A giant poster hangs in the team room of the European team.

It shows Suzann Pettersen's cheering pose after she sank the decisive putt in the Solheim Cup two years ago on the PGA Centenary Course of the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder (Scotland) from 2.10 meters for birdie and victory in the hole.

The Norwegian, who was only 665th in the world rankings after an almost two-year maternity break, defeated the American Marina Alex with "one up" (one more hole won) on the 18th hole in the very last match, thus gaining the decisive point surprising 14½: 13½ victory.

On the 18th green she announced the end of her glamorous career with 15 victories on the American LPGA tour, including two majors and seven on the European LET tour.

“This is the perfect end to my professional career.

To achieve this coup in Scotland of all places is a dream come true.

It can't get any better.

That's it. "

"Not even played golf for two years"

This weekend, the 17th edition of the prestige duel between the twelve best professional golfers from Europe and the United States will take place at Inverness Golf Club in Toledo (Ohio) from Friday to Monday. And this time the 40-year-old Scandinavian is back again - and again after a two-year absence from the sport that determined her life for so long. “I haven't played golf once in the last two years,” said Suzann Pettersen, who had her second child in May.

After eight active participations, the woman from Oslo helps this time as one of the “Assistant Captains” of the Scottish woman Catriona Matthews. The 52-year-old Scottish captain is counting on the fact that her long-time team-mate in the Solheim Cup will convey something of her fighting spirit to the "Euros", which are also considered outsiders this time. A look at the world rankings of both selections shows why the Americans, who have won ten of the 16 duels so far, are once again awarded the role of favorites.

Team USA is not only led by the 23-year-old world number one and Olympic gold medalist Nelly Korda.

With her sister Jessica, who is five years older than her (18th in the world rankings), she will form the top duo in the four-man as in Scotland.

With Danielle Kang (8) there is another top ten player in the home team.

Lexi Thompson (12) and Lizette Salas (14) are also ranked higher than the best European, Anna Nordqvist (16) from Sweden, who won the last major (AIG Women's Open) two weeks ago.

Four rookies in Team Europe

"Suzann Pettersen will always be one of the greatest women golfers and players," said 34-year-old Anna Nordqvist, who often played with her colleague from Oslo in eight Solheim Cup appearances.

“Wow, that's so cool.

If you walk past Suzann's poster every time, I hope that one day I too can pocket the crucial putt, ”said Matilda Castren.

The 26-year-old Finn, who won her first tournament on the LPGA Tour in June, is one of the four “rookies” in the European selection, like Sophia Popov.

Although the only German in the team is ranked second highest in the pecking order at rank 30 in the European team, it has not achieved good results in recent weeks (40th place at the Olympic Games, missed cut as defending champion at the Women's Open).

But that is to be expected in the match game, the duel woman against woman, she proved in May in Las Vegas, when she was only defeated in the seventh match in the final to Ally Ewing from the United States. “An absolute dream has come true. I couldn't be more excited to be part of this group of great girls, ”29-year-old Sophia Popov announced her enthusiasm on Twitter, after Elisabeth Esterl (2003), Bettina Hauert (2007), Sandra Gal (2011, 2015) and Caroline Masson (2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019) as the fifth German to compete for Europe.