Suzann Pettersen has announced her four captain’s picks to round out the home team that’s trying to win an unprecedented third straight Solheim Cup for Europe next month in Spain. Much like the eight automatic qualifiers who locked up their spots two days earlier, Pettersen chose experience along with a fresh face, taking one rookie (Gemma Dryburgh) and three veterans (Madelene Sagstrom, Caroline Hedwal and Emily Kristine Pedersen). With the matches set for Finca Cortesin Resort in just four weeks (September 22-24), here’s what you need to know about the newest members of Europe’s Solheim Cup squad.

Madelene Sagstrom

Madelene Sagstrom. Jack Thomas

This is the 30-year-old’s third Solheim Cup, though it’ll be the first time she’ll play the event in Europe. The Swede was a stand-out on the Epson Tour, winning three times in 2016 and earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2017 season. She has won once on the LPGA Tour and is currently ranked No. 42 in the Rolex World Rankings. Her overall Solheim Cup record is 2-4-0.

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Emily Kristine Pedersen. Charlie Crowhurst/R&A

This is Pedersen’s third Solheim Cup as well and her first start in Europe, too. You may remember her as the player who holed the winning put for the Europeans when they closed out their upset victory at Inverness Club in 2021. The 27-year-old Dane has won five LET events in her career, including four in 2020 alone. Notably, she is one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, averaging 273 yards off the tee. Her career Solheim Cup record is 3-4-0.

Caroline Hedwall

Caroline Hedwall. Getty Images

Hedwall is the most experienced of Pettersen’s picks, set to make her fifth appearance. The 34-year-old Swede who was a stand-out at Oklahoma State who played 10 years on the LPGA Tour but never claimed a title. She does have seven wins on the Ladies European Tour, the most recent coming late last year at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España —  which was played about an hour from the 2023 Solheim Cup site.
“Having great memories from the end of last year in Andalucía, I hadn’t thought much about Solheim until I won and after that, it was a goal for the season,” Hedwall said. “I’m just really happy it became a reality and super pumped to play in Spain again.”
Her career Solheim Cup record is 8-6-1.

Gemma Dryburgh

Gemma Dryburgh. David Cannon

This is Dryburgh’s first Solheim Cup, though she has experience in team play, having competed in the 2014 Curtis Cup. The 30-year-old Scot played college golf at Tulane before turning professional in 2015. In 2022, she won the Toto Japan Classic, her first LPGA victory. She will make a good foursomes partner as she is one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball on the LPGA Tour, hitting more than 82 pe rcent of fairways in the 2023 season.

Team Europe’s complete roster for the 2023 Solheim Cup

Celine Boutier
Maja Stark
Charley Hull
Leona Maguire
Georgia Hall
Linn Grant
Carlota Ciganda
Anna Nordqvist
Gemma Dryburgh
Caroline Hedwall
Emily Kristine Pedersen
Madelene Sagstrom

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In the final major of 2022, we have our eyes on five players:

Minjee Lee

Minjee Lee. Alex Burstow/R&A

Officially, the Rolex World Rankings show Lee is ranked No. 2 behind Jin Young Ko. Unofficially, however, a large group of followers will say the 26-year-old Australian is the best player in women’s golf right now. While Ko hasn’t won since March, Lee has two titles — the Founders Cup and the US Women’s Open — plus a T-2 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in that time period. Lee loves the majors and has the game to pick up her third in a 13-month span this week at Muirfield.

Celine Boutier

Celine Boutier. Mark Runnacles

The 28-year-old from France has won twice on the LPGA Tour, but has yet to win a major. Though she missed the cut in two of her last three her events, she finished second in last week’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, a sign of her game trending in the right direction and her comfort on links courses. Boutier has played well in Women’s Open before, her best finish coming in 2019 where she finished sixth.

Madelene Sagstrom

Madelene Sagstrom. Dylan Buell

Sagstrom has proven she knows how to win, collecting three Epson Tour titles before her first LPGA win in 2020. The talented Swede is due for her next victory and is seeking some personal vengance with this event after making a bogey on the last hole at Carnoustie a year ago to finish T-2 behind Anna Nordqvist. Sagestrom has shown good recent form with a T-15 at the Scottish the week before Muirfield, which included a 64 on Sunday.

