ANDALUSIA, Spain — Ecu workforce captain Suzann Pettersen had a name as a fiery competitor all through her taking part in profession, which helped her turn into one of the a hit and debatable gamers in Solheim Cup historical past.

In 2015, Pettersen was once on the heart of the “gimme-gate” controversy next American Alison Lee neglected a birdie putt and collected her ball at the seventeenth hollow, mentioning she had heard the Europeans concede the 18-inch putt. Pettersen stated she hadn’t, to bring about the U.S. workforce dropping the outlet and falling 1 unwell within the competition. The Europeans gained the competition 2 up and took a 10-6 govern into singles.

Pettersen was once closely criticized for her movements and nearest apologized. The American citizens rallied to win 8½ issues all through singles, to bring about a 14½-13½ victory at Golfing Membership St. Leon-Rot in Germany. It was once the most important comeback in Solheim Cup historical past.

4 years nearest, at Gleneagles in Scotland, Pettersen made the profitable putt to clinch Europe’s 14½-13½ victory. She introduced her departure moments nearest.

Pettersen appears to be wearing that very same emotion and self assurance as Europe’s captain at this generation’s Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Andalusia. She has already referred to as her workforce essentially the most proficient Europe has ever assembled.

“I don’t think there’s anything to hide under a chair that if you look on paper, we have the strongest team that I’ve ever been a part of, and that’s based on great performances over the last few years from all the players,” Pettersen stated. “So with good results, there’s also expectations, but these girls are so up for it, so we can’t wait.”

American captain Stacy Lewis turns out greater than prepared to let the Europeans raise the load of being the favorites. Europe has gained each and every of the terminating two Solheim Cups. They’ve by no means gained 3 in a row. The U.S. had three-match profitable streaks from 1994-98 and 2005-09.

“I think Europe’s the favorite,” Lewis stated. “They have won the last two, we’re on their soil, they have a great team that has a ton, a ton of experience in this event. So you look at history, you know, it doesn’t bode well for us. But I love our chances. I love these rookies. I think they’re going to have a great week and hopefully surprise a lot of people.”

On paper, no less than, the Europeans do have a bonus, particularly on the subject of revel in. Their 12 gamers have mixed to play games in 31 Solheim Cups, have accumulated a 62-43-13 report and earned 68.5 issues.

The American citizens, at the alternative hand, have 15 mixed Solheim Cup appearances with a 24-26-13 report. They have got mixed to win 30 ½ issues. Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang and Angel Yin are the one gamers who had been on profitable groups.

“I think this is a very, very strong team,” England’s Charley Hull stated. “It’s got a lot of depth to the team as well. Before, we had a lot of strong players, but then sometimes the back end of the team wasn’t as strong. But I feel like we’re pretty strong all the way through. Yeah, no, I think we’ve got a good chance this year. I’m looking forward to it.”

Added England’s Georgia Corridor: “I think this is the strongest team we’ve ever had on paper, for sure. Like Charley said, there’s not one weak player on our team. I think you can put out any of us at any time and I think we’ll perform well.”

It’s no longer just like the American citizens are taking to roll over. Each and every in their 12 gamers is ranked within the peak 50 of the Rolex Ladies’s Global Golfing Score, together with Negative. 2 Lilia Vu, Negative. 3 Nelly Korda and Negative. 9 Allisen Corpuz. The U.S. can have 5 inexperienced persons, however Vu and Corpuz gained 3 of the 5 primary championships this occasion season.

“I wouldn’t consider ourselves underdogs, but I think we can come in here with nothing to lose because there’s really nothing to lose,” Vu stated. “I think we’re a pretty young team, but I think we’re going to come out really strong and we’re going to have fun and our game will show on the course.”

The way it works

The Solheim Cup, which pits a 12-player U.S. workforce in opposition to a 12-player Ecu workforce, is a three-day match-play match. There are 28 suits and the workforce that has the perfect level overall next 3 days is the winner.

In foursome (change shot) suits, each and every workforce performs one ball, and the golfers play games change pictures till the outlet is completed. In four-ball (or very best ball) suits, each and every member of a two-player workforce performs her personal ball. 4 balls are in play games on each and every hollow. The bottom rating from each and every workforce will depend because the rating for that workforce.

