Charley Hull & Nelly Korda Lead Opening Clash

Charley Hull and Nelly Korda will face off in the opening match of the 2023 Solheim Cup, starting on Friday at 07:05 (12:05 BST) in Virginia. Hull a seasoned English player, partners with German rookie Esther Henseleit while Korda the world number one, teams up again with Allisen Corpuz. The US duo dominated both their foursomes matches in last year’s contest.

Europe’s captain, Suzann Pettersen, expressed excitement about putting Charley Hull on the course early while US captain Stacy Lewis emphasized Korda’s experience and the duo’s past success. Europe needs 14 points to retain the trophy while the US must earn 14½ points to reclaim it, after last winning in 2017. Europe’s other debutant, Albane Valenzuela pairs with Celine Boutier, the team’s highest-ranked player at 10th in the world.

They will take on US rookies Lauren Coughlin and Rose Zhang. In another key match, Sweden’s Linn Grant and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda will battle against Sarah Schmelzel and world number two Lilia Vu. Ireland’s Leona Maguire, despite her impressive record will sit out the opening session. Pettersen called it a tough decision but said she based it on instinct.

Meanwhile, Lewis defended her choice to rest Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang, who won both their foursomes matches last year, noting that not everyone would play all five matches. The 2023 Solheim Cup takes place at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia, featuring a mix of foursomes, fourballs and singles matches over three days with 28 points up for grabs.

Europe aims to secure a record fourth consecutive victory while the US seeks to end their drought.