Who Is The Youngest Golfer To Play In The Solheim Cup?

The Solheim Cup is quite a young competition itself, having only begun in 1990, but the biennial tournament between the United States of America and Europe has already seen a wide variety of golfers do battle.

From inexperienced but supremely-talented teenagers to multi-Major-winning pros with decades of golf behind them, the Solheim Cup has always featured the very best that both sides of the Atlantic ocean has to offer.

In terms of the oldest golfer ever to play in a Solheim Cup, Juli Inkster leads Catriona Matthew by quite some way - with only the former US skipper playing in this event past her 50th birthday.

Inkster was 51 years and 91 days when she teed it up at Killeen Castle in Ireland during 2011, while Matthew edged out Laura Davies by five days after playing in the 2017 Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.

On the opposite end of the age spectrum, it is a European who can currently claim the title as the Solheim Cup's youngest-ever player.

Back on August 16, 2013 at Colorado Golf Club, Charley Hull became the most junior golfer at a Solheim Cup - aged 17 years and 149 days. The captain's pick was held back until the afternoon on Friday, when she then went out with the experienced Matthew to play fourballs.

It was not to be a happy start for the Englishwoman, however, as the Europeans fell 2&1 to Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr. USA led 5-3 after day one with the afternoon session finishing 2-2.

But, from then on, Hull claimed two victories as the teenage sensation showed exactly why Liselotte Neumann had called her up into the 12. Partnering Jodi Ewart Shadoff in the Saturday afternoon fourball session, the visiting pair won 2up on fellow rookie Lexi Thompson and Paula Creamer. Hull then finished off her week with a 5&4 thumping of Creamer in the Sunday singles.

Meanwhile, at 18 years and 187 days old, Thompson is the youngest American ever to feature at a Solheim Cup. She suffered two defeats in fourball matches on Friday and Saturday but recovered brilliantly to become one of just two Americans to win their singles matches on Sunday. 2013 was a sobering year for the US side overall, though, as they lost 18-10 on home turf.

On the combined list of youngest Solheim Cup players ever, three more Americans follow Hull and Thompson. Angel Yin was 18 years and 319 days when she made her bow at the 2017 tournament while Creamer and Morgan Pressel made their respective debuts not long after their 19th birthday. Creamer was 19 years and 35 days at the 2005 event while Pressel was 19 years and 114 days at the 2007 running.

Hull takes spots one, two, and four on the list of youngest Europeans at the Solheim Cup, with her best friend Georgia Hall slotting in at three after playing for the first time aged 21 years and 128 days in 2017. It was a year for the youngsters at Des Moines as Emily Kristine Pedersen also featured at just 21 years and 164 days old to slot in at number five on that list of junior Europeans.

The final American to complete their top-five was Michelle Wie. In 2009, several years after playing the 2003 US Women's Open as a 13-year-old, Wie teed it up at Rich Harvest Farms aged 19 and 314 days.

Solheim Cup Youngest Players Ever