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko. Mark Runnacles

Ko was in control at last week’s Women’s Scottish Open until Sunday, where she did not make enough birdies early enough to maintain her momentum from the first three days. But for those first three rounds, Ko reminded viewers she has a game that can simply dominate. She has won once in 2022, but that number is a little misleading. She’s been playing a lot better than that. She has earned sixth other top-five finishes, which means this one-win season could’ve easily already been a multiple-win season. Her best finish in the AIG Women’s Open was T-3 in 2015. Who would be a better winner at this year’s iconic venue?

Ingrid Lindblad

Ingrid Lindblad. Harriet Lander/R&A

The AIG Women’s Open has made a habit of producing some incredibly unexpected champions. You’ll recall Hinako Shibuno at Woburn in 2019, where she was playing outside of her home country of Japan for the first time. And then Sophia Popov in 2020, the No. 304 player in the world who had no status on the LPGA Tour and was considering retirement only to win at Royal Troon. In that vein, who could be more surprising than a 22-year-old amateur from Sweden who got into the field through Monday qualifying? Lindblad is a three-time first-team All-American at LSU and made her biggest splash in the golf world at the US Women’s Open in June at Pine Needles. After rounds of 65-71-71-76, she finished T-11. There could be some magic for Lindblad at Muirfield.

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By Dave Shedloski
When is a ball not in the hole considered to be holed? That question was answered Saturday afternoon at the Solheim Cup when American Nelly Korda “made” an eagle at the par-5 13th hole at Inverness Club.

Korda lagged her curling 20-foot eagle attempt to the right edge of the cup, and in that circumstance, she would have 10 seconds to see if the ball would drop in. The catch is the opposing team also has to wait the stipulated amount of time to see if the ball falls in. But Europe’s Madelene Sagstrom, determining that the ball was not going to drop—it clearly was not moving or oscillating—picked up the ball after a few seconds and tossed it back to Korda, who still was on her knees after reacting to watching her putt miss by a sliver. Europe was already in with a 4 on Nanna Koerstz Madsen’s birdie.

Match referee Missy Jones immediately pointed out the rules infraction and awarded the hole to Korda and teammate Ally Ewing in the four-ball match. Despite arguments from Sagstrom, Koerstz Madsen and European captain Catriona Matthew, Jones’ ruling stood.

Solheim Cup with some big time rules controversy pic.twitter.com/2wPQjhnDXD

— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) September 4, 2021

The decision gave the U.S. pair a 1-up lead, and Korda and Ewing made it stand for a 1-up victory, its first of the day, after the Euros had taken an early 2-up lead.

“Obviously, I wasn’t following the rules about leaving the ball for 10 seconds, but I do believe in integrity and honour of the game of golf, and I would never pick up a putt that had a chance to go in,” said Sagstrom, who felt “frustrated, angry and sad,” by the ruling. “I personally don’t agree with the decision with the ball being on the edge, but I didn’t follow the 10-second rule, so it sucks right now because I feel like I let my team down.”

Sagstrom violated Rule 13.3b, which states that “if the opponent in match play deliberately lifts or moves the player’s ball overhanging the hole before the waiting time has ended, the player’s ball is treated as holed with the previous stroke.”

An LPGA statement further clarified that in addition to Jones, the chief referee, match observer and TV observer all deemed that Korda’s putt was overhanging the hole, if ever so slightly, and that it was picked up by Sagstrom well before 10 seconds expired.

The group waited on the 14th tee until replays were reviewed. Things grew awkward the rest of the way, Sagstrom said, after having words with Korda. “We had a good cozy match before 14. We come in and got in that little argument with Nelly on that tee box, because she obviously knew that it was not going to go in, but the rules are rules, so that’s what she wants to follow.”

“If they want to win on something like that, that’s on them,” Madsen added. “I think it’s going to fuel a little bit of fire upstairs, so they’d better watch out tomorrow.”

“Yeah, it was definitely awkward, and you don’t want to win a hole like that,” Korda said. “I got off the green, and we kind of were talking, and Missy already came up to us and was like, ‘I’m calling it in, I want to check it out.’ We didn’t even have a say honestly.”

