As Europe begins its defence of the Solheim Cup, Suzan Pettersen produced a shock result by eliminating Leona Maguire in the opening foursomes session in Virginia.
Pettersen has named Charlie Hull to lead the European match on Friday morning at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Hull and European debutant Esther Henseleit will open the tournament against world number one Kelly Korda and Alisen Corpus. Pettersen's trust in Hull comes after the 28-year-old was photographed lighting a cigarette with the help of a spectator on Thursday.
“She's old enough to make that decision,” Pettersen said of Hull's tendency to smoke during games. “She has a great connection with the fans here. She saw exactly what she needed in that guy standing there, so she's enjoying it.”
“Charlie and Esther have great chemistry. They're good friends and get on really well. It's fun to keep Charlie active. She doesn't like to sit around and wait. They have great chemistry.”
Maguire's absence is sure to draw attention, including from the U.S. team. The Irish golfer has been the best performing member of the European team at the Solheim Cup, winning seven of 10 matches at the tournament. Maguire was the star player when Europe last won in the U.S. in 2021, earning 4.5 points in Toledo.
But Pettersen can point to Maguire's individual performance in 2024. She missed the cut in three of the five majors and her best finish was a tie for 24th.
To play in DP World Tour events, Rahm needed to pay the fine or appeal before entries for the Spanish Open closed at midday on Wednesday.
The two-time major champion is due to win the Spanish Open shortly before being selected for the field and will also play in the Dunhill Links Championship and Andalusia Masters to fulfil his DP membership qualification.
“For me, I'm very happy to hear that he made that decision,” Donald said. “I know he was a little indecisive.” PA Media
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Europe team captain Luke Donald has welcomed Jon Rahm's decision to appeal against a fine for moving to LIV Golf and maintain his Ryder Cup eligibility.
To play in DP World Tour events, Rahm needed to pay the fine or appeal before entries for the Spanish Open closed at midday on Wednesday.
The two-time major champion is due to win the Spanish Open shortly before being selected for the field and will also play in the Dunhill Links Championship and Andalusia Masters to fulfil his DP membership qualification.
“For me, I'm very happy to hear that he made that decision,” Donald said. “I know he was a little indecisive.” PA Media
“We have a great team,” Pettersen explained, “and that's the best part. Every athlete takes responsibility for the decisions they make. Of course it's disappointing for the athletes who didn't get paired right from the start, but this isn't a sprint. There are a lot of competitions to come. I'm sure we'll see Leona on the course, but it's just a matter of whether everything comes together this time. She has a great record and she's got Solheim grit. We all know that, but you'll see her.
“You have to go with your gut a little bit. It's a bit of a tough decision to have Leona sit in the foursome, but at the same time you have to go with your gut. There are other guys out there who are a great match on paper.”
In the second match, Europe's Celine Boutier and Albane Valenzuela will face Rose Zhang and Lauren Coughlin. The Americans' Allie Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho will team up in the penultimate foursome against Emily Pedersen and Maya Stark. The session will close with Europe's Lynn Grant and Carlota Ciganda taking on Lilia Vu and Sarah Schmeltzel.
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U.S. captain Stacey Lewis has a clear goal: to end the disastrous Solheim losing streak. Europe won in 2019 and 2021, and last year's match in Spain was enough for the U.S. to win the trophy on Friday morning, but it was enough for Pettersen and her players to defend the trophy. Only two members of the U.S. team, Allison Lee and Lexi Thompson, have experience winning at Solheim.
“That's the biggest challenge going into this week,” Lewis said. “Most of this group is still over the hump. The girls have been talked about. They won Junior Solheim, they were on the Curtis Cup winning team. They've been on winning teams before. They know what it takes. A lot of these girls have won a lot of matches. We gain experience every year, but you need experience in this event. So I like the direction we're going in.”
Lewis, known for his statistical approach to pairings, admitted he has a lot of confidence in Korda to lead the field. “I wanted to send someone with experience first,” the U.S. captain said. “Nobody's better than the No. 1 ranked player in the world. This pairing was very successful last year and they were comfortable together, so I have a lot of confidence in them.”
Hull had treatment on his hip at the driving range the night before the tournament, raising doubts for Europe. He played down the incident afterwards. “I was just getting the bone back into place,” he said. “It always comes out of place. The physio has been here all week so I just wanted to make the most of it.”
When asked about her sometimes unconventional approach to her time in the spotlight, Halle added: “What I like is what I like for myself. If other people don't like it, it's not their life. I live my life the way I want to live it, not the way someone else wants me to live it. I think I live like any normal person.”
