United States name Pat Hurst as Solheim Cup captain

Pat Hurst is the new captain charged with regaining the Solheim Cup for the United States in 2021.

The LPGA announced on Thursday the 50-year-old three-time assistant captain would take over from the long-serving Juli Inkster for the next edition of the biennial event in Toledo, Ohio.

Europe are the current holders of the cup after victory at Gleneagles last autumn.

Hurst was a member of four Solheim Cup-winning teams as a player – and played in five in total – during a 20-year career on the LPGA Tour from 1995-2015.

“I thought the call might be coming,” Hurst wrote on lpga.com. “But I had no idea if it would be good news or bad news.

“Now that I’ve been blessed with this great honour and awesome responsibility, I’m giving it all I’ve got.”

Hurst served under Inkster as assistant captain in each of the last three events, winning two of them.

Inkster may have been an obvious choice as an assistant for the Inverness Club in 2021 but Hurst says that will not be happening.

She said: “Of course I wanted to have her. I’m sure she’ll be there in some capacity but she’s not going to be one of my assistants. We have helpers, and she’ll definitely be one of my helpers.

“She wants this team to be mine, and she wants me to be able to showcase what I want in my words, not in her words. I totally respect her for that.”

Hurst will come up against Catriona Matthew, who was reappointed Europe skipper on the back of success at Gleneagles.

Hurst said: “Of course there will be more pressure to win on home soil in front of a partisan crowd but I’m up for it and I know our players will be.”