Neither Jones nor chief referee Sue Witters were made available for comment.

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As you wake up on Thursday, here’s everything you need to know about the opening round of the women’s Olympic golf tournament

By Kent Paisley
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook off the coast of Japan Wednesday morning, two hours before Mone Iname had the honour of hitting the first tee shot in her home country to start the women’s Olympic tournament. The rumbling foretold the shakeout of the leader board to come as 22 players managed to finish under par during the first round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, where scalding heat took over as the dominant storyline by day’s end.

Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom jumped out front with the only bogey-free round, shooting a five-under 66. However, it doesn’t feel like a particularly safe lead, as the top five players in the world are all lurking nearby. No. 1 Nelly Korda sits a shot back, and No. 2 Jin Young Ko trails by two. Defending gold medalist Inbee Park, Sei Young Kim and Danielle Kang are three strokes behind at two-under.

Chinese Taipei’s Wei-Ling Hsu’s got to five-under through six holes and seemed to signal that Kasumigaseki Country Club could surrendering the birdies it gave up to the men last week. She couldn’t keep up the pace, making bogeys on three of her next seven to finish at two under, but she served as a looming reminder that birdies are out there in pursuit of a podium position. Here are four takeaways from Wednesday’s first round.

Sagstrom channels another Swede
Shortly before teeing off Wednesday, Sagstrom talked with the most outstanding golf talent to come out of her home country, Annika Sorenstam. Sorenstam flew over to Tokyo in her role as the president of the International Golf Federation after winning her debut at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Sunday. Sagstrom played under then Captain Sorenstam for the European side at the 2017 Solheim Cup, and the aura of Sorenstam’s most recent victory rubbed off on the 2020 Gainbridge LPGA Boca Rio champion.

“Having her [Sorenstam] as a resource and being able to call her a friend,” Sagstrom said, “it’s quite incredible since I grew up playing golf watching her. She’s like untouchable.”

Sagstrom credited strong ball-striking and a pristine short game for the bogey-free round in her Olympic debut. The 28-year-old liked the sightlines Kasumigaseki Country Club presented to her, giving a chance to keep her putter rolling.

“[I’m] very excited with the layout,” Sagstrom said. “It suits my eye, and the greens are rolling phenomenal, which works with my putting too. So it’s phenomenal.”

Nelly Korda maintains World No. 1 form

Mike Ehrmann
Nelly Korda is one back after posting a four-under 67 that eased her Olympic nerves.

The top American player in the world and recent winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship put herself a shot off the lead with a four-under 67, putting herself in great position at the chance of matching Xander Schauffele and making it an American gold-medal sweep at the Tokyo Games. Following an up-and-down front nine with four birdies and two bogeys, Korda steadied herself for a clean closing side, posting two more birdies for a four-under 67 to sit tied for second.

Korda once again leaned on her father Petr Korda’s advice in her approach this week and how to handle the anticipation of playing in the Olympics. But ultimately she knew she needed to experience things on her own for the first time to be able to help with the emotions.

“I kind of think like by now this is my fifth year on tour that I would hopefully kind of know how to handle these situations,” Korda said. “You learn the most from your own experience, it’s really easy for someone else to tell you how it’s going to be or how you should handle situations, but everyone else handles situations differently.”

Lag putting was the lone blemish of Korda’s game Wednesday, as her first putts made Korda labor for pars at Kasumigaseki Country Club. She worked on her putting after cooling off following her post-round interview.

The rest of the U.S team is following Korda’s lead. Danielle Kang sits at two under in a tie for seventh, Jessica Korda finished T-23 at even par, and Lexi Thompson is T-36 at one over.

No. 200 sits T-2, but don’t be shocked

Mike Ehrmann
India’s Aditi Ashok is matching the impressive start to the Olympics she had in Rio in 2016, this time with her mum caddieing for her.

On paper, you wouldn’t expect Aditi Ashok of India to be in contention at the Olympics, the 23-year-old shooting a four-under 67 for a share of second place. She’s never won on the LPGA, and at 200th in the Rolex Rankings, she doesn’t hold a body of work of being in contention on tour. Before Ashok’s T-3 while playing with Pajaree Anannarukarn at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational last month, her best finish on the LPGA was a T-6 at the 2018 Volunteers of America Classic. And while she has three titles on the Ladies European Tour, the most recent was four years ago at the 2017 Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open.

