TOLEDO, Ohio – Catriona Matthew made history as the first European captain to win the Solheim Cup twice. Will she be back for a third time in 2023?
“Nope,” she said after Monday’s 15-13 victory at Inverness. “It’s over to someone else now. We have so many good past players, and I think everyone deserves their chance to be captain.
“I think to be part of the Solheim, I was lucky enough to play in nine and I’ve captained two, and I’ve had a fantastic time. It’s the best week I’ve had every two years, and to have been involved with it now for over 20 years, I’m sure I’ll be there watching, but it’s someone else’s turn. I wonder who that could be.”
Suzann Pettersen certainly seems like the obviously choice. Laura Davies has long stated that she has no interest, unless it goes to England. (Incredible that it’s never been held in England.)
Pettersen served as a vice captain this year and is happily retired from golf after sinking the winning putt in 2019 at Gleneagles.
Suzann Pettersen of Europe celebrates after holing a putt on the 18th green to win the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in 2019. Photo by Peter Morrison/Associated Press
The 2023 Solheim Cup heads to Spain for the first time from Sept. 22-24, one week ahead of the Ryder Cup’s debut in Rome.
After that, the Solheim will move back to even years starting in 2024 to avoid a clash with the Ryder Cup. The dates and venue for the ’24 Cup have yet to be decided.
Golf Channel analyst and major winner Karen Stupples seems like another good choice for the short list of future European captains. She worked as a helper this year for Matthew.
On the U.S. side
As for the Americans, a number of options could be on the table. The next three obvious players in line are Angela Stanford and Stacy Lewis, both assistant captains to Pat Hurst in 2021, as well as Cristie Kerr.
Cristie Kerr holds the Solheim Cup trophy at the closing ceremony at St Leon-Rot Golf Club on September 20, 2015, in Germany. Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Of course, it’s easy to imagine all three of them hoping to make the U.S. team in 2023, too.
Then there’s Michelle Wie West, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel, who are all a good deal younger. Their time would likely come down the road. Pressel worked in the booth this week for Golf Channel and Wie West was an assistant captain for Hurst. Creamer is pregnant with her first child.
Europe has now won four of the last six contests and continues to chip away at the United States’ overall lead in the series, now trailing 10-7.