TOLEDO, Ohio — The Solheim Cup rosters are finalized and Team USA boasts eight of the top 30 players in the world.
Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Ally Ewing, Austin Ernst, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Megan Khang, Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho qualified automatically, and captain Pat Hurst selected Yealimi Noh, Mina Harigae and Brittany Altomare to round out the team.
For Team Europe, the automatic qualifiers were Emily Pedersen, Georgia Hall, Carlota Ciganda, Charley Hull, Anna Nordqvist and Sophia Popov. Captain Catriona Matthew chose Celine Boutier, Matilda Castren, Nanna Koerstz-Madsen, Leona Maguire, Mel Reid and Madelene Sagstrom as captain's picks.
The qualifying process for each team is explained here. The Solheim Cup begins Sept. 4 at Inverness Club in Toledo.
UNITED STATES
Nelly Korda
Age: 23
World ranking: 1
Bio:
- Born in Bradenton, Florida.
- Younger sister of LPGA player and Solheim Cup teammate Jessica Korda.
- Captured the first major of her career this year by winning the Women's PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.
- Won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Solheim Cup record: 3-0-1
Twitter: @NellyKorda
Danielle Kang
Age: 28
World ranking: 7
Bio:
- Born in San Francisco, California, and played two years of college golf at Pepperdine University.
- Winner of the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur, and 2017 Women's PGA Championship.
- Won both LPGA events in northwest Ohio in 2020 (Drive On Championship and Marathon Classic).
- Earned the 2020 Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the LPGA tour.
Solheim Cup record: 4-4-0
Twitter: @daniellekang
Ally Ewing
Age: 28
World ranking: 22
Bio:
- Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and played at Mississippi State University.
- Replaced an injured Stacy Lewis on the 2019 Solheim Cup team.
- Won her first LPGA tournament at the 2020 Drive On Championship - Reynolds Lake Oconee.
Solheim Cup record: 1-3-0
Twitter: @allymc10
Austin Ernst
Age: 29
World ranking: 27
Bio:
- Born in Greenville, South Carolina, and played two years at Louisiana State University.
- Won the 2011 NCAA Division I championship.
- Won the LPGA Drive On Championship in March.
Solheim Cup record: 2-2-0
Twitter: @AustinErnst92
Lexi Thompson
Age: 26
World ranking: 12
Bio:
- Born in Coral Springs, Florida.
- Turned professional in 2010 at age 15 and won her first LPGA tournament at age 16.
- Won her first major at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship.
- Brothers Curtis and Nicholas Thompson are also professional golfers.
Solheim Cup record: 5-4-6
Twitter: @Lexi
Jessica Korda
Age: 28
World ranking: 17
Bio:
- Born in Bradenton, Florida.
- Older sister of LPGA player and Solheim Sup teammate Nelly Korda.
- Finished runner-up at the 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur.
- Winner of six LPGA tournaments, including the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January.
Solheim Cup record: 4-2-2
Twitter: @Thejessicakorda
Megan Khang
Age: 23
World ranking: 36
Bio:
- Born in Brockton, Massachusetts.
- Parents were Vietnam War refugees from Laos and came to the United States in the 1970s
- Qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women's Open at age 14.
- Won three events as an amateur.
- Qualified for the 2019 Solheim Cup team.
Solheim Cup record: 0-2-1
Twitter: @megan_khang1023
Lizette Salas
Age: 32
World ranking: 14
Bio:
- Born in Azusa, California, and played college golf at the University of Southern California
- Won 2009 and 2010 Pac 12 player of the year
- Won the 2014 Kingsmill Championship
Solheim Cup record: 6-6-2
Twitter: @LizetteSalas5
Jennifer Kupcho
Age: 24
World ranking: 28
Bio:
- Born in Littleton, Colorado, and played college golf at Wake Forest University
- Won the 2018 NCAA Division I national championship and the 2019 Augusta National Women's Amateur
- Won the 2020 Colorado Women's Open in her second year as a pro
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @jenniferkupcho
Yealimi Noh
Age: 20
World ranking: 31
Bio:
- Born in San Francisco, California
- Won the 2018 Girl's Junior PGA Championship, 2018 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship and 2019 Canadian Women's Amateur Championship in consecutive weeks
- Made 15 of 16 cuts in 2020, her rookie year on the LPGA Tour
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @YealimiNoh
Mina Harigae
Age: 31
World ranking: 61
Bio:
- Born in Monterey, California, and played college golf at Duke University
- Has three wins on the LPGA Futures Tour and four on the Cactus Tour
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @minaharigae
Brittany Altomare
Age: 30
World ranking: 54
Bio:
- Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and played college golf at the University of Virginia
