Lexi Thompson: Key Player in Solheim Cup Showdown

Lexi Thompson: The American Star in the Solheim Cup

Lexi Thompson enters what looks like her final Solheim Cup as the most popular American player among fans, a team leader and a key contributor for captain Stacy Lewis. The Solheim Cup begins Friday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, and if it truly is Thompson's last as a player, she's going out on top - at least in the eyes of American fans, teammates, and captain Stacy Lewis.

Although the 29-year-old hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour in five years, she brings power, proficiency in the tricky alternate-shot format and - rare on this US team - memories of hoisting the trophy in the biennial team competition against Europe. Thompson and Alison Lee are the only players on the American squad who’ve won a Solheim Cup, which the US last captured in 2017 in Iowa. Europe won in 2019 in Scotland and 2021 in Ohio and retained the cup last year with a 14-14 draw in Spain.

The event returns a year later with Lewis and European captain Suzann Pettersen reprising their roles to move back to even-numbered years and avoid the Ryder Cup. The Solheim Cup dates back to 1990, and no team has captured it four straight times. Additionally, neither side has won twice in a row on foreign soil. The US is favored statistically, with the top two players in the world in Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, and an average world ranking of 26.75 compared to Europe’s 40.5.

While Europe’s biggest margin of victory in the past three events was two points, it has received strong contributions from players like Carlota Ciganda and Leona Maguire. Lewis made “Unfinished Business” her team’s motto this year, and Pettersen, too, has tweaked her approach after neither side was completely satisfied with the performance in Spain. The US got off to a strong start in alternate shot, a typical strength for Europe, but was unable to maintain that advantage.

Lewis has also shaken things up with her foursomes pairings for Friday morning’s opening session. She announced that she would send out rookies Lauren Coughlin (with Rose Zhang) and Sarah Schmelzel (with Vu) and bench Thompson, who has an overall record of 9-7-7 in six Solheim Cups and 5-2-1 in alternate shot.

Korda was tapped for the leadoff match alongside Allisen Corpuz, with Charley Hull and rookie Esther Henseleit as Europe’s opening team. Four better-ball matches will be played Friday afternoon, with more alternate-shot and better-ball matches on Saturday, followed by 12 singles matches on Sunday. Europe needs 14 points to retain the cup, while the US needs 14 ½ to win it.

Thompson’s career may be remembered just as much for near-misses in major championships as for her 11 LPGA victories and one major. “I’m just going to take it day by day, take some time for myself, and see how I feel after that,” Thompson said. The team format, where success isn’t measured by individual strokes and she can contribute to others’ success, brings out the best in Thompson.

“I think it is her legacy, her and the Solheim Cup. Just the way she is with the crowd and the fans, this event is Lexi to a T. ... She plays better golf here,” Lewis said. “She’s going to do whatever it takes to win, and I wish I had 12 of them.”