Women’s golf doesn’t stop. Just four days ago, Lydia Ko was crowned Olympic champion. This Thursday, without pause or rest, the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open kicks off at Dundonald Golf Links. One of the major events on the regular calendar as it is a co-sanctioned tournament between the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour.
This tournament serves, among other purposes, as preparation for the Women’s Open which takes place in just a week at the Old Course in Saint Andrews. It is also the penultimate event that gives access points for the Solheim Cup which takes place next month in United States. The purse of one million dollars is another of the great additions. There will be no shortage of incentives.
As said, after this test only the Open will remain before the closure. Scotland will pass judgement. The European Solheim team has a clear and very similar structure to last year, as we have been reporting in recent weeks. Two players qualify through the LET ranking, six through the world ranking and four players will be chosen by Suzann Pettersen.
On the European list at this moment are Charley Hull and Linn Grant and on the world ranking appear Celine Boutier, Maja Stark, Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda, Madelene Sagstrom and Georgia Hall. All were present in the victory at Finca Cortesín.
The first one left out on both lists is none other than Esther Henseleit. The German, Olympic silver just a few days ago, seems to be one of the fixtures in the team even if she did not qualify on her own merits. It’s just a gesture, but today the captain has taken a picture with the German player and the Solheim’s own networks have echoed it. Clear as water.
Anyway, Esther could surpass Linn Grant on the LET points list as she is only five points behind the Swede. Regardless of her performance on Saturday at Le Golf National, it seems to secure one of those spots chosen by the captain. We will see how she withstands the pressure now that she knows she is in all the pools of favourites.
On the other hand, there are few doubts that Anna Nordquist will be another of Pettersen’s choices. It’s not her best year, but she is a fixture and a value on the team.
Time and the cake are narrowing down. Two free spots and many players who will want to sign a good performance. Albane Valenzuela and Alexandra Forsterling are next by world ranking, but who knows if Suzann will prefer to keep the block and choose two of the three players who played last year and who, for now, are not classified: Gemma Dryburgh, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Caroline Hedwall. Only the captain knows her strategy and whether she will want to move the board or stick to the formula that worked for her a year ago.
As for the Spaniards, Ana Peláez is eighth in this European Solheim ranking with 103 points and needs a second place in Scotland, depending on other results, to surpass Grant who currently has 139 points. The Andalusian will need to be very sharp both weeks to get into the fight. In an even more complex situation are María Hernández and Marta Martín. Azahara Muñoz, who also plays this week, will need to shine as she did in the last three rounds of the Games.
It should be remembered that on the American team at this time are classified: Nelly Korda, Lillia Vu, Ally Ewing, Lauren Coughlin, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Kang and Andrea Lee by the Solheim points list and Rose Zhang and Allison Lee by world ranking. In the case of Stacey Lewis she has three choices. Being the year of her retirement and her performance, everything points to Lexi Thompson playing in Virginia, but you never know. There would be two other names to choose from.
Returning to the Scottish Open and added to the five Spaniards mentioned above, we must add another six who will be part of the game at Dundonald Golf: Teresa Toscano, Fátima Hernández, Carmen Alonso, Nuria Iturrioz, Harang Lee, Marta Sanz, Luna Sobrón and Mireia Prat. A real regiment with thirteen banners.
As for the field, the absence of Nelly Korda stands out this week, but there are many important names who will be part of the game and will fight for the trophy from this Thursday: Rose Zhang, the aforementioned Lydia Ko, Lilia Vu, the Evian champion, Ayake Furue and Brooke Henderson are just some of the golfers.
