Solheim Cup Pairings: Surprises And Takeaways From Friday Foursomes Match-Ups

Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen have unveiled their Solheim Cup day one pairings and there are plenty of surprises in there.

All four rookies are out in the opening session, while just one foursomes pairing from last year returns and a number either don't feature completely or have been split up.

Leona Maguire has been rested from the first session, as has Anna Nordqvist who partnered the Irishwoman in both foursomes games at Finca Cortesin.

The successful team of Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang are not playing while Maja Stark and Linn Grant are both in the first session but with their four ball partners from last year.

Rose Zhang will also play foursomes for the first time after only playing four ball in 2023, while World No.2 Lilia Vu has her fourth different partner in four doubles matches at the Solheim.

Take a look at the four matches in session one and our key takeaways...

Match 1: Korda/Corpuz vs Henseleit/Hull

Lewis opted to lead out with Lexi Thompson in the first game a year ago and she's again gone with experience with World No.1 Nelly Korda leading the team out alongside her partner from last year Allisen Corpuz.

Korda and Corpuz played both foursomes sessions together in Spain and won them both, so seeing them return was no surprise and one we predicted earlier in the week. They go up against Esther Henseleit and Charley Hull in a sign from Pettersen that she believes Hull has truly returned to form after an injury-hit end to the summer.

Henseleit, the Olympic silver medallist, plays in the first pairing as a rookie, with the only other European rookie Albane Valenzuela out in the second match alongside Celine Boutier.

Match 2: Zhang/Coughlin vs Valenzuela/Boutier

Boutier has played five foursomes matches with Georgia Hall over the past three Solheims so Pettersen has made a statement in breaking them up. The Frenchwoman and Valenzuela go up against another new pairing in Rose Zhang and Lauren Coughlin.

Rookie Coughlin is one of the game's most in-form players and Rose Zhang will make her foursomes debut. The Stanford star was rested in both foursomes sessions last year but seems a good one to have in alternate shot format. This could be a strong side.

Match 3: Ewing/Kupcho vs Pedersen/Stark

The final two matches are fairly surprising teams from Pettersen, who has put two of her successful fourball partnerships out in the foursomes this time around.

Maja Stark and Linn Grant played both foursomes games together at Finca Cortesin but they have been broken up. We'd expect to see them at least once together in the next three sessions.

Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho are no surprise, with the duo finishing 2nd together in the Dow Championship recently where they shot nine-under in their two foursomes rounds. They're another side we predicted earlier this week.

Match 4: Vu/Schmelzel vs Grant/Ciganda

Lilia Vu played, and lost, three doubles sessions last year and with three different players, so it's no surprise to see her with another different partner. Sarah Schmelzel is another rookie out in the first session.

Grant and Carlota Ciganda played twice a year ago but in the four balls, and they won both of their matches. Pettersen clearly fancies them in the foursomes as well.

Which players aren't playing the opening session?

Lewis has opted to rest Lexi Thompson, Alison Lee, Andrea Lee and Megan Khang.

Khang and Thompson won both of their foursomes games last time out so that is quite a surprise to not see them out in the first session.

Pettersen has rested Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom.

Maguire and Nordqvist played both foursomes sessions together in Spain, losing both 1dn. Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier, as mentioned earlier, have also been split up.

Sagstrom played both of her games in the four balls last year with different partners so it looks like that could be the case once again.