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." 

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Woods in Ladies Masters Mix

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Cheyenne Woods, niece of 14-time major winner Tiger, shot a five-under 67 to be four off the lead after the first round of the Ladies European Masters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club. 

She is tied for sixth with four others, including Scotland's Kylie Walker.

German Caroline Masson and South Africa's Ashley Simon lead by three.

To qualify for next week's British Open, Woods, 23, needs to be among the top three finishers who have not already qualified for St Andrews.

England's Charley Hull, 17, is five shots off the pace after shooting a 68 and is tied 11th with several others, including Australia's multi-major winner Karrie Webb.

Another Englishwoman, 49-year-old Laura Davies - Britain's greatest ever female golfer - is level par. She is looking for at least a top-three finish as part of her bid to qualify for August's Solheim Cup between Europe and the US in Colorado.

American Woods is embarking on her first full season as a professional as part of the Ladies European Tour.

If she is unsuccessful at the European Masters, which runs from Friday to Sunday, she faces an anxious day in final qualifying at Kingsbarns Golf Club on Monday.

She said after Friday's first round: "I felt like I played really steady and that I hit the ball well, so overall it was a good day."

Hull came in for praise from Webb who said: "What a fantastic talent. Quite a big pairing for her today and she eagled the first hole.

"I don't know how many nerves were there but very impressive. I think she'll be around for a long time."

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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."

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Davies Champions in Germany as Team Ireland Falter

Henderson Order of Merit leader on the Ladies European Tour Laura Davies shot a final round of 68 to secure another title in Gut Häusern Golf Club on Sunday by two shots from fellow English player Melissa Reid who signed for a one over par round. Overnight leader Ashleigh Simon of South Africa carded a 75 to slip to third place on 8 under.

Laura Davies defied the unseasonable cold and windy conditions to fire a closing round of 68 and claim her 74th career victory at the UniCredit Ladies German Open, presented by Audi - coming from nine strokes behind after Friday’s second round.

Australian Karen Lunn took fourth place after a 69  with Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson (71), Denmark’s Iben Tinning (71) and Sweden’s Linda Wessberg (75) sharing fifth.

Alison Walshe of Team Ireland was the best of the Irish in a six way share of 14th place following a round of 74.  Having started with a birdie on the first Walshe then dropped a shot to reach the half way in 38 battling through two birdies and two bogeys to complete the back nine in level par.

Team Ireland colleague Rebecca Coakley picked up no shots all day in the difficult conditions and with five bogeys on her card signed for a 77 and a one under par total.

Tara Delaney matched her first round score of 74 after making the turn in level par despite dropping a shot. The back nine saw her lose two more shots and end her trip to Germany  with a five over par total.

Hazel Kavanagh who had remained level par through the last two rounds came home in 78 shots with six bogeys on her card to finish on 6 over.

Team Ireland Five at German Ladies Open

   

Following on from Turkey last week Team Ireland Golf fields five players in the UniCredit Ladies German Open presented by Audi which starts on Thursday May 13th in Gut Haeusen Golf Club, near Muenich, on the next stop on the Ladies European Tour.

The group that played last week in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open - Hazel Kavanagh, Rebecca Coakley, Martina Gillen, Tara Delaney and Alison Walshe return to action again this week in Germany.

In 2009 Martina Gillen finished in 43rd place and was the best of the Irish players with Coakley, Kavanagh, Delaney and Coughlan-Ryan all missing the cut.

Last weeks winner in Turkey, Melissa Reid of England, moved into the 3rd place in the Henderson Order of Merit following her victory and plays this week hoping to improve on her 3rd place finish last year. 

Order of Merit leader Laura Davies also plays at the Ladies German Open.

For the 120 professionals competing this week there is increased prize money of €330,000 on offer, with a fifty thousand Euro cheque for the winner who would also take home an Audi A5 Convertible

In 2009 Jade Schaeffer of France emerged as the winner after a close battle with Paula Marti Zambrano of Spain.

 

Team Ireland Turkish Top Twenty

 

Melissa Reid of England secured the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in Belek by two shots on Sunday from the chasing pair of Iben Tinning of Denmark and Chrostelk Boeljon of Netherlands. A one over par round of 73 was enough in the end to hold off the efforts of Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands who shot a 71 on the day and had started to make a move.

Iben Tinning carded a one over par round of 74 to retain share of second on a total of 218 with Boeljon.

Team Ireland’s trio of Hazel Kavanagh, Rebecca Coakley and Alison Walshe all finished with over par rounds.

Kavanagh picked up two shots on 3 and 4 only to lose them with bogeys the 6th and 8th to remain level par at the turn. A double bogey on the par five 14th hole was the major problem on an otherwise error free back nine but was enough to leave her signing for a two over par 75 for a 4 over total and aggregate of 223.

Rebecca Coakley dropped three shots on Sunday and picked birdies on 3 and 10 to end the day with a one over par 74 and five over for the tournament (224)

Alison Walshe made the turn in one under but a triple bogey eight on the 7th hole added to her woes to finish the back nine with a 40 and a total of 75 for the day. Walshe ended the tournament on 6 over with an aggregate score of 225.

Seven time major winner Laura Davies of England finished on 4 over with an aggregate of 223.

Turkish Delight for Kavanagh

 Hazel Kavanagh shot a four under par 69 on day one of the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in Belek near Antalya to take second place and remain one shot behind the event leader, Iben Tinning of Denmark, who signed for a 68 at the National Club.

Kavanagh of Team Ireland and the Spawell Driving Range shot four birdies on the front nine holes to reach the halfway in 33 shots. The Dubliner followed it with a level par back nine with one bogey and birdie to sign for a 69.

Rebecca Coakley started with a birdie and a bogey to go through the first nine holes in one over par. Still level at the 15th, after a birdie and a bogey, Coakley then dropped two shots on 17 and 18 to finish on 2 over.

Alison Walshe started with a bogey on the 10th and followed immediately with a birdie to level things. But dropped shots on 3, 5 and 8 gave her a 39 at the turn. After a level par back nine Walshe signed for a 76 to remain 3 over.

Tara Delaney also opened with a bogey and then carded 3 birdies to make the turn in 34 shots but went on to drop seven shots on the back nine to sign for a 78 and remain 5 over.

Martina Gillen opened with a bogey and followed it with a birdie on the second. By the turn Gillen had 42 shots on her card having carded three more bogeys. With a level par back nine Gillen signed for a 6 over par total of 79.

The National was the first real Championship golf course to be built in Turkey and was designed by Irish golfers David Jones and David Feherty in 1994. The course is par 73 and 6,211 yards long