Catriona Matthew, captain of the 2019 European Solheim Cup team, is making her seventh LPGA Tour start of 2019 this week at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship. Matthew has planned her 2019 playing schedule to allow her to scout out her Team Europe prospects and in a few weeks she will be making her second start of the season on the Ladies European Tour at the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational in Spain.
“It's good to be out here seeing them and just chatting to them and finding out what their thoughts and feelings are,” Matthew said on Wednesday at Lake Merced Golf Club.
The prestigious biennial contest between Europe and USA returns to Scotland for the first time since 2000, with the 2019 Solheim Cup being held at the world-famous PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles from Sept. 13-15. Including this week’s event in Daly City, there are 13 tournaments to go before Team Europe is announced on Aug. 12th in Gleneagles and 14 tournaments left before Team USA is announced.
“The team's shaping up really well,” Matthew said. “Some of the more established players are playing really well and then we've got quite a few rookies going for a few spots. I think it's going to be a strong team.”
2019 LPGA rookie Anne van Dam is currently leading the LET Solheim Cup points and is a lock to make her Solheim Cup debut in September. Matthew knows the team will likely have a wide breadth of experience levels of Solheim Cup experience, but she’s not worried.
“I think obviously you're going to have the more experienced ones, you know, your Anna (Nordqvist), Carlota (Ciganda), Aza (Munoz), who have played in a few before and perhaps help the younger ones and the ones who haven't played in as many,” said Matthew, who has an 18-11-8 record in her nine Solheim Cup playing appearances. “As much a leader, I don't know. The more established ones giving a little bit of help.”
When asked if Team Europe could beat a formidable Team USA and three-time Captain Juli Inkster, Matthew coyly smiled and said without a doubt, “Absolutely.”
Below is a glimpse of the current outlook for Team USA and Team Europe as of April 30, 2019.
Team USA: Player (how they are qualified)
- Nelly Korda (Solheim Cup Points)
- Danielle Kang (Solheim Cup Points)
- Lexi Thompson (Solheim Cup Points)
- Jessica Korda (Solheim Cup Points)
- Lizette Salas (Solheim Cup Points)
- Megan Khang (Solheim Cup Points)
- Marina Alex (Solheim Cup Points)
- Cristie Kerr (Solheim Cup Points)
- Austin Ernst (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Angela Stanford (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Captains Pick
- Captains Pick
Team Europe: Player (how they are qualified)
- Anne van Dam (Solheim Cup Points)
- Carlota Ciganda (Solheim Cup Points)
- Charley Hull (Solheim Cup Points)
- Georgia Hall (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Azahara Munoz (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Anna Nordqvist (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Caroline Masson (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff (Rolex Women’s World Rankings)
- Captains Pick
- Captains Pick
- Captains Pick
- Captains Pick
The cutoff to earn points for Team USA will be the 2019 CP Women’s Open, which will be held Aug. 22-25 at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. The 2019 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, to be held at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland from Aug. 8-11, will serve as the cutoff for players to earn Solheim Cup points for Team Europe and the full team, including the captain’s picks, will be announced on Monday, Aug. 12, in Scotland.
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