Leona Maguire will become the first ever Irish player to feature at the Solheim Cup after she was named in the Europe squad for the prestigious team tournament against the United States.
The Co Cavan native is among three rookies included in the final selection made by captain Catriona Matthew for the tournament which will take place at the Inverness Club course in Toledo, Ohio from 4-6 September.
"I'm really excited, it is something that I have looked forward to. I have played the PING Junior Solheim Cup in 2009 and 2011, it was an incredible thing to be part of the Junior side so to be on the 'big’ team is something really special and no Irish person has ever done it before," said the 26-year-old.
"I think it’s going to be great for Irish golf and to show the young girls coming up that it is possible to do things if you set your mind to it. Catriona is a legend in her own right – a winning Solheim Cup captain and a Major winner. For her to think I’m good enough to be on her team is quite humbling and an honour."
Matthew said: "Leona has had a fantastic year. I think she's got that real grittiness. I think she’s a really good match player, has a great record from the Curtis Cup and played well in the match play (event) in Vegas.
"I think she’ll be a solid, one of these never-give-up type players.
"It’s the first Irish player, the first Finnish player (Castren). I think it’s great to see other players from different countries getting on the side."
Finland's Matilda Castren and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen are the two other debutants for 2021, joining Madelene Sagstrom, Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark), Sophia Popov (Germany), Mel Reid, Charley Hull, Georgia Hall (England), Carlota Ciganda (Spain) and Celine Boutier (France) in the Europe team.
Sagstrom bogeyed the 72nd hole to finish just a shot behind Nordqvist at the AIG Women's Open at Carnoustie, while Madsen was tied for the lead with her playing partner until making a double bogey on the last.
"It was tough telling her (about the wild card) afterwards because you could tell she was so disappointed with her finish," Matthew added about Madsen.
"Hopefully looking back, I think after a couple of hours, she'll realise she had a great finish and it was her first time really up there with a real chance of winning.
"The boost of getting into Solheim will hopefully help."
Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen began the Women’s Open in the final automatic qualifying place on the European points list and was just two shots off the lead after 54 holes, but a closing 76 meant she was overtaken by Hall.
"She was unlucky," Matthew added. "There’s one or two who you know are really close to making the team and it is obviously a difficult conversation. But she was very good about it."
Maguire's inclusion as a wildcard pick comes in the wake of her involvement in the fifth and final major of the year at the Women's Open where she finished in a tie for 13th.
The two-time Olympian has enjoyed a strong year on the LPGA Tour - her first full year on the tour - and equalled the lowest round in major history with a scintillating 61 on the final day of the Evian Championship last month which helped her finish in a tie for sixth.
World number one Nelly Korda and Danielle Kang had already secured their place on the United States team and were joined by Ally Ewing, Austin Ernst, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Megan Khang, Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho.
US captain Pat Hurst selected Brittany Altomare, Mina Harigae and Yealimi Noh as her wild cards, with Toledo native Stacy Lewis made an assistant captain.
They have won 10 of the 16 editions of the tournament and are favourites for 2021.