The time table:

• Friday comprises 4 foursome suits and 4 four-ball suits.

• Thursday comprises 4 foursome and 4 four-ball suits.

• Sunday’s finale comprises 12 head-to-head singles suits.

Each and every competition is use one level and each groups obtain a half-point for each and every connect. There is not any playoff if the groups are connect next Sunday’s singles suits.

Who’s taking part in

Europe

Celine Boutier (France)
Boutier was once certainly one of the freshest gamers in the world this season, profitable 3 times at the LPGA Excursion, together with her first primary on the Amundi Evian Championship in her local France. She has been impressive within the Solheim Cup with a 5-1-1 report in two earlier appearances. Boutier has one of the most very best shorten video games on this planet; she ranked moment at the LPGA Excursion in strokes won: across the inexperienced (0.59), first in scrambling (68.3%) and fourth in sand saves (61.1%).

Carlota Ciganda (Spain)
The 2-time LPGA winner is making her 6th look within the Solheim Cup. She is the one participant on both workforce to have no less than 3 victories in singles with a 3-1-1 mark. She is connect for 3rd at the LPGA Excursion in putts consistent with inexperienced in law (1.75).

Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland)
The previous Tulane megastar is certainly one of 3 Solheim Cup inexperienced persons at the Ecu workforce. She picked up her first LPGA victory on the 2022 TOTO Japan Vintage. She ranked 7th at the LPGA Excursion in riding accuracy (82.14%).

Linn Serve (Sweden)
Every other Solheim Cup rookie, Serve has gained 5 instances at the Girls Ecu Excursion, maximum lately on the Jabra Girls Perceivable in France in Might. She picked up her first LPGA victory on the Dana Perceivable in July. Serve is among the very best ball strikers on this planet; she ranked moment in strokes won: off the tee (1.15) and 7th in tee to inexperienced (1.60).

Georgia Corridor (England)
Corridor is making her fourth look within the Solheim Cup. She has been one of the most workforce’s peak performers. On the 2019 Solheim Cup in Scotland, Corridor changed into handiest the 14th participant to progress unbeaten with a 4-0-0 report, serving to the Europeans rush a 14 ½-13 ½ victory.

Caroline Hedwall (Sweden)
On the 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golfing Membership in Parker, Colorado, Hedwall changed into the one participant within the match’s historical past to progress 5-0-0, serving to the Europeans go away with a very simple 18-10 victory. She has an 8-6-1 report on the Solheim Cup. She gained handiest certainly one of 5 imaginable issues in her two newer appearances.

Charley Hull (England)
Hull is competing in her 6th Solheim Cup, which is connect with Ciganda for second-most at the Ecu workforce. She has an 11-5-3 report, incomes 12 ½ issues for Europe. She has been struggling with a neck shock and restricted her follow this generation.

Leona Maguire (Eire)
Maguire was once the megastar of the 2021 Solheim Cup as a rookie, compiling a 4-0-1 report to earn 4 ½ issues in Europe’s 15-13 victory at Inverness Membership in Toledo, Ohio. She was once the one participant from both workforce to play games in all 5 classes.

Anna Nordqvist (Sweden)
A taking part in vice captain, Nordqvist is definitely essentially the most skilled participant within the garden with seven occasion appearances since 2009. She has a 14-10-3 report within the match, selecting up 15 ½ issues for Europe. The 3-time primary champion has won no less than a half-point in 57.4% of her Solheim Cup suits.

Emily Ok. Pedersen (Denmark)
A five-time winner at the Girls Ecu Excursion, Pedersen is taking part in in her 3rd Solheim Cup. She had a 3-1-0 report in 2021, partnering with Hull to progress 2-1-0 in foursomes and four-ball suits, and nearest defeating Danielle Kang 1 up in singles.

Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden)
The previous LSU megastar was once a member of 2 Ecu groups that gained the Solheim Cup in 2017 and 2021. Sagstrom was once at the unsuitable finish of a ruling in 2021 next she upfront picked up Nelly Korda’s eagle putt at the par-5 thirteenth in a four-ball competition. An reliable dominated that Sagstrom didn’t wait the specified 10 seconds and awarded Korda and Best friend Ewing an eagle. Korda and Ewing gained the competition, 1 up.

