How the status of this top U.S. player remains murky for the Solheim Cup

The buildup to a captain announcing her Solheim Cup captain’s picks is always intriguing. It’s even more fascinating this time for U.S. captain Angela Stanford because of the unknown status of Angel Yin and the what-if scenarios that could happen.

The 27-year-old Yin, who has two career LPGA victories and has played in three previous Solheim Cups with a 5-3-1 record, has fallen to No. 24 in the world and hasn’t played since withdrawing from the KPMG Women’s PGA due to illness in June.

Yin has already clinched her spot for the Solheim Cup via team points standings. But can she play? Will she play? She’s listed as an entry into next week’s FM Championship in Boston, the final LPGA event before the tour is on break for the Solheim Cup, which is Sept. 11-13 at Bernardus Golf Club in Cromvoirt, Netherlands.

Entries closed on Tuesday so Yin clearly still intends to play.

Even if Yin plays in Boston, will she be sharp enough to play overseas and help the U.S. win in Europe for the first time since 2015? These are all questions Stanford must ponder.

“Angel and I have been texting. She’s still evaluating her situation, and I am very confident in giving Angel all the runway that she needs,” Stanford told Golfweek earlier this week. “We want Angel on the team; we want her to be there; but we have to prepare in a way that maybe she won’t be there.”

The LPGA is in Edmonton, Canada this week for the CPKC Women’s Open. Stanford will solidify her three captain’s picks Sunday after play and announce them live on Golf Channel on Monday.

If Yin decides she can’t play and withdraws from the Solheim Cup before the team announcement on Monday the spot would be filled with the next person in points.

But because Yin is scheduled to play in Boston it doesn’t appear like that is going to happen. The top seven in points make the Solheim Cup team and six of those—Nelly Korda, Yin, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh, Auston Kim and Lauren Coughlin—have already made it. Allisen Corpuz is in seventh and is expected to maintain that position. Andrea Lee is in eighth and would have to win this week and have Corpuz finish 40th or worse. But the next best two players in the world ranking also qualify and that’s Andrea Lee (37) and Alison Lee (59).

If Yin were to decide she couldn’t play after Boston—or anytime after Monday—the spot would be filled with an alternate. Stanford will name two alternates on Monday, and those names will be put in an envelope. It’s up to the respective captains if they want to allow the alternates to travel with the team and if they want to tell them that they’re actually alternates.

If everything stays the same, Jenny Bae, Rose Zhang and Megan Khang would be favorites to be captain’s picks. Bae would be a Solheim Cup rookie. Zhang dealt with a back issue last week at the Standard Portland Classic, so that could be something to watch as well.

Lucy Li and Lindy Duncan could be two potential alternates although neither has played well this year. Li missed the cut in three majors but tied for 16th at the AIG Women’s British Open. Duncan, who won the Heather Farr Perseverance Award last year, has missed the cut in four of the five majors this year. Like Li, she’s also still looking for her first career win.