Every modern Curtis Cup has a handful of players that do and don’t go to the Solheim Cup after turning professional. Generally around 4-5 players from each playing out of the 16 get to one within five years. Who are the greatest candidates for that and what year might we expect them to make their debut?
No. 5 – Patience Rhodes – 2032 – It is more difficult to turn to a Solheim Cup player on the European side because the field widens. It goes from just Great Britain & Ireland to the rest of the continent, so even current amateurs like Andrea Revuelta, Paula Martín Sampedro and Meja Ortengren will be thrown into the mix. Still, Rhodes is a top 20 ranked amateur in the world, had a great Curtis Cup and will have a potential built in pairing with her sister Mimi. She feels pretty likely to crack the European squad at some point.
No. 4 – Anna Davis – 2032 – Davis’ hype certainly has faltered a fractional amount since her win at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, but she is still a multi-time All-American, has played in two Curtis Cups and is ranked No. 19 in the WAGR. Davis also strikes me as someone who will thrive in the professional game, and make some quick work of either Epson Tour or Q School. Her game is impressive to watch in person and she’s very steady. I don’t think we’ll see her too fast, but once some of the current mainstays cycle out, I think she will be right there.
No. 3 – Asterisk Talley – 2030 – This may be bold, but it seems extremely likely that in the next three years, Talley will qualify for the LPGA Tour on LEAP Standings. She is already more than half way there and her opportunities will continue to increase as she heads to college at Stanford, where she should immediately be one of the best players in the country. It is tough to know her personal desires now, but the timeline would work out very similarly to her fellow Stanford player, Rose Zhang, who made the Solheim Cup team as a rookie.
No. 2 – Farah O’Keefe – 2030 – O’Keefe certainly also has a chance to get her LEAP points pretty quickly, and may put her in play for the 2028 Solheim Cup team, but I think it is much more likely we don’t see her until 2030. Depending on the result of this year’s Solheim Cup, players like Megan Khang and Allisen Corpuz will likely have some locked in slots that makes it difficult to crack. That being said, the fire, passion, leadership and of course, play, that she brought the 2026 Curtis Cup team should make future Solheim Cup captains very excited to get her in the team room.
No. 1 – Kiara Romero – 2028 – It is probably crazy to say, but it isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility to see Kiara Romero on the 2026 team. That is why she ranks so high is the immediacy of her situation. The No. 1 ranked amateur in the world is just two LEAP points away from gaining LPGA Tour status and being eligible for the team. With a few spots opening up on the United States team this year, it might be a good idea to get her some experience around this battle-tested roster. That being said, 2028 is far more likely where it seems almost a given she will be teeing it up at Valhalla.
About the Author