Maja Stark (Sweden)
Every other Solheim Cup first-timer from Sweden, Stark already has six victories at the Girls Ecu Excursion and 13 top-10 finishes in 3 seasons. She gained the 2022 ISPS Handa Global Invitational to retain an LPGA card. Stark is among the very best tee-to-green gamers on this planet, however ranked 117th in placing at the LPGA Excursion.

United States

Allisen Corpuz
The previous USC megastar is handiest the second one participant from Hawaii to constitute the U.S. within the Solheim Cup, becoming a member of Michelle Wie West. She gained the U.S. Ladies’s Perceivable at Pebble Seaside and has 3 alternative top-10 finishes.

Best friend Ewing
The one participant from Mississippi to compete within the Solheim Cup, Ewing is making her 3rd look within the match. The 3-time LPGA Excursion winner had a 2-5-1 mixed report in her earlier two appearances.

Danielle Kang
The six-time LPGA Excursion winner is among the American citizens’ maximum skilled competition within the Solheim Cup with 3 earlier appearances. She has a 5-7-0 report within the match. She’s additionally one of the valuable putters on this planet; she ranked moment at the LPGA Excursion in placing moderate (28.56) and putts consistent with inexperienced in law (1.74).

Megan Khang
Khang shall be making her 3rd Solheim Cup look and shall be on the lookout for higher effects. She went a mixed 1-3-2 within the first two, together with 1-1-1 in 2021. She completed within the peak 10 in 3 of the 5 majors this season, together with a connect for 3rd on the Ladies’s PGA Championship. She’s one of the correct gamers off the tee (80.1% fairways strike) and on manner (72.6% vegetables in law).

Cheyenne Knight
A two-time LPGA Excursion winner, Knight’s most up-to-date victory got here along Elizabeth Szokol within the two-player match on the 2023 Dow Superior Lakes Bay Invitational. The previous Alabama participant had 3 alternative top-10s, together with a connect for 6th on the JM Eagle LA Championship.

Nelly Korda
The previous global Negative. 1 golfer continues to be on the lookout for her first victory on Group USA, next dropping in 2019 and 2021. She went 5-2-1 in the ones occasions, selecting up 5 ½ issues. Korda was once higher taking part in together with her sister, Jessica, in 2019 than she was once partnering with Ewing in 2021.

Jennifer Kupcho
The 2022 Chevron Championship winner is making her moment Solheim Cup look. She went 2-1-1 and earned 2 ½ issues in 2021. There aren’t many gamers on this planet higher than Kupcho with an iron in her hand; she ranked 5th in vegetables in law (73%) at the LPGA Excursion.

Andrea Lee
Lee could be a Solheim Cup rookie, however she had in depth revel in in workforce occasions as an beginner, competing within the Juvenile Ryder Cup (2014), Juvenile Solheim Cup (2013, 2015), Pan American Video games (2015), Curtis Cup (2016, 2018), Arnold Palmer Cup (2018) and Espirito Santo Trophy (2016).

Lexi Thompson
An 11-time LPGA Excursion winner, Thompson is essentially the most skilled U.S. participant within the Solheim Cup and shall be making her 6th look. She has a 6-6-7 report within the vent since 2013, incomes 9.5 issues with a 6-6-7 report. She had neglected the short in 5 instantly LPGA occasions earlier than tying for nineteenth on the Kroger Queen Town Championship offered by way of P&G in early September.

Lilia Vu
Next just about give up golfing two years in the past time competing at the Epson Excursion, Vu captured two majors this season on the Chevron Championship and AIG Ladies’s Perceivable. The ones victories helped her ascend to Negative. 1 within the Rolex Ladies’s Global Golfing Score. Vu ranked twelfth at the LPGA Excursion in strokes won: placing (0.80) this season.

Angel Yin
That is Yin’s 3rd look on the Solheim Cup; she had a mixed 3-2-1 report in 2017 and 2019. In 2019, she and Best friend Ewing connect for the second one biggest margin of victory within the match’s historical past with a 7&5 win in a four-ball competition over Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall.

