Hull vs. Korda Headlines Opening Solheim Cup Match
The highly anticipated 2024 Solheim Cup kicks off Friday morning at Virginia, with England’s Charley Hull set to face world number one Nelly Korda in the opening match. Play begins at 07:05 (12:05 BST) with four alternate-shot foursomes matches.
Hull, a seasoned Solheim Cup veteran, is paired with rookie Esther Henseleit of Germany, while Korda teams up with Allisen Corpuz, following their undefeated performance in last year’s foursomes. European captain Suzann Pettersen expressed confidence in her decision to send Hull out first. “It’s nice to get Charley going, she doesn’t like to sit around and wait,” she remarked.
On the American side, US captain Stacy Lewis also highlighted the strength behind Korda’s opening pairing. “I wanted to send experience out first, and there’s no better than the world number one,” Lewis said, referring to Korda and Corpuz’s formidable performance in last year’s event.
Europe aims to retain the trophy, needing 14 points to do so, while the US requires 14½ points to regain the title they last held in 2017. The United States swept the opening session 4-0 in 2023, but Europe fought back to secure a 14-14 draw.
In the second match, Europe’s highest-ranked player, Celine Boutier, teams up with Albane Valenzuela, one of the team’s two debutants. Meanwhile, America’s rookie duo Lauren Coughlin and Rose Zhang will face them in their first Solheim Cup appearance.
Among the notable players sitting out this session is Leona Maguire, who has played every match in her previous Solheim Cup appearances. Pettersen acknowledged it was a tough decision to bench her. Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang, who won both their foursomes matches last year, will also miss the opening session, with Lewis explaining, “Not everybody is going to play this session.”
As the competition heats up, both teams look poised for a thrilling battle to claim the prestigious trophy.
