The 2023 Solheim Cup may be over a year away, but there is big news in the world of women’s golf. Suzann Pettersen has been named Europe’s captain, as reported by LPGA. Captains are usually announced with plenty of time to spare to give them the best chance of assembling a winning team.
Delighted to be Solheim Cup Captain for 2023 at Finca Cortesin in Spain! #VamosGirls@SolheimCupEuro @SolheimCupusa @solheimcup2023esp @letgolf @lpga_tour @visitcostadel @rolex @PINGgolfeurope @fincacortesin @deportebusiness pic.twitter.com/wt00taSmbm
— Suzann Pettersen (@suzannpettersen) November 29, 2021
Pettersen has a lot on her plate, and not just because the Solheim Cup is the main draw in the golfing calendar. There’s a lot of pressure on her shoulders for several reasons, and she must deal with them if her name is to go down in the history books.
As captains go, Catriona Matthew is one of the most influential of all time as she broke records during her stint as the boss. Aside from claiming one Solheim Cup, something every golf-lover dreams of, she added a second one in 2021. More impressively, she did it back-to-back after leading Europe to glory in 2019.
Although this shows Europe’s current dominance and squad depth, it also means Pettersen will be expected to continue the trend in around 18 months. Indeed, the bookmakers already rank Europe as the favorites. If you visit Space Casino to check out the odds, for instance, you’ll find Europe is quoted at –95. The work Matthew did is the foundation of these current odds, which means Pettersen will need to put up with the expectations while putting her stamp on the group. Otherwise, the ladies won’t have any leadership to guide them through the pressure-cooker environment.
There’s no doubting Pettersen’s resume, especially if you look at the last time that she competed in the Solheim Cup. Needing to sink her putt to win, the Norwegian holed a birdie to defeat Marina Alex and win the trophy. It was a high point in her career, yet it was interspersed with periods away from the game.
For example, she was controversially picked by Matthew as she hadn’t played for two years previously. After retiring in 2019, Pettersen hasn’t been around golf much in a professional capacity, meaning there may be a few gaps in her strategy. Let’s face it – sport evolves rapidly. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Considering Europe’s previous campaigns, this may partly explain why the USA’s odds are relatively close to Europe’s after being beaten twice. The US is –98 at this stage. Pettersen and the European fans will be hoping this isn’t the case come August 2023.
Nothing’s been confirmed yet, not even the captain, but we all know that the US side will be very powerful in every aspect of the competition. Firstly, the potential candidates for the captain role are eclectic. Angela Stanford and Stacy Lewis have experience after acting as assistant captains to Pat Hurst, whereas Michelle Wie West will bring a dynamic approach to the job.
Players-wise, the American women regularly compete for the top prizes, including the Olympics. In Japan, Nelly Korda won gold and ensured that everyone knows she is the premier female golfer in the world right now. Anything can happen in sport, but her ability won’t change much before 2023. If anything, she could improve.
Pettersen’s players will need to gel as a team to beat a US team that is bound to be a collection of superstars. One thing’s for sure – there won’t be any freebies when they face-off at the 2023 Solheim Cup.
Suzann Pettersen is a talented, experienced golfer. Still, there’s no getting away from the fact that there’s a huge task awaiting her in Andalucía, Spain.
