The 2024 Solheim Cup has just concluded, and this week the LPGA is back in action.
There will be eleven competitors for the P&G-sponsored Kroger Queen City Championship in Maineville, Ohio, which is located just outside of Cincinnati.
Three of those players—Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang, and Nancy Korda—are on the winning American squad five days after raising the trophy.
“Gosh, that was such a wonderful and hectic week,” Korda said. All in all, it was a great day hanging out with the girls, our caddies, Stacy, the helpers, and the employees. I had a terrific week with the girls, but it was also my fourth Solheim Cup, and obviously winning at the end of the week was more fulfilling.
But now she’ll be playing on the LPGA, facing off against her fellow Americans.
The whole media room laughed when she said, “Just hate all the gals again.” The athlete stated, “I get a little additional energy boost from competing here and doing what I love.”
The eight Europeans in the field are Linn Grant, Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Madelene Sagstrom, Anna Nordqvist, and Albane Valenzuela.
The third holding of this event is the first time the Arnold Palmer-designed TPC River’s Bend will serve as the host course, following two years at Kenwood Country Club. Only three LPGA events have taken place at TPC locations. TPC Boston hosted the inaugural FM Championship just last month. The 2023 Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown was held at TPC Harding Park.
Minjee Lee is the current champion for this week. She had defeated Charley Hull on the second playoff hole a year prior.
The four sponsors excluded from the competition are Amari Avery, Gianna Clemente, Gabrielle Woods (a Findlay player who won the Div. II individual NCAA title last season), and Yana Wilson (a former No. 1 player in the Rolex AJGA Rankings).
There are nine events remaining on the LPGA schedule for 2024, beginning with the Kroger.
Thompson wants to win the Solheim Cup to cap off his career.
As the most well-liked American player by the fans, a leader on the team, and a vital supporter of captain Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson heads into what appears to be her final Solheim Cup.
At least in the eyes of American fans, teammates, and captain Stacy Lewis, Thompson is going out on top if this is actually her final tournament. The Solheim Cup gets underway at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on Friday.
Lewis’s decision to choose Thompson to compete in her sixth straight Solheim Cup was always certain.
The 29-year-old brings power, skill in the difficult alternate-shot style, and—rarely on this US team—memories of lifting the trophy in the biannual team tournament against Europe, despite the fact that she hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour in five years.
The only players on the American team with Solheim Cup victories are Thompson and Alison Lee; the US last won one in Iowa in 2017. Europe won in Scotland in 2019 and Ohio in 2021. They then won the cup again in Spain after a 14-14 draw the previous year.
In order to return to even-numbered years and avoid the Ryder Cup, Lewis and European captain Suzann Pettersen reenact the tournament a year later.
Since its inception in 1990, no team has won the Solheim Cup four times in a row. Furthermore, no team has triumphed on foreign grounds twice in a succession.
With Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, the two best players in the world, with an average global ranking of 26.75 compared to Europe’s 40.5, the US is statistically favoured. Despite the fact that Europe’s largest winning margin over the previous three tournaments was just two points, players like Carlota Ciganda (4-0 last year) and Leona Maguire (7-2-1 in the last two) have made significant contributions.
Lewis adopted the phrase “Unfinished Business” as her team’s motto this season, and Pettersen has also modified her strategy as neither team was entirely content with the outcome in Spain. In the alternative shot, which is normally a strength for Europe, the US started out strongly but was unable to hold that lead.
During Friday morning’s first session, Lewis changed things up by pairing off her foursomes. She declared that she would bench Thompson, who is 5-2-1 in alternate shot and 9-7-7 overall in six Solheim Cups, and send out rookies Lauren Coughlin (with Rose Zhang) and Sarah Schmelzel (with Vu).
Allisen Corpuz and Korda were selected for the opening match, while Charley Hull and rookie Esther Henseleit represented Europe.
There will be four better-ball matches on Friday afternoon, twelve singles matches on Sunday, and further alternate-shot and better-ball matches on Saturday. The US needs 14 1/2 points to win the cup, while Europe needs 14 points to keep it.
Thompson won 11 LPGA titles and one major, although her career may be more recognised for her near-misses in majors.
“I’m simply going to take things day by day, give myself some space, and then see how I feel,” Thompson declared.
Thompson performs at her best in a team environment where individual strokes don’t determine success and she can help others succeed.
“I believe it is the Solheim Cup and her legacy. This event really captures Lexi in the way she interacts with the audience and her followers. Here, she plays golf better,” Lewis remarked.
“I wish I had 12 of them because she will stop at nothing to win.