Four players of the European team of the Solheim Cup have at least four participations in past editions of this competition, compared to one American who has played it five times, and the rest, no more than three. The experience in the Solheim Cup will be a degree in benefit of the European team, of which the Navarrese Carlota Ciganda is part
The most veteran golfer in this Solheim Cup is Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, who is also one of the vice-captains appointed by Suzann Pettersen to lead the team to what could be its historic third consecutive victory. Nordqvist has contested the Solheim Cup seven times; she was a rookie in 2009 in Illinois and has not missed an edition since. She made history in 2013 when she hit the first hole-in-one of the Solheim Cup in the Colorado Foursomes to win the match. She has contributed a total of 15.5 points in her seven editions of the Solheim Cup, of which she was champion four times.
She is followed in number of editions played by Carlota Ciganda from Navarre, who made her debut in 2013 in Colorado, where for the first time the European team achieved victory on American soil. Since then, she has qualified to compete in all the editions, in which the Europeans have won on three occasions. Carlota Ciganda is undoubtedly one of the great assets of the team, recognized for her sporting merits and considered one of the mainstays of the Solheim Cup for her experience in the different modalities of this competition, and for the energy, passion and contagious enthusiasm that she transmits to the whole team. Carlota has achieved 8 points in her history in the Solheim Cup.
She is equaled in number of Solheim Cups played by British Charley Hull, who was the youngest player in this competition when she qualified at only 17 years old in 2013, the year of the historic victory in the United States. She has shared team with Carlota and Anna in these five disputed editions in which she has achieved a total of 12.5 points and three victories.
The Swedish Caroline Hedwall, one of the players chosen by the captain to be part of the team, has four participations in the Solheim Cup. She made her debut, victorious, in 2011 in Ireland, and also qualified to be in the following edition in Colorado, as well as in Germany (2015) and Gleneagles, where her compatriot and now captain scored the winning point. Hedwall has scored 8.5 points in these four editions in which she has won with Europe twice.
Against them, only one player has comparable experience in the American team, and that is Lexi Thompson, with this season not being her best season in the LPGA in which she has only passed two cuts. Thompson has contested the Solheim Cup on five occasions of which she has won two. She made her debut in 2013 in Colorado and has qualified in all subsequent editions, counting in her record with 9.5 points and two victories.
Really the experience of the European team players in the Solheim Cup will be a degree since only three, Maja Stark, Linn Grant and Gemma Dryburgh will debut in this competition in Finca Cortesin against the five Americans who will play the Solheim Cup for the first time.
It will be a challenge for the captains, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis, to lead their teams to victory, in which the Europeans have their chance to make a historic triple at Finca Cortesin.
The Solheim Cup 2023, an event of exceptional public interest whose official venue is Finca Cortesin, is sponsored by PING, Costa del Sol Tourism and Rolex as global partners; and by the Consejería de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, with co-financing from the European Union, Acosol, the Marbella Town Hall and the Benahavís Town Hall as official partners, and Casares Town Hall and Reale Seguros are official sponsors. Solán de Cabras, Eversheds Sutherland, Toro, Vithas, E-Z-GO, Jet Set Sports and Olin are official suppliers. BMW Automotor Premium is official sustainability car. Peninsula and Trablisa are sustainability partners. Marca and Radio Marca are official media. Promoted and organised by Deporte & Business. LET, LPGA, RFEG, CSD and RFGA collaborate in its organisation.
More information on the website www.solheimcup2023.eu, on the Twitter account @SolheimCup2023, on the Instagram account @solheimcup2023esp and on the Facebook page Solheim Cup 2023.
