Carin Koch, captain of the European Solheim Cup team, has just announced the arrival of Sophie Gustafson and Maria McBride who will join Annika Sörenstam as vice-captains to take up the 2015 challenge, another victory for Europe over the United States. St. Leon-Rot Golf Club in Germany from September 18 to 20.

Gustafson, McBride and Sörestam vice captains of the Solheim Cup

From left to right: Annika Sörenstam, Maria McBride and Sophie Gustafson - Photo © LET

Gwladys Nocera and Karine Icher (1st and 9th in the European ranking) are the two French women to date who could participate in the legendary Solheim Cup.

For Koch, the “leading” dream team is the best possible for a new victory for Europe at the Solheim Cup

"I am extremely proud to have assembled an exceptional team to succeed in this new challenge" , said Carin Koch, herself vice-captain of Liselotte Neumann in 2013.

Sophie Gustafson, with eight participations in the Solheim Cup (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011), three times member of the victorious European teams in 2000, 2003 and 2011. Having brought in 16 points in Europe, with the all-time record of - 13 - 12 - 6, she was most recently four points in 4 matches for Europe in 2011 at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

A lifetime member of the Ladies European Tour, Sophie Gustafson has won the LET Order of Merit four times and won 26 international titles during her career.

"It is a great honor to be named vice-captain", declared Sophie Gustafson, emblematic player of the 2013 Solheim Cup in Colorado, where Team Europe obtained their first historic away victory! . “The Solheim Cup is a pure passion for me. You play with your guts for the glory. And anyway, I would have been present at St. Leon-Rot in September, only to bring the coffee to Carin. I had come to help during the previous edition in Colorado, I felt that I was doing something good for the motivation of the troops and for the victory. Leaving as vice captain is going to be very exhilarating ”.

McBride with five Solheim Cup appearances (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011) also played an important role in the winning team in Ireland. She had brought in 8 ½ points for Team Europe, as well as seven titles on the LPGA and Ladies European Tours combined. She is the wife of golf coach Shaun McBride.

“I am very honored and proud to be named vice-captain of the 2015 Solheim Cup team. I'm involved in five teams, which of course all play, I could follow the players more easily on the LPGA and LET being based in the US in a different way. I am very excited and impatient. I hope to bring all my experience, my laughter and my good humor ”.

Koch said: “I am delighted that Sophie has accepted to be one of my vice captains, she has shown such strength over the years in the Solheim Cup, her record and her contribution speaks for itself. Mimmi has played an extremely important role in the recent Solheims. It's great with her being based in the US, I have another set of eyes that can follow the European players based there. With my full team and less than four months to go to 14th staging of the event in Germany, we will now speed up the preparations to secure a victory at the St Leon-Rot Golf Club. "

For more information on the Solheim Cup: www.solheimcup.de