But something about the Olympics seems to connect with Ashok. She was three behind the lead after the first round at Rio in 2016, and four back through the first 36 holes. The then 18-year-old inspired India with her Olympic play, driving people by the millions to Google for golf clubs. Her play shows the possibility of what being an Olympic sport can do for golf in a nation where the game has room for growth, and Ashok recognizes the potential she has to help inspire others.

“It’s important for little girls back home to have that image of a golfer internationally on the LPGA or at the Olympics,” Ashok said, “And not just participating but also kind of contending here and there.”

Outside of the experience that comes with age, the other big difference for Ashok this week is her caddie. Her father carried her bag in 2016, and her mom is caddieing this week.

Trying to beat the heat

Brendan Moran
Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow uses an umbrella to shelter from the heat during Round 1.

Getting around Kasumigaseki Country Club the past few days has been no easy accomplishment thanks to the stifling heat. While conditions were toasty during the men’s tournament, the heat index rose to a scalding 110 degrees during Round 1, forcing players to be conscious of staying hydrated and finding as much shade as they could between holes.

“You get so sick of water,” Nelly Korda said. “After [drinking a lot of water] I’m like, I don’t want to see water, give me some juice.”

The scorching heat may have been hardest on the caddies. U.S. Women’s Open champ Yuka Saso’s caddie Lionel Matichuk was rushed to the hospital during Tuesday’s practice round due to heatstroke. On Wednesday the heat nearly caused Lexi Thompson’s looper, Jack Fulghum, to pass out. He withdrew after the 15th hole after asking Thompson if he looked sick.

“He just asked me, ‘Do I look white to you?’” Thompson said. “And I’m like, I didn’t really notice, but, he just didn’t look good.”

Thompson told him to sit down for the rest of the way. Team USA assistant Donna Wilkins, who last played on the LPGA in 2006 and currently works for the tour as a director of player services, stepped up as Thompson’s caddie for the rest of the round. The 26-year-old birdied three of her last four holes to finish at one-over 72.

“The straps were a little off,” Wilkins said, “But it was all good. I was glad to be able to jump in and help.”

Mike Ehrmann
Donna Wilkins, an LPGA official, took over Thompson’s bag for the last three holes of Round 1.

It’s unclear if Wilkins, Fulghum or a local caddie will loop for Thompson in round two.

“I was so worried about him and, I mean, it’s so hot out there,” Thompson said. “I’m from Florida and I’m still not used to that bad of heat. But I just hope that he’s OK and he gets the hydration he needs, the nutrients tonight to go into the next few days. If not, I’ll figure something else out. I just want him to be healthy.”

Meanwhile, a different kind of weather may impact the remainder of the women’s golf competition. After play concluded, the Golf Channel reported that the International Golf Federation has sent a notice to players that due to heavy thunderstorms expected at Kasumigaseki Country Club Saturday and Sunday, the tournament may cut to 54 holes. Alternatively, there is the potential that golfers could play more than 18 holes on Thursday or Friday, but due to the unrelenting heat, the health officials are concerned about attempting that.

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By Keely Levins
Three rookies, including tournament leader Sung Hyun Park, are in the top six at the LPGA CME Tour Championship heading into the weekend at Tiburon Golf Club. Park, the LPGA rookie of the year, shot a seven-under par 65 to open a three-stroke lead, while two other rookies, Nelly Korda and Madelene Sagstrom, are part of a three-way tie for fourth, four strokes back.

How is it that rookies play like veterans?

Caroline Masson, who is in a two-way tie for second with Sarah Jane Smith, said one of the reasons is that rookies are come onto the tour better prepared than they once were.

“It’s super impressive,” Masson said. “At the same time, rookies – I mean, I was a rookie [in 2013] and I’d already played three years on the European Tour.”

The best example of that is 24-year-old Park, who came to the LPGA this year after successful years on the Korean LPGA. She plays with a fearlessness and confidence otherwise unexpected from a rookie. But not only did she have experience winning against competitive fields, she already had a fan club, members of which traveled from South Korea to watch her win the U.S. Women’s Open. It was the first of her two wins this season. Of course, she’s had to deal with adjusting to the travel and moving to Florida, but she arrived on the LPGA with a seasoned game.

