Last week, European captain Alison Nicholas announced the team that will attempt to wrest the Solheim Cup back from the United States later in the month at Killeen Castle, Ireland.
Where Nicolas’ opposite number Rosie Jones has named a strong side to defend the trophy, Nicholas’ team contains a few more unknown quantities but nonetheless, the European Team is a strong one with no less than four of the team being captain’s wild-card selections.
So who will represent Europe at Kileen Castle?
Melissa Reid (England): Reid will be making her Solheim Cup debut, but made the team as top points scorer in the Qualifying list. Reid represented Europe in the junior Solheim Cup in 2005, so will have no problems with the format. She has won twice on the Ladies’ European Tour – the 2010 Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, and the 2011 Deloitte Ladies Open in Holland.
Laura Davies (England): One of the most famous names in women’s golf, Solheim Cup veteran Davies will be making her 12th appearance in the competition and is the only player from either camp to have represented their team in every event since the Solheim Cup first began in 1990. Five wins in 2010 on the Ladies European Tour guaranteed her place in the team and her resume is impressive with 79 wins overall, including four majors and 20 LPGA Tour wins. Davies has played 43 matches in the Solheim Cup and her record reads W21-L17-H5.
Suzann Pettersen (Norway): The current world number 2, Pettersen is already a winner around Killeen, having romped to a six-shot victory earlier in the season to win the Irish Open. Pettersen followed that win with victory in the Safeway Classic where she came from an impossible position to take the title in a play-off. Pettersen will be making her sixth Solheim Cup appearance and has played 21 matches, with a record W9-L7-H5.
Christel Boeljon (Netherlands): Boeljhon is the first Dutch player to ever qualify for a Solheim Cup team, and will be making her debut in the competition. Boeljhon qualified for the team automatically from the points list, having enjoyed a consistent 2-years on the Ladies European Tour and earlier in 2011 claimed her first Tour win in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open. Since that win she has posted a further five top-10 finishes.
Maria Hjorth (Sweden): Hjorth will be making her fifth Solheim Cup appearance, having represented Europe in 2002, 2005, 2007 and last time in 2009. Hjorth’s consistency saw her qualify automatically by virtue of her world ranking and earlier in 2011 she won the Avnet LPGA Classic. Hjorth has four LPGA Tour wins and two Ladies European Tour wins.
Anna Nordqvist (Sweden): Nordqvist was a captain’s pick in the 2009 Solheim Cup just months after turning professional, but this time she qualifies automatically for the team due to her world ranking. Nordqvist played four matches in 2009, winning two and losing two but is much more battle-hardened this time around. Despite her late entry to the professional game, she is already a major champion and has three top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour in 2011.
Catriona Matthew (Scotland): Matthews is a stalwart of the Ladies European Tour and captured her first major title in 2009 at the Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second child. She will be making her sixth appearance in the Solheim Cup and is an automatic qualifier to the team. She has played 17 matches , with her record reading W7-L6-H4
Sophie Gustafson (Sweden): One of four Swedes to make the team, Gustafson has amassed 26 titles as a professional and made her Solheim Cup debut in 1998; she has made every team since. She’ll be making her eighth appearance in the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle, and like her compatrion Suzanne Pettersen is a former winner around the course, having won the Irish Open at the venue in 2010. Gustafson has played 27 matches, with her record reading W9-L12-H6.
Azahara Muñoz (Spain): The Spaniard is one of captain Nicholas’ wild-card picks, and she will be making her first appearance in the competition. Muñoz won the Madrid Ladies Masters on her professional debut in 2009, and was named LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2010. Although yet to win on the LET in 2011, her best finish has come when she was second behind Pettersen at the Ladies Irish Open.
Caroline Hedwall (Sweden): Completing the Swedish quartet, Hedwall is in her first full season on the Ladies European Tour and will be making her Solheim Cup debut. Despite her relative inexperience, she is already a two-time winner on the Tour, having captured the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open and the Finnair Masters. A long-hitter, she also won the first ever Power Play event at The Celtic Manor, Wales; beating off the likes of Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Paula Creamer so won’t be overawed by the occasion.
Karen Stupples (England): Stupples returns to the team after a 6-year absence; her only previous appearance came in 2005 at Crooked Stick in the USA where she lost both her matches. Another major winner in the team – she won the 2004 Women’s British Open at Sunningdale – Stupples is a tough-as-nails competitior who, like several of her team-mates, brings a wealth of experience to the team.
Sandra Gal (Germany): The final wild-card pick, Gal is another debutant in the team but has enjoyed a fine 2011 season on the LPGA, winning the Kia Classic where she beat off a strong challenge from Jiyai Shin and posting two further top-10s.
Nicholas has also gone for experience in her assistant captains, Annika Sorenstam and Joanne Morley. Morley was also an assistant to Nicholas in 2009 and represented Europe in the Solheim Cup back in 1996 although she spent much of her competitive career on the LPGA.
Sorenstam is one of the greats of the ladies’ game, but retired from competition in 2008 to focus on business projects and to start a family. A winner of 89 tourmanents worldwide, including 10 majors, Sorenstam featured on eight Solheim Cup teams between 1994 and 2007, and is the holder of several Solheim Cup records, including most matches won (22) and most points earned (24). In total Sorenstam played 37 matches, with a record of W22-L11-H4.
The stage is now set for what promises to be an epic and close encounter with the United States team, and YourGolfTravel have Solheim Cup packages available, starting from £495 per person for ticket and accommodation.
Visit www.yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 043 6644 for more information.
