9 automatic qualifiers finalized for U.S. Solheim Cup team
Danielle Kang will make her third Solheim Cup appearance.
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The U.S. Solheim Cup team is beginning to take shape. Nine of the team’s 12 members were finalized at the conclusion of Sunday’s AIG Women’s Open, which was the last event of the qualifying period.
Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Ally Ewing, Austin Ernst, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda and Megan Khang all made the team via the points standings, and Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho were also named to the team as the two highest-ranking Americans in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings not among the seven qualifiers.
Kupcho, the winner of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019, is the only Solheim Cup rookie among the group.
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U.S. captain Pat Hurst will finalize her 12-person team at 10 a.m. ET on Monday when she names her three captain’s picks. She’ll also announce her third assistant captain, joining previously named assistant captains Angela Stanford and Michelle Wie West.
The 2021 Solheim Cup is Sept. 4-6 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Europe won the previous meeting 14.5-13.5 at Gleneagles in Scotland in 2019. The U.S. leads the all-time series 10-6.
“The last two years have been so long and I’m so happy to finally know who be on Team USA in Toledo,” Hurst said in a release. “This is an incredibly talented group of players, with so much crucial experience to lean on as we work to win back the Cup. I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this team and can’t wait to finally get to Inverness.”
The European team also had its six automatic qualifiers finalized on Sunday, as Emily Kristine Pedersen, Georgia Hall, Anna Nordqvist, Sophia Popov, Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda were all named to the team. European captain Catriona Matthew will make her six captain’s picks on Monday.
