Hull and Woad to Face Korda in Opening Match as Europe Chase Solheim Cup
Anna Nordqvist has sent England's leading pair out first against the American holders at Bernardus Golf, with Leona Maguire also in Friday's morning line-up.
Charley Hull and Lottie Woad will lead Europe into the Solheim Cup on Friday morning, facing Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz in the opening foursomes match at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Europe captain Anna Nordqvist confirmed her first-session pairings on Thursday, with Ireland's Leona Maguire also selected for the morning. The United States, captained by Angela Stanford, arrive as holders and need 14 points to keep the trophy; Europe must reach 14½ to win it back.
The opening session
The four foursomes matches, in which partners take alternate shots with one ball, are:
- Charley Hull and Lottie Woad v Allisen Corpuz and Nelly Korda
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Céline Boutier v Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin
- Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit v Andrea Lee and Lindy Duncan
- Linn Grant and Maja Stark v Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho
Sending two English players out first is a statement of intent. Hull is one of the most experienced players in the European side, having made her Solheim Cup debut as a teenager in 2013, while Woad is a rookie but arrives as the highest-ranked player in Nordqvist's team.
British and Irish interest
Four players from Britain and Ireland are in the European 12. Hull and Woad qualified automatically, while Maguire and the English rookie Mimi Rhodes were among Nordqvist's four captain's picks. Rhodes is not in the opening session, but every player will take part in Sunday's singles.
England's Mel Reid is one of three European vice-captains, alongside Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and the Netherlands' Anne van Dam.
The teams
- Europe: Charley Hull, Esther Henseleit, Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Céline Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant, Nanna Koerstz Madsen (qualifiers); Leona Maguire, Julia López Ramírez, Nastasia Nadaud, Mimi Rhodes (captain's picks).
- United States: Nelly Korda, Angel Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh, Auston Kim, Lauren Coughlin, Allisen Corpuz, Andrea Lee, Alison Lee (qualifiers); Lindy Duncan, Rose Zhang, Megan Khang (captain's picks).
Europe's side includes four rookies: Woad, Rhodes, López Ramírez and Nadaud.
Europe out to end the American hold
The United States won the last match, in Virginia in 2024, by 15½ points to 12½. That result ended a strong spell for Europe, who won in 2019 and 2021 and kept the trophy with a 14-14 tie in 2023. The event has since moved to even-numbered years so that it no longer clashes with the Ryder Cup.
Both captains are leading their sides for the first time. Nordqvist, the Swedish former major champion, was a mainstay of European teams as a player, while Stanford is a former US Solheim Cup player now charged with retaining the trophy away from home.
Bernardus Golf, in Cromvoirt in North Brabant, was designed by Kyle Phillips and opened in 2018. It hosted the men's Dutch Open from 2021 to 2023.
What happens next
Friday and Saturday each feature four foursomes in the morning and four fourballs in the afternoon, before 12 singles matches decide the destination of the trophy on Sunday 13 September.
With 28 points available, Europe cannot settle for a tie: a 14-14 finish would leave the cup in American hands. For British and Irish fans, the early focus will be on whether Hull and Woad can deliver a first point against the most recognisable name in the American team.
Image: Wojciech Migda (Wmigda) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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