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Thursday, 31 March 2016

Sorenstam Named 2017 Solheim Captain

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Annika Sorenstam says she is going to have "fun" being European captain at the 2017 Solheim Cup.

Vice-captain when the United States regained the trophy last year in Germany, the 45-year-old Swede said: "I can not tell you how excited I am.

"I had hoped and dreamed that this opportunity would come along. This is really going to be a lot of fun."

Europe will attempt to win back the trophy at Des Moines Golf Club in Iowa next August.

Sorenstam played on two winning sides, at Loch Lomond in 2000 and at Barseback in 2003, and was also instrumental in two victories as a vice captain in 2011 and in 2013.

No player has won more matches for Europe than Sorenstam.

Her record of 22 victories is equalled by England's Laura Davies, who played in nine more matches than the Swede.

She and Dame Laura Davies hold the European record for Solheim Cup matches won, on 22, and Sorenstam also holds outright the record for foursomes points with 11 1/2.

Sorenstam was part of winning teams at Loch Lomond in 2000 and Barseback in 2003, where Swedish players celebrated a famous victory on home soil, and also as a vice-captain in 2011 at Killeen Castle and two years later in Colorado.

"I cannot tell you how excited I am," Sorenstam said as she was introduced as captain. "I have hoped and dreamed this opportunity would come along.

"If I look back at my career, the Solheim Cup has always been an important part of it. We play as individuals for 99 per cent of the time but when we do get together it's something special.

"A lot of the memories from my career go back to the Solheim Cup so when I stopped playing I was hoping I could continue to be involved, and getting the chance to be a vice-captain was really eye-opening.

"I thought 'one day, when I am ready' I would love to get this opportunity, and I thought by 2017 I would be ready. I had support from the tour and this is going to be a lot of fun - I'm looking forward to getting to work and engaging with the players.

"It's all about building memories and I think that is our goal."

Ladies European Tour CEO Ivan Khodabakhsh added: "We are extremely pleased to have Annika leading our team for the next Solheim Cup match in Iowa.

"When you think about her pedigree as the best player of our generation, her personal accomplishments and Solheim Cup experience, she has an exceptionally strong understanding of the attributes required to be an inspirational, respected and successful captain of the European Team."

Thursday, 25 July 2013

Davies in Solheim Cup Race

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Laura Davies has just two weeks left to qualify for August's Solheim Cup in Colorado.

The 49-year-old, who has played in all 12 editions of the tournament since it started in 1990, is determined to qualify for the European team.

Victory will be the only thing on her mind when she tees up in the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club from Friday.

It is the penultimate qualifying tournament before next week's Ricoh Women's British Open, when both the European and United States teams will be announced jointly on the evening of Sunday, 4 August.

With the European team comprising the top four from the Ladies European Tour standings, followed by the next top four from the Rolex World Rankings and four wild cards, this week's tournament represents an opportunity to earn up to 40 Cup points.

Davies is currently 21st on the points list, 66.5 points behind fourth ranked Caroline Masson of Germany. Suzann Pettersen, Carlota Ciganda and Catriona Matthew are the other three players in the top four.

"There are two more weeks. I'm well down the list. I need to have two more big weeks, whether it gets me in on automatic points, I'd have to win one probably and top three in the other one," said Davies, who is hoping to impress European Captain Liselotte Neumann.

"I'm hoping I can do that, or just to show a bit form to the captain. There might be one pick left that's she's umming and ahhing about. I think the team pretty much sets up. A lot of people agree about who's definitely in. There might be one spot left up for grabs and maybe if someone has a strong finish these two weeks they might get the captain's attention."

Davies, the event's all-time points' scorer, says the fact that she hasn't got enough points makes her even more determined.

"You want to be there on merit. You don't want to be a captain's pick. It means you haven't done enough for two years to warrant that automatic spot, but then again the picks are there for a reason and sometimes you want something different.

"Sometimes it's a new player, sometimes it might be bringing in an experienced player. You want to get the points but its tough. Its a two year qualifying process and unfortunately for me and a lot of other players we haven't done enough yet.

"It's everything, really. I've played in 12 and 1990 was the first one. That's a long time to be playing in an event and all of a sudden you're not good enough to play in it. It's going to be disappointing but that day will come soon, hopefully not in the next two weeks.

"Hopefully I'll do enough because it is quite simply, the most fun you'll have on tour."