8 Best Pairings In Solheim Cup History

The Solheim Cup is the premier event in women's golf, with the USA vs Europe match dating back to 1990.

During that time, we've seen Solheim Cup legends be created including the likes of Laura Davies, Christie Kerr, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer and Suzann Pettersen, and many of these players have starred in stand-out partnerships.

Davies and Alison Nicholas are the Solheim's most frequently seen pairing, with nine matches between them, and they are tied with Lexi Thompson and Christie Kerr with five points.

So who are the best pairings in Solheim Cup history? Let's take a look...

Christie Kerr and Lexi Thompson: 5 points

Kerr and Thompson have won the joint-most points of any Solheim pairing in history together and were never beaten.

The American duo played six matches over the 2015 and 2017 Solheim Cups, three times in foursomes and three times in four ball.

From their six games, they won four of them and halved two for an incredible return of five points. USA won the Solheim Cup in both years this pairing was used.

Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas: 5 points

European legends Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas also returned five points as a partnership, but from nine matches.

The Englishwomen played together nine times between the inaugural Solheim Cup and the 2000 edition, winning five times and losing four, and were a key factor in Europe's early successes in the competition. They also won both their matches in 1992 at Dalmahoy, dubbed the biggest upset in Solheim history.

They particularly excelled in foursomes, where they played six games and won four.

Alison Nicholas went on to captain Europe in 2009 and 2011, while Davies has been a vice captain four times.

Brandie Burton and Dottie Pepper: 4.5 points

Burton and Pepper were another strong pairing in the 90s, this time for Team USA.

From six matches they won an impressive 4.5 points, going unbeaten in four ball with two wins and a halve. 

Pat Hurst and Kelly Robbins: 4 points

Pat Hurst and Kelly Robbins also played six times together across three Solheim Cups in 1998, 2000 and 2002.

They won four of those six matches, winning three of their five foursomes games and winning their only four ball tie.

Hurst went on to captain USA in 2021 at Inverness after vice captaincies in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Robbins was a vice in 2009.

Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall: 3.5 points

Fast forward to the modern day and France's Celine Boutier and Georgia Hall has emerged as a very strong European pairing, with the duo playing together six times across the 2019, 2021 and 2023 Solheims.

Like Hurst and Robbins, five of their six games came in foursomes and they returned 2.5 points from those with two wins, a halve and two losses.

They played one four ball match together and won it.

Catrin Nilsmark and Annika Sorenstam: 3.5 points

Swedes Nilsmark and Sorenstam both went on to captain Europe and they were a successful partnership in the 90s.

They played six times - three foursomes, three four ball - together in 1994, 1996 and 1998 and won 3.5 points from those matches.

Nilsmark captained Europe in 2003 and 2005 (pictured) while Sorenstam was skipper in 2017.

Paula Creamer and Juli Inkster: 3.5 points

Creamer and Inkster are another pairing to have been used six times, and like many of these teams five of their six games came in foursomes.

They lost their only four ball match together but won an impressive 3.5 points from five foursomes games between 2005 and 2009.

Inkster captained USA in back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2017 before taking up the role again in Europe's last-gasp 2019 victory at Gleneagles.

Sophie Gustafson and Suzann Pettersen: 3.5 points

Sweden's Sophie Gustafson and Norwegian Solheim Cup legend Suzann Pettersen are one of the Solheim Cup's most frequent partnerships with seven matches, where they won 3.5 points.

Their matches came from 2003 to 2011 and they tended to fare much better in foursomes. They won 3 points from five foursomes games and returned just half a point from their two four ball matches.

Pettersen is a legend of the Solheim Cup and captains her second European team in 2024. She famously signed off her playing career after holing the winning putt at Gleneagles in 2019.