Rhodes and Maguire earn Solheim Cup wildcard picks
Britain's Mimi Rhodes and Ireland's Leona Maguire have been named as wildcard picks for Europe's Solheim Cup team, which will face the United States in the Netherlands next month. Captain Anna Nordqvist selected Maguire despite a poor run of recent form, including four missed cuts in her last six events, citing her strong record in the matchplay competition. Rhodes will make her debut after impressing Nordqvist since turning professional, while two further rookies, Spain's Julia Lopez Ramirez and France's Nastasia Nadaud, complete the wildcard selections as Europe bids to reclaim the trophy after losing it in Virginia two years ago.
Maguire, now 79th in the world rankings, has an outstanding Solheim Cup record of eight wins, one half and three defeats from 12 matches since her 2021 debut, and recently returned to form with a top-10 finish at the Scottish Open. Rhodes, ranked 92nd and a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, starred in Great Britain and Ireland's 2024 Curtis Cup win before turning professional. Lopez Ramirez and Nadaud, neither in the world's top 80, are both making their Solheim Cup debuts, with Nadaud having won last season's Andalucia Costa del Sol Open and made the cut in all five majors this year.
- Rhodes and Maguire handed Solheim Cup wildcard picks by Anna Nordqvist
- Maguire picked despite recent poor form, cites matchplay pedigree
- Lopez Ramirez and Nadaud also named as rookie wildcards
New here? Start with this
The Solheim Cup is a women’s golf match between teams representing Europe and the United States. Played every two years, it uses matchplay, where players compete hole by hole against an opponent, rather than only comparing total scores across the whole tournament.
Each team includes players who qualify through their results and others chosen by the captain as wildcard picks. Europe’s captain, Anna Nordqvist, is an experienced Swedish golfer; Leona Maguire has played in three previous Cups, while Mimi Rhodes, Julia Lopez Ramirez and Nastasia Nadaud are making their debuts.
The event matters because it is one of the biggest team competitions in women’s golf, and the Cup is currently held by the United States. Europe’s picks combine past matchplay experience with newer players who have impressed in professional and amateur golf.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Leona Maguire's Solheim Cup record of eight wins from twelve matches represents exceptional form in the specific competition format that matters most. In team matchplay, a player's proven performance in that particular event is the most reliable predictor of future success, and her pedigree is virtually unmatched among available players. Her recent Scottish Open top-10 demonstrates she can recover form quickly, and the captain's judgment to back her proven Solheim Cup ability over general tour performance is sound.
The case against
Maguire's current world ranking of 79th and four missed cuts in her last six tournaments represent a concerning trend that legitimately raises questions about her present condition. Whilst her historical Solheim Cup record is admirable, current form matters because it reflects a player's actual capability at this moment. Selecting a player in demonstrably sharper overall condition would have been the more prudent choice for a crucial team competition.