England's Georgia Hall has been named one of four captains under coach Susan Pettersen to compete in the Solheim Cup for the fifth consecutive year. The 28-year-old Hall will captain Norway alongside compatriot Charlie Hull, who narrowly missed out on an automatic place.
Pettersen also named Sweden's Anna Nordqvist and Denmark's Emily Christine Pedersen, both of whom returned from last year's tournament in Andalusia, with the former again named vice-captain.
Switzerland's Albane Valenzuela has been selected as one of two rookies to represent Europe, along with Germany's Estelle Henseleit, who qualified automatically, in the tournament that begins on September 13 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.
Hall, an automatic selection for his last four appearances, told Sky Sports: “I'm really looking forward to it. It's always a great honour to represent Europe and be part of the team and hopefully I can win it for the fourth time in a row. Of course it's a different experience being selected for the first time but I feel good and I've had some good results over the last few months so hopefully it'll be another great week and we can bring the trophy home.”
If Europe defends its title, it will become the first team in the history of the competition to win four consecutive titles. Europe won in 2019 and 2021 and won last year after drawing with Spain.
The European team poses with the Solheim Cup after their victory at Finca Cortesin in southern Spain last September. Photo: Bernat Almangue/AP
Speaking on Sky, Pettersen said of Hall: “Maybe not the biggest surprise, but she was always going to be on this team. She's a really tough match player. It's just natural to her.”
“She loves it here. Solheim was one of the highlights of her career and she's itching to get there in a few weeks.”
“There is no greater honour than representing Europe at the Solheim Cup so I'm incredibly excited to have been selected for my ninth time,” Nordqvist said, becoming the Swede's all-time cap at the tournament with nine appearances.
It will be Pedersen's fourth appearance, while 26-year-old Valenzuela will be the first Swiss athlete to represent Europe at the tournament. “It feels totally surreal, like a dream come true. I've dreamed of making the team since I was a kid,” she said.
Making her seventh appearance, Hull finished in the top 20 at the AIG Women's Open to move into the lead on the Women's European Tour Solheim Cup points list.
Henseleitn secures second place in the standings while Celine Boutier, Maya Stark, Lynn Grant, Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda and Madeleine Sagström all return to the squad as automatic selections.