[Photo: David Cannon]
Leona Maguire, a 31-year-old veteran of three Solheim Cups, along with Julia Lopez Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud and former Women’s NSW Open champion Mimi Rhodes were the four captain’s picks made by Anna Nordqvist on Monday morning as she rounded out the 12-player European squad she’ll be leading in the Netherlands in September.
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Maguire [above], the first player from Ireland to win an LPGA event back in 2022, was the lone pick who has Solheim Cup experience as Lopez Ramirez of Spain, Nadaud of France and Rhodes of England will all be making their debuts. Maguire has an impressive 8-3-1 record in Solheim Cup matches.
“I’m really excited to be part of Team Europe again in September, and I’m happy that Anna has picked me to be on the team,” said Maguire. “I love the Solheim Cup, it brings the best out of my game and I love being part of the team. I can’t wait to represent Europe for the fourth time and to be back on European soil.”
The event is set for September 11-13 at Bernardus Golf Club in Cromvoirt, Netherlands, with the home Europeans trying to win back the cup after an American triumph at Robert Trent Jones in Virginia in 2024.
“I couldn’t be more proud and excited, ultimately knowing these are the players and I’m excited to finalise the team,” Nordqvist said. “It’s a good mixture of experience and four rookies. The rookies aren’t really playing like rookies. They’ll bring a great attitude and positivity.”
The captain’s picks join Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit, who qualified through LET Solheim Cup Points. The other automatic qualifiers who earned their spots after last week’s AIG Women’s Open are Lottie Woad, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen.
Henseleit bumped Chiara Tamburlini from the LET Solheim Cup points spot after a thrilling finish in Sunday’s AIG Women’s Open. Henseleit forced a playoff in the last major of the 2026 season by making a 40-foot putt on the final hole, only to fall to Shiho Kuwaki on the second extra hole
After being bumped, Tamburlini also was passed over by Nordqvist, who explained her decision.
“She missed cut this week. We texted Friday and Saturday. She had a really great last year, but hasn’t played as well this year,” Nordqvist said. “I felt Mimi showed a little better form. Chiara is a great player, a feisty player and has a great putter.”
Julia Lopez Ramirez [Photo: Tom Dulat]
Nastasia Nadaud [Photo: Kate McShane]
Mimi Rhodes [Photo: Kate McShane]
Lopez Ramirez of Spain, who has one top-10 this year on the LPGA Tour and made 12 of 16 cuts, will be counted on for her length off the tee (she’s second on the LPGA in driving distance with a 288.55-yard average) and personality.
“I’m super-impressed and can’t wait for the girls to get to know her positive, outgoing, bubbly personality,” Nordqvist said. “At the team practice two weeks ago, she was so much fun to be around. Everyone is going to be impressed with her golf game and I can’t wait to see her hit drives out there because they’re going to be pretty far.”
Rhodes has two top-10s and made just eight of 16 cuts on the LPGA Tour this year. She played the weekend on just one of the five majors. But that was the AIG Women’s Open, where she finished tied for 36th. She was driving in the car when she got the call from Nordqvist with the news on Sunday. She has plenty of good memories of watching the Solheim Cup, and now she’ll be playing in it.
“I’ve watched a lot of it with my grandparents, especially the Cup at Gleneagles [in 2019],” said Rhodes, the Englishwoman who grew up in Spain. “I had a moment in my head that, I want to be there. I watched Suzann [Pettersen] hole that [birdie] putt on the last to win. I get goosebumps thinking about that.”
The 21-year-old Nadaud finished third on the LET Order of Merit last year (winning the Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open in Spain) and got her LPGA card through the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying. On Sunday, she signed her card at Royal Lytham & St Annes for a T-44 finish, then saw Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall waiting. She wasn’t sure how that conversation would go, but it was a happy one.
“She’s been a player that has grown on me,” Nordqvist said. “I didn’t know her well. I played a practice round with her at the Scottish Open a couple of weeks ago. Caroline knows her well and had her eyes on her all along. She’s played well in majors. She’s an aggressive player. She makes a ton of birdies. She had a solid rookie season. She’s a young player and brings a fresh perspective and attitude. She’s nice to be around.”
Qualifying for the US team continues for another two weeks, after which American captain will announce her captain’s picks.
EUROPEAN SOLHEIM CUP TEAM
Celine Boutier (France)
Carlota Ciganda (Spain)
Linn Grant (Sweden)
Esther Henseleit (Germany)
Charley Hull (England)
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark)
Julia Lopez Ramirez (Spain)
Leona Maguire (Ireland)
Nastasia Nadaud (France)
Mimi Rhodes (England)
Maja Stark (Sweden)
Lottie Woad (England)
