Europe Name Strong Team for PING Junior Solheim Cup

Europe has selected a strong multi-national team for The PING Junior Solheim Cup to be played at The Inverness Golf Club in Denver, Colorado, on August 13-14, 2013.

It features four players currently ranked within the top-20 on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WWAGR) and a further three within the top-100.

The team is headed by Denmark’s Emily Pedersen, who led the 2013 European PING Junior Solheim Cup Ranking, and it also includes Sweden’s Linnea Ström, Germany’s Karolin Lampert, France’s Shannon Aubert and English duo, Georgia Hall and Amber Ratcliffe, all of whom also earned automatic places after finishing in the top-six on the PING Junior Solheim Cup European Ranking.

The team is augmented by six wild card picks, selected by European captain, former Solheim Cup player, Janice Moodie. They are Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta, France’s Anyssia Herbaut, England’s Bronte Law, Spain’s Harang Lee, Sweden’s Jessica Vasilic and Anne van Dam from The Netherlands. Altogether, eight different nations are represented in the twelve-strong squad.

Pedersen claimed top spot on the European PING Junior Solheim Cup Ranking after winning both the Spanish Ladies’ Open Amateur Championship and the German Girls’ Championship. She was also a member of the victorious European side at the recent Vagliano Trophy at Golf de Chantilly.

The top ranked player on the European side is England’s Georgia Hall, who won last year’s British Girls’ Championship and the 2013 British Women’s Amateur Championship and is currently No. 7 on the WWAGR. Lampert, the German Match Play champion and another member of the winning Vagliano Trophy team, is 11th on the Ranking, Pedersen is 13th and Ström is in 20th place.

Another experienced player is Law, who is 34th on the WWAGR and was also a member of the victorious GB & I team at last year’s Curtis Cup match at Nairn. She defeated Vasilic by 4 & 3 in the final of this year’s French Under-18s Championship at St Cloud. (Full biographies of the European side are attached).

“I am so excited for my team to finally be revealed,” said Moodie, who represented Europe in three Solheim Cups and won twice on the LPGA Tour.
“These girls have proven on and off the course to be ambassadors for themselves, their countries and now the 2013 European PING Junior Solheim Cup team. With eight countries being represented we have a diverse and strong team. Congratulations girls and lets go play golf. Go EUROPE!”

The PING Junior Solheim Cup was inaugurated back in 2002 when the American team emerged victorious at Oak Ridge, Minnesota. They also won in 2005 and 2009, with the Europeans claiming the trophy at Bokskogens GK, Sweden, in 2003, and Båstad GK, Sweden, in 2007. The match series currently stands at 3-2-1 in favour of the Americans who have never lost on home soil.

The most recent match was staged at the Knightsbrook Hotel Spa & Golf Resort, Co. Meath, Ireland, in 2011 and it resulted in the first tie in the series.
Leading golf manufacturing company PING is the founder, owner and title sponsor of the PING Junior Solheim Cup and John Solheim, the company’s Chairman and CEO is looking forward to welcoming the European team to Colorado.
“The PING Junior Solheim Cup is a very special event for the Solheim Family and we send our congratulations to the 12 girls who earned the right to represent Europe against the United States in the biennial match,” he said. “With players from eight different countries, it’s clear girls’ golf in Europe is growing stronger every year. They will have an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. We look forward to meeting them in Colorado.”

Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh, Chief Executive Officer of the Ladies European Tour, also sent his congratulations to the 12 Europeans who have made this year’s Junior Solheim Cup team.

"The members and staff of the Ladies European Tour would like to congratulate all 12 players on The 2013 European PING Junior Solheim Cup team who have worked hard to qualify and are now preparing to regain the trophy from the United States. Many of the greatest names in women's golf have competed in this important event and used it as a stepping stone to further their professional career before playing in The Solheim Cup.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the players and I am delighted that the Ladies European Tour is able to support them in achieving this objective."

The PING Junior Solheim Cup pits the 12 best European junior girl golfers (born 1995 or later) against the 12 best junior girl golfers from the United States.

This year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup is to be played at The Inverness Golf Club, on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, on August 13-14. It always takes place immediately ahead of The Solheim Cup, which this year will be played on August 16-18, just 20 minutes away from The Inverness Club.

Further information about The PING Junior Solheim Cup can be found on www.solheimcupeurope.com.