Rose Zhang
A two-time NCAA Category I-A person nationwide champion at Stanford, Zhang is the youngest competitor on the Solheim Cup at 20. She captured her first LPGA Excursion victory in her first get started as a certified on the Mizuho Americas Perceivable in June.

In regards to the path

Finca Cortesin, positioned akin Spain’s southern coast, is broadly thought to be certainly one of Europe’s peak classes. It hosted the Volvo Global Fit Play games Championship 3 times within the occasion.

The par-71 sequence is 6,138 yards, which isn’t too lengthy. The entrance 9 comprises 3 par-5 holes, two par-3s and 4 par-4s; the again 9 has one par-5, 3 par-3s and 5 par-4s. Finca Cortesin has bermudagrass fairways and vegetables.

The outlet hollow is a drivable 280-yard par-4 hollow, which could be reachable for the longest hitters off the tee, relying at the air route. The 4 ultimate holes, together with the par-5 18th, may put together for dramatic finishes in suits.

“It’s something that we don’t get to do a lot of,” Korda stated. “Obviously, there’s a lot of trouble short. If you land it just short of the green, it’s rolling into the water. I think it’s a fun opening hole. I think you’re definitely going to be feeling it in your stomach on that first hole.”

The path is constructed into the slope of the Sierra Bermeja Mountain Dimension, making for an excessively tricky go for competition.

“People said it was hilly, but it’s definitely hilly,” Knight stated. “I don’t know, it’s gorgeous, the views, everyone said, and how beautiful it is, but I’ve definitely been taken away by just how gorgeous everything is and the course is in great shape.”

Hitting fairways on account of deep tough and herbal disciplines, and discovering vegetables on account of runoffs goes to be paramount.

“The golf course is going to play tough, especially if the wind kind of picks up,” Korda stated. “It’s pretty narrow with a lot of trouble on both sides of the fairway, so keeping it in play, and there’s a lot of falloffs by the greens. Obviously, coming from Florida, I’m used to Bermuda grass, so a little bit of maybe an advantage for me because I know this grass so well, but it’s going to be a true test.”

Ditching the pods

Pods were a fat a part of American workforce golfing since Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger offered the pairings device in 2008. The conclusion was once that by way of dividing a 12-player workforce into 4 pods, you might want to staff gamers in combination who had alike types of golfing and appropriate personalities.

Solheim Cup workforce captain Juli Inkster followed the pod device in 2015 next the Europeans gained in 2011 and 2013. The U.S. reclaimed the Solheim Cup in each and every of the later two occasions with Inkster as captain. In 2021, the Korda sisters, Ewing and Khang had been in the similar pod. Kang, Kupcho, Lizette Salas and Austin Ernst had been in some other.

Next the Europeans gained each and every of the terminating two Solheim Cups, Lewis is ditching the pod device. She’s hoping the workforce that practices, eats and spends era in combination will win in combination on Sunday.

“It creates more dynamic between all of the team members instead of just the three people you’re with,” Yin stated. “I think that’s very special. I think the way she’s doing it is making it work fantastic. I don’t think people understand how great it’s working. Be scared.”

Misplaced and located

Kang went on social media previous this generation, inquiring for aid discovering her golf equipment, which didn’t set in in Spain on her flying. She handiest had her putter, which she carries in a rifle case when touring to keep away from bending it.

Thankfully for Kang, her golf equipment arrived at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport on Tuesday. Lewis’ father, Dale, going to the airport to retrieve them. Kang were training with extra units supplied by way of Ping and Titleist. She was once ready to play games the path together with her common golf equipment Wednesday.

“My dad actually went and picked it up for us,” Lewis stated. “So Dad gets the MVP of the week. But, yeah, the number of people that were working on finding that golf bag the last two days is astronomical, so we were very excited. Danielle’s given us many hugs and thank yous. She was very appreciative.” Lewis stated Kang remained quiet, which was once a just right lesson for the workforce’s inexperienced persons.

“I’ve told a lot of people this: She’s handled it so well, like, so remarkably well that I think it sent a message to the rookies,” Lewis stated. “There was no panic in her and it helped that team room vibe. I don’t even think Danielle realized it, you know, that she’s being a leader in that aspect. So it’s just been really cool to see her step up.”