U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Stacy Lewis Announces Three Final Picks for 2023 Team
U.S. Solheim Cup team captain Stacy Lewis announced her three captains picks on Monday to round out the 2023 squad: Ally Ewing, Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin.
Ewing and Yin have Solheim Cup experience, while Knight is a rookie.
The 12-player team is now complete ahead of competition starting on Sept. 22–24 at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain.
Lewis admitted she had these picks finalized for a few weeks, based on the players' recent performances and their statistics.
In picking Ewing, Lewis said she's excited to have a player who was part of the last two teams.
“Definitely wanted a veteran voice and someone that has been there, she’s played overseas as well,” Lewis said. “Just a very solid player.”
Lewis had similar thoughts about Yin, who is excited to be back on the team after missing the 2021 Solheim Cup.
“I feel like I’m playing really well, I’m excited to play on the team again,” Yin said.
Knight, on the other hand, has never competed in a Solheim Cup, so Monday's news was a dream fulfilled.
“It’s been a goal of mine as long as I can remember just growing up watching the Solheim Cup,” Knight said. “I’m just so excited to represent my country. I’ve never gotten the chance to represent my country in my career, in junior and amateur levels. It’s the highest honor and I’m really excited.”
Nine players already qualified ahead of Monday's announcement: Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Danielle Kang, Andrea Lee, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang.
The first seven players named were selected based on Solheim Cup points earned during the ranking events in the qualifying period. The final two players—Thompson and Zhang—earned spots based on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
There’s a good mix of veterans and rookies on the team, although Zhang is the only actual LPGA rookie. Lewis isn’t worried about the team’s chemistry, though.
“They’re rookies, but they’re so experienced just as far as the amount of golf that they’ve been able to play,” Lewis said. “Not worried about the rookies at all, to be honest. ... We’re going to rely on them [the veterans] quite a bit, just for kind of behind-the-scenes and leading the way there. They’ve won a couple of these things.”
Lewis said she hasn’t yet finalized team pairings and the sessions in which each player will compete.
The U.S. has lost the past two Solheim Cups and will enter the 2023 competition looking for their first win over Team Europe since 2017.