MADRID, 29 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Norwegian Suzann Pettersen has been named captain of the European team of the 2023 Solheim Cup in the official ceremony of handing over the baton to Finca Cortesín in Casares (Málaga), where the confrontation between the European and American women’s golf teams of 18 will take place. as of September 24, 2023.
At this event, Alexandra Armas, executive director of the Ladies European Tour, and Liz Moore, president of the Ladies European Tour Joint Venture and representative of the LPGA and US Solheim Cup, gave the cup to the main supporters of the Spanish edition of this competition, Vicente Rubio, general director of Finca Cortesín, Manuel Muñoz, general secretary for Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía, and Francisco Salado, president of the Malaga Provincial Council.
Pettersen, winner of two majors, is an icon of the Solheim Cup, having represented Europe nine times as a player and twice as vice-captain. In the ranks of the European team he has participated in five triumphs, including the last two victories in Gleneagles, Scotland, and the Inverness Club of Ohio.
At the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, after 18 months on maternity leave, she was chosen by Catriona Matthew and the defining moment of the competition came when Pettersen faced a birdie of just over six feet on Sunday’s final hole. With all the pressure, she holed it up to return the trophy to Europe for the first time since 2013. The 14.5-13.5 victory equaled the narrowest margin in Solheim Cup history, and the Norwegian player announced shortly after that he retired from the competition saying that “it was impossible to improve it.”
In September this year, after the birth of her second child, Pettersen returned to serve as vice captain under Matthew in Europe’s 15-13 victory over the United States, the second away from home. Her first experience in that role was at the 2017 Solheim Cup held at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa, assisting Annika Sorenstam. Pettersen was scheduled to play at the time, but an injury caused him to swap roles with Matthew before the competition started.
As a player, Pettersen made her Solheim Cup debut at Minnesota’s Interlachen Golf and Country Club in 2002, in her rookie year on the Ladies European Tour. He subsequently played the next seven editions, collaborating on the European victories of 2003, 2011 and 2013, before playing a starring role in 2019 by making the winning putt, which he considers the best of his entire career.
The player, who reached number two in the Rolex Ranking – women’s world rankings – has accumulated 21 professional titles on the LET and the LPGA Tour, including the 2007 McDonald’s LPGA Championship and the 2013 Evian Championship, two big, but Her fondest memories have been forged by playing with passion and pride with her friends from the Solheim Cup.
“I am excited to be named captain of the Solheim Cup. It is the greatest honor of my career. My best golfing memories are from the Solheim Cup. You are with your teammates, with your friends, and you have one goal. You fight for your teammates. and you share unforgettable moments, “said Pettersen.
“Each captain is different and offers unique qualities. I am looking forward to contributing my experience and working hard over the next 22 months to defend the cup on Spanish territory,” added the Norwegian player.
After the delivery of the baton and after the appointment of the captain, the representatives in the act of the Junta de Andalucía and Turismo Costa del Sol highlighted the importance of the competition to bring the image of this community and this region to the whole world .
“Today is a historic day for Andalusia, for the community and for the national golf industry. We are one step closer to the Solheim Cup, a milestone that, as we saw in the 1997 Ryder Cup, will mark a before and a later for golf in Andalusia and Spain “, said Manuel Muñoz, Secretary General for Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía.
For his part, the president of the Malaga Provincial Council and Costa del Sol Tourism, Francisco Salado, declared: “At last we can say that the dream of the Solheim Cup has been fulfilled. Although we could not be in Ohio due to restrictions on the road, today we are here, with our new captain, on the field where the Solheim Cup 2023 will be played. The dream of hosting the Solheim Cup on the Costa del Sol is getting closer and closer and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to celebrate it with us in two years, “said Francisco Salado.