The captains of the two teams that will face each other in the 2023 Solheim Cup will also engage in an exciting battle at Finca Cortesín with the aim of leading their respective teams to victory.

European captain Suzann Pettersen and American Stacy Lewis have both participated thirteen times as players in the Solheim Cup, but curiously, they have never faced each other in this tournament, either in pairs or in singles.

Perhaps for that reason, and because both are making their debut in the position, there is a lot of anticipation to see how they will perform in the Solheim Cup, which will be held at Finca Cortesín, in Andalusia, from September 18 to 24.

In the case of Suzann Pettersen, her nine participations in the Solheim Cup make her the second player with the most editions played alongside the Scottish Catriona Matthew and three of the 12 tournaments played by the English Laura Davies, one of this year's vice-captains.

After those nine participations, not forgetting two others in which she served as vice-captain, the Norwegian golfer has become the fourth player with the most matches played (36), the third with the most matches won (18) and the fourth with the most points earned (21).

In the Fourball game balance, Suzann Pettersen is the third player who has played the most (13) and among them, she has won the most along with Laura Davies (9) and the second player who has scored the most points (10.5).

Her numbers in Foursome matches also make her one of the most outstanding European players in the competition, as she is third in matches played (14) and third in matches won (7).

As for her record in individual matches, the Scandinavian is the second European golfer with the most matches played (9), in which she won two, lost four and tied six.

It was precisely in her last individual match at the 2019 Solheim Cup held in Scotland that Suzann Pettersen further cemented her place in the tournament, as her victory over Marina Alex secured a European triumph, something that had not happened since 2013. After that edition, the Oslo native announced her retirement as a professional golfer.

Stacy Lewis, for her part, is still active and has four Solheim Cup appearances, which could have been five if the American had not suffered an injury in the 2019 edition that prevented her from being part of the team, in addition to another edition in which she served as vice-captain.

In those editions, the Ohio player completed a total of 16 matches, winning four, losing 10, and tying one. In Four Ball matches, she has a record of four played, with three wins and one loss; in Foursomes, she has a total of eight, with two wins and six losses; and in singles, she has lost three and tied one of her four matches.

Likewise, regarding the records of the US team, Stacy Lewis is one of the players with the most wins in Fourball matches, with two, and therefore, one of those who has achieved the most points in those matches, also with two.

Beyond the Solheim Cup, both captains are tied in Grand Slam tournaments won, with two each, and in total, Suzann Pettersen has accumulated 21 professional tournaments compared to Stacy Lewis's 13 to date.

Finally, the American golfer reached number one in the world rankings twice, while the Norwegian came very close to achieving it by reaching second place in the world rankings.

With this data, there is no doubt that the Solheim Cup, which is about to be played on the Costa del Sol, will not only be decided in the matches between the 12 players of each team, but will also be decided by the side whose captain makes the best decisions, chooses the best strategy and best conveys her philosophy.

European team: Celine Boutier, Maja Stark, Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, Linn Grant, Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist, Madelene Sagstrom, Gemma Dryburgh, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Caroline Hedwall. Vice-captains: Laura Davies, Caroline Martens and Anna Nordqvist

US Team: Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Danielle Kang, Andrea Lee, Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang, Angel Yin, Ally Ewing, and Cheyenne Knight. Vice-captains: Angela Stanford, Morgan Pressel, and Natalie Gulbis

SOURCE: Tournament Organization