LPGA: How Good Is the 2011 European Solheim Cup Team?

The European Solheim Cup team was finally announced. It includes some names that might not ring any bells, but that doesn't mean the squad is weak or incapable of putting up a fight. Alison Nicholas might not surprise as much as U.S. captain Rosie Jones with her picks, but she clearly knows her players have quite a shot of bringing the Cup home.

Eight players qualified automatically, either as one of the top four Ladies European Tour players or as one of the best Euros in the Rolex Rankings; the other four made it through a captain's pick.

The team's veterans are Laura Davies, who's one of the most recognizable faces in women's golf as well as one of the most successful. Catriona Matthew has had a superb season, with 12 starts, 11 cuts made and four Top 10 finishes. Maria Hjorth will make her second Solheim appearance after winning in May and posting three Top 20 finishes in major championships.

Sophie Gustafson has won 12 points in seven Solheim Cups disputed, which puts her as one of the most experienced players on the team. Karen Stupples, one of the Wild Cards, will be part of the team for the second time in her 12-year career; she ranks first in eagles in the LPGA.

Anna Nordqvist is one of the Swede's of the team, but age hasn't come across with her successful career, which includes one major championship.

Team Europe has the best-ranked player of the event. Suzann Pettersen, world No. 2, has shown some massive improvement this season after a two-year title drought. She's won twice in 2011 and has a 9-7-5 Solheim record.

England's Melissa Reid, who sits second at the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, will try to make the most out of her first Solheim experience. Christel Boeljon will make history—she's the first Dutch that makes it to the team.

Last, but not least, the other three captains' picks. Azahara Muñoz, the 2010 LPGA Rookie of the Year, is the fifth Spaniard to play the Solheim; she played three Junior editions, though. Sandra Gal, the third German to make it to the team, has three Top 10 finishes in the LPGA, including a victory at the Kia Classic.

Sweden's Caroline Hedwall is a long hitter; she turned pro this year and has already won twice in the Ladies European Tour. Furthermore, she won the inaugural PowerPlay event, which featured players like Graeme McDowell, Paula Creamer and Ian Poulter, to name a few.

So, yes, these girls will put up a good fight. Playing at Killeen Castle in Ireland, under tough weather conditions but in front of their own crowd, will only give them more reasons to retrieve a trophy they haven't had since winning it in Sweden back in 2003.