2024 Solheim Cup: Team Europe’s Squad, Captains Picks and Replaced Golfers Explored

Team Europe has selected its top 12 players who will battle against the Americans at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in less than 20 days! The twelve players representing Europe at the Solheim Cup were qualified in three ways: the first two were at the top of the Solheim Cup points list; the first was Esther Henseleit, who had a total of four top-10 finishes this year on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Moreover, she was also the silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The second person chosen through the point list was Charley Hull. She has been a buzzing figure in the golf world and entered the 2024 Solheim Cup squad after finishing inside the top 20 at the AIG Women’s Open. The second way the players make it automatically into Team Europe is through the Top 6 in the Rolex Rankings. These six players are Celine Boutier (9), Maja Stark (26), Linn Grant (27), Leona Maguire (33), Carlota Ciganda (34), and Madelene Sagstrom (39).

After filling up eight spots, captain Suzann Pettersen had four players she could pick based on how they had performed since the 2023 Solheim Cup concluded. Pettersen chose Georgia Hall as one and told Sky Sports, “It’s maybe not the biggest surprise, but she was always going to be on this team. She’s one really tough match player. She just has that naturally in her.” The other three picked by the captains are Anna Nordqvist, who will be playing vice captain as she held the same role last year as well, Emily Kristine Pedersen, and Albane Valenzuela.

The European looks ready for the Solheim Cup and to make history by winning the prestigious event four editions in a row; it has never been done before. Pettersen has retained almost all the 2023 pros in her team, but here are two pros who got replaced.

Who from the 2023 Solheim team could make it to the 2024 edition?

Two pros could not return to the European side after successfully assisting in retaining the cup in 2023 at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia. The first was Gemma Dryburgh. She made her Solheim Cup debut in 2023 and was a captain’s pick after carding many top-25 finishes in the last season. However, in 2024, Dryburgh missed eight cuts and had only two top-10 finishes, resulting in a relatively lower position on the Rolex Rankings or the Solheim Cup points list or becoming a captain’s pick. She was replaced by another rookie in 2024, Albane Valenzuela.

Another pro who missed out on the 2024 European Solheim Cup squad is Caroline Hedwall. It could have been the Swedish pro’s fifth Solheim Cup appearance if selected; she has been part of the winning team four times now. But the 7-time LET winner failed to make any impression on the captain after consistently finishing out of the winning circles. Pettersen chose Georgia Hall as one of her picks as she couldn’t qualify automatically and Esther Henseleit got in through the point list.

With 12 members selected, the only thing that remains is for these players to try to defeat the Americans once again. But the other team has bigger names and players like Nelly Korda, who has been having the greatest season so far. Who will win the coveted Solheim Cup this time? It remains to be seen.