Tim Bradbury

Meanwhile, Korda, 19, played on the Symetra Tour and finished high enough on the money list to qualify for the 2017 LPGA Tour season. Her comfort level is boosted from watching her 24-year-old sister, Jessica, play on tour since 2011.

“To be honest, I never actually really felt like a rookie because I knew everyone out here,” Korda said after her round of 66 on Friday.

Korda finished T-5 in her first LPGA event and has been in contention several times.

“Everyone welcomed me because I’ve been watching my sister out here for a really long time,” she said. “So I’ve never really felt like a rookie. Obviously, I have the ‘rookie’ right next to my name, but I feel pretty comfortable out here.”

Sam Greenwood

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At a press conference following the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns, non-playing U.S. skipper Juli Inkster added two captain’s picks—18-year-old LPGA rookie Angel Yin and 25-year-old Austin Ernst—to her 10 automatic qualifiers (see below). Europe’s Annika Sorenstam also named her four wild-cards—Anna Nordqvist, Emily Pedersen, Caroline Masson and Madelene Sagstrom—to complete her side.

Both captains made it clear how difficult it had been to arrive at their respective conclusions. Inkster omitted the likes of former U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer, as well as six-time Cup veteran Angela Stanford and five-time player Morgan Pressel.

“This has been a really tough day,” said Inkster, herself a nine-time Solheim participant. “I don’t know if there’s ever been so many people in the running for two captain’s picks. I could have gone a lot of different ways. But in the end I went with my gut, and who I thought deserved a chance to play. I hope it turns out OK. That’s all I can say.”

Noticeably absent from the European squad will be Catriona Matthew, who was looking to make her ninth appearance in European colors. The Scot will still make the trip to Iowa, however, as one of Sorenstam’s assistant captains.

“It is always hard to say ‘no’ to someone who lives for the Solheim Cup,” said Sorenstam of Matthew. “She was involved in the plans and knew the players we were talking about and that made it a bit awkward at times. But she has been strong and mature, and I am happy to have her on the team either way.”

UNITED STATES TEAM
Points List
Lexi Thompson, 3rd appearance (2013, ’15), 3-2-2 record
Stacy Lewis, 4th appearance (2011, ’13, ’15), 4-7-1
Gerina Piller, 3rd appearance (2013, ’15), 3-2-2
Cristie Kerr, 9th appearance (2002, ’03, ’05, ’07, ’09, ’11, ’13, ’15), 15-14-5
Jessica Korda, 2nd appearance (2013), 1-2-1
Danielle Kang, 1st appearance
Michelle Wie, 5th appearance (2009, ’11, ’13, ’15), 7-7-1
Brittany Lang, 5th appearance (2009, ’11, ’13, ’15), 5-6-3
Rolex Ranking
Brittany Lincicome, 6th appearance (2007, ’09, ’11, ’13, ’15), 5-11-2 Lizette Salas, 3rd appearance (2013, ’15), 1-3-2
Captain’s Picks
Austin Ernst, 1st appearance Angel Yin, 1st appearance

EUROPEAN TEAM
Points List
Georgia Hall (England), 1st appearance
Florentyna Parker (England), 1st appearance
Mel Reid (England), 3rd appearance (2011, ’15), 4-3-1
Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (England), 2nd appearance (2013), 2-1-0
Rolex Ranking
Carlota Ciganda (Spain), 3rd appearance (2013, ’15), 4-1-2
Suzann Pettersen (Norway), 9th appearance (2002, ’03, ’05, ’07, ’09, ’11, ’13, ’15), 16-11-6
Charley Hull (England), 3rd appearance (2013, ’15), 6-2-0
Karine Icher (France), 4th appearance (2002, ’13, ’15), 5-4-1
Captain’s Picks
Caroline Masson (Germany), 3rd appearance (2013, ’15), 2-3-2
Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), 5th appearance (2009, ’11, ’13, ’15), 8-7-1
Emily Pedersen (Denmark), 1st appearance
Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden), 1st appearance

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