USA 12-player team set for Junior Solheim Cup
While the announcement of the U.S. Solheim Cup team is just over a week away, the lineup for the 2009 PING Junior Solheim Cup, to be played at Aurora Country Club Aug. 17-19, is now official.
The 12-player U.S. squad, coached by LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, features Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla. The 14-year-old, who will be making her first Cup appearance, is currently ranked No. 1 in the Polo Golf Rankings and the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings and is a three-time Rolex Junior All-American in 2007 and 2008.
Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., will provide a veteran presence having already competed in two previous Cups. Rah is a four-time Rolex junior All-American whose resume boasts wins at the 2007 Rolex Girls Junior Championship and the 2007 PING Junior.
The Junior Solheim Cup, managed by the American Junior Golf Association, is patterned after the Solheim Cup and features the top-12 junior golfers from the United States against the top-12 from Europe. It's the only girls' team event of its kind at the junior level.
Past U.S. team members include Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel. Creamer was the first player to make the move from Junior Solheim to the Solheim Cup when she helped lead the U.S. to victory in 2006.
The United States and Europe head into the 2009 competition tied with an overall record of 2-2-0. The team hosting the event has won in all four instances.
Team USA
Alexis Thompson (Coral Springs, Fla.)
Jessica Korda (Bradenton, Fla.)
Kristina Wong (Bradenton, Fla.)
Ani Gulugian (Irvine, CA.)
Stephanie Kim (Whitestone, N.Y.)
Jane Rah (Torrance, CA.)
Sarah Brown (Phillipsburg, N.J.)
Jennifer Johnson La Quinta, CA.)
Alexandra Stewart (Peoria, ARI.)
Tiffany Lua (