 20. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: none. … Age: 26.
Anna Nordqvist of Sweden — LPGA Tour Victories: 2, including 0 in 2013. … LET Victories: 2. … Major Wins: 1. … World Ranking: 22. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 2 (4-4 record). … College Golf: Arizona State. … Age: 26.
Karine Icher of France — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 5. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 24. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 1 (1-2 record). … College Golf: none. … Age: 34.
Azahara Munoz of Spain — LPGA Tour Victories: 1, including 0 in 2013. … LET Victories: 1. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 27. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 1 (2-1-1 record). … College Golf: Arizona State. … Age: 25.
Caroline Hedwall of Sweden (wild card pick) — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 5. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 29. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 1 (2-1-1 record). … College Golf: Oklahoma State. … Age: 24.
Giulia Sergas of Italy (wild card pick) — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 0. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 62. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: none. … Age: 33.
Charley Hull of England (wild card pick) — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 0. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 147. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: none. … Age: 17.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England (wild card pick) — LPGA Tour Victories: 0. … LET Victories: 0. … Major Wins: 0. … World Ranking: 45. … Previous Solheim Cup Teams: 0. … College Golf: New Mexico. … Age: 25.