- Won the 2016 Guardian Retirement Championship on the Symetra Tour
- Finished runner-up at the 2017 Evian Championship
Solheim Cup record: 2-1-1
Twitter: @Brittalto
EUROPE
Emily Pedersen
Age: 25
World ranking: 68
Bio:
- Born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Won the 2013 International European Ladies Amateur and 2014 British Ladies Amateur
- Earned the Ladies European Tour rookie of the year award in 2015
- Won four LET events in 2020
Solheim Cup record: 0-3-0
Twitter: @emilypedersen96
Georgia Hall
Age: 25
World ranking: 29
Bio:
- Born in Bournemouth, England
- Won the 2013 British Ladies Amateur Championship
- Finished first in the LET Order of Merit in 2017
- Earned her LPGA Tour card in 2018
- Won her first major at the 2018 Women's British Open with her father, Wayne, acting as her caddie
Solheim Cup record: 6-3-0
Twitter: @georgiahall96
Carlota Ciganda
Age: 31
World ranking: 41
Bio:
- Born in Pamplona, Spain, and played college golf at Arizona State University
- Amateur wins include the 2005 and 2006 Spanish International Ladies Amateur Championship and 2007 British Ladies Amateur
- Winner of seven professional tournaments, including two events on the LPGA Tour in 2016
- Won the Order of Merit in 2012, her first year on the LET
Solheim Cup record: 6-6-4
Twitter: @carlotagolf
Charley Hull
Age: 25
World ranking: 39
Bio:
- Born in Kettering, England
- Made her professional debut in 2013 and won LET Rookie of the Year
- Became the youngest person to compete at the Solheim Cup in 2013 at age 17
- Winner of two LET events and one LGPA Tour event
Solheim Cup record: 9-3-3
Twitter: @HullCharley
Anna Nordqvist
Age: 34
World ranking: 16
Bio:
- Born in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and played college golf at Arizona State University
- Won her first professional tournament in her fifth career start at the 2009 LPGA Championship of Maryland
- Scored the lowest stroke average on the LET in 2017
- Winner of three majors (2009 Women's PGA Championship, 2017 Evian Championship, 2021 Women's British Open)
Solheim Cup record: 12-9-2
Twitter: @ANordqvist
Sophia Popov
Age: 28
World ranking: 30
Bio:
- Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and played college golf at the University of Southern California.
- Moved to Germany with her family when she was 4 years old
- Has four wins as a pro, including one major at the 2020 Women's British Open
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @SophiaCPopov
Celine Boutier
Age: 27
World ranking: 65
Bio:
- Born in Clamart, France, and played college golf at Duke University
- Was the top-ranked amateur in 2013 and 2014, and won the 2015 British Ladies Amateur
- Finished 10th on the LET Order of Merit in 2018
- Winner of six professional tournaments
Solheim Cup record: 4-0-0
Twitter: @celineboutier
Matilda Castren
Age: 26
World ranking: 47
Bio:
- Born in New York City before moving to Finland with her family
- Played college golf at Florida State University and won a school-record seven events
- Debuted on the LPGA Tour this year and Won the LPGA Mediheal Championship in June
- First player from Finland to win an LPGA event
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @CastrenMatilda
Nanna Koerstz Madsen
Age: 26
World ranking: 48
Bio:
- Born in Smorum, Denmark, and played college golf at the University of South Carolina
- Finished sixth in the 2016 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit
- Won three events in 2017 on the Symetra Tour and earned a promotion to the LPGA Tour
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @KoerstzMadsen
Leona Maguire
Age: 26
World ranking: 43
Bio:
- Born in County Cavan, Ireland, and played college golf at Duke University
- Spent a record 135 weeks ranked No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings
- Won two events on the Symetra Tour in 2019
- Shot a 61 in the final round of the 2021 Evian Championship - the lowest final round score ever recorded in a men's or women's major
- Twin sister of professional golfer Lisa Maguire
Solheim Cup record: 0-0-0
Twitter: @leona_maguire
Mel Reid
Age: 33
World ranking: 53
Bio:
- Born in Derby, England
- Won LET Rookie of the Year honors in 2008
- Won six events on the LET before earning her first LPGA Tour victory in 2020 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic
Solheim Cup record: 4-6-2
Twitter: @melreidgolf
Madelene Sagstrom
Age: 28
World ranking: 46
Bio:
- Born in Uppsala, Sweden, and played college golf at Louisiana State University
- 2015 SEC Player of the Year
- Joined the Symetra Tour in 2016 and won three events, and was named Player and Rookie of the Year
- Won her first LPGA Tour event at the 2020 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
Solheim Cup record: 1-2-0
Twitter: @msagstrom