Auston Kim’s Birthday Surprise: Rookie Spot on U.S. Solheim Cup Team

A phone call on her birthday changed everything for LPGA player Auston Kim. On Aug. 16, while relaxing at her home in St. Johns, Florida, Kim received word from U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford that she had secured a place on the American roster — qualifying on points rather than via a captain’s pick.

Kim, a St. Augustine native who emerged from the First Coast junior golf circuit, said the timing made the moment even sweeter. Had she been competing at that week’s LPGA stop in Portland, Ore., she would have learned the news in a formal team announcement. Instead, she was playing frisbee in her backyard with her sister when the call came.

“Completely unexpected,” Kim told reporters on Sept. 1 after a practice session at her home course, St. Johns Golf and Country Club. “If I had played a tournament that week, I would have been on-site, and it would have been a lot different. I wasn’t in a golf mode.”

The Road to the Netherlands

The 2026 Solheim Cup will be contested Sept. 11-13 at Bernardus Golf Club in Cromvoirt, Netherlands. Kim joins a U.S. lineup that includes Nelly Korda, Jennifer Kupcho, Rose Zhang and Allisen Corpuz, facing a European squad anchored by Charley Hull, Lottie Woad, Celine Boutier and Leona Maguire.

Kim and Lindy Duncan are the only two rookies on an experienced American roster. The U.S. enters as defending champion after a 15.5-12.5 victory in 2024 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Gainesville, Va. — its first win since 2017 — and holds an 11-8 lead in the overall series.

Kim’s selection carries local significance: she is just the second First Coast resident ever to play in the event, following Ponte Vedra Beach’s Deb Richard. A former Times-Union girls high school player of the year, Kim won district and regional titles for Nease in 2016 and tied for fifth at the state tournament.

Media Stakes for Broadcasters

The biennial U.S.-Europe showdown remains a marquee property for golf’s television partners. Comcast (CMCSA), whose NBCUniversal division distributes golf coverage across NBC and Golf Channel, saw shares trade at $26.81 on Monday, up 1.64% from a previous close of $26.38, with a market capitalization of roughly $94.4 billion. High-profile team events like the Solheim Cup are a meaningful part of the sports programming slate that anchors Comcast’s Media segment.

What to watch

• Pairings and session formats for the Sept. 11-13 matches at Bernardus Golf Club.
• How captain Angela Stanford deploys her two rookies, Kim and Lindy Duncan, against a deep European side.
• TV ratings and viewership data for the event, relevant to Comcast’s NBCUniversal sports slate.

Source: original release