A look at Europe’s Solheim Cup team

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?

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Pettersen overhauls huge deficit to win Safeway Classic

Suzann Pettersen overhauled a monster 9-shot deficit in the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Safeway Classic to beat Na Yeon Choi in a sudden-death playoff and claim her second Tour event of the year, following earlier success in the Sybase Match Play Championship in May as well as the Ladies Irish Open two weeks ago.

Pettersen dedicated the win to her close friend Anna Henneie, who died in a sky-diving accident last week; the tragedy coming hard on the heels of the bombing and mass shootings that killed 77 people in her hometown of Oslo.

Pettersen had believed herself to be too far back to win after shooting 74 on Saturday, and instead looked to close up on world number one Yani Tseng with a good round of golf that would take her into second place in the women’s rankings.

However, she proceeded to shot a stunning 64 to post a 6-under par 207 total, and enter a playoff with Choi, who failed to hold onto a three-shot overnight lead from reigning Kraft Nabisco champion Stacy Lewis. Choi stumbled to a 3-over par 39 on the front nine of the Ghost Creek course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, but still held a one-shot lead playing the final hole.

But Choi missed a par putt that would have sealed the win, and instead she would face off with Pettersen in a play-off. When Choi dumped her approach to the same hole into the water it was the end of her challenge and Pettersen’s victory was assured.

“I definitely didn’t think I was going to sit here when I started the day warming up,” Pettersen said afterwards.  “I did not anticipate this, but I’ll take it.”

The win also helped cement her place in the European Solheim Cup team that will face the United States team at Killeen Castle, Ireland next month.

Three tie for lead at Evian Masters

Karen Stupples, Maria Hjorth and Shin-Ae Ahn share the first round lead at the Evian Masters in France after the trio carded 5-under par 67s.

Frequent heavy showers drifted across the Evian Masters Golf Club, but both Stupples and Hjorth made the most of conditions with Stupples – the 2004 Women’s British Open champion reaching the turn 1-over par, but blasting back on the homeward nine with six birdies.

Afterwards the Kent player was philosophical about the double-bogey on the ninth hole that might have scuppered her round.

“I just hit it out of bounds, but I knew it wasn’t going to hurt me too bad because I was hitting my irons well and I just figured that I would make it up.”

Hjorth, meanwhile, endured the worst of the weather but handled conditions with aplomb – grabbing five birdies on the front nine as she found her putting touch, and she added further gains on the 11th, 12th and 14th holes before her touch deserted her and she finished with three successive bogeys.

South Korean player Ahn mixed seven birdies with two bogeys, while six players were a shot further back, including Brittany Lincicome whose preparation for the event was interrupted when her golf clubs were lost in transit between Miami and Geneva – they eventually turned up on Wednesday, just as her clubs suppliers Callaway and Adams Golf had rushed replacements to her.

Also tied on 68 alongside Lincicome was 2009 winner Ai Miyazato, along with compatriots Ritsuko Ryu and Miki Saiki, Lincicome’s fellow American Cristie Kerr and China’s Shanshan Feng.

Defending champion Jiyai Shin opened with a 69 to take a share of 10th alongside world number one, Yani Tseng and home player Virginie Lagoutte-Clement.

Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis are among a group of players tied for 17th after 2-under par 70s, but Michelle Wie struggled to make an impression, opening with a 4-over par 76.

Ryu wins U.S Women’s Open in 3-hole playoff

So Yeon Ryu carded birdies on two of the three playoff holes to defeat fellow South Korean Hee Kyung Seo and win the U.S Women’s Open.

After a birdie on the 18th hole in regulation to join Seo at 3-under par, the pair set off down 16, 17 and 18. After both players made par at the par-3 16th hole, Ryu took a two-shot lead at the 17th with an 8-foot birdie putt as Seo could only manage a bogey.

It was all over as a contest before the players even reached the 18th green after Seo drove under the lip of a bunker and she needed four shots just to reach the putting surface before making another bogey to Ryu’s second birdie of the playoff.

The win was Ryu’s first on the LPGA Tour and it capped a remarkable fightback which had saw her come from eight strokes back with one-and-a-half rounds left to play.

2007 champion Cristie Kerr was the only other player to finish under par after her closing even-par 71 saw her close on 1-under par 283, 2 behind the South Korean duo.

Angela Stanford claimed fourth spot on level-par, while Mika Miyazato finished in fifth.

The tournament was forced to spill over to Monday after five weather delays over the previous four days halted action for some 17 hours, with the third round being finished on Sunday, and around half the field managing to complete their final rounds before darkness fell.

Defending champion Paula Creamer carded a final round 75 to finish 6-over par for the tournament and a share of 15th place.

Kerr, Anderson lead rain-delayed U.S Women’s Open

Heavy rain and lightning forced an early halt to the first round of the U.S Women’s Open on Thursday with Cristie Kerr and amateur Amy Anderson sharing the lead at 2-under par when play was suspended.

Kerr had played through 15 holes and carded three birdies and one bogey after starting from the 10th hole, while Anderson was bogey-free through 12 holes having started from the first hole.

Only 25 players in the 156-strong field had managed to finish the first round, and 72 players hadn’t begun their rounds when officials called a halt to play. Of those who had completed their first rounds, Kristy McPherson was clubhouse leader on 2-over par following a 73.

South Korea’s Inbee Park, Japan’s Ai Miyazato and Italian Silvia Cavalleri share third on 1-under par. Park had one hole to play before the day’s play was abandoned, while Miyazato had played through 15 holes. Cavalleri had just begun her round, and birdied her opening hole.

Defending champion Paula Creamer is amongst the players yet to begin their first rounds. Other notable names include Yani Tseng, Morgan Pressel , Katherine Hull and England’s Laura Davis.

However, Michelle Wie might be wishing the abandonment of play had come earlier. The Hawaiian-born star of the 2009 Solheim Cup was 7-over par through 16 holes and could struggle to make the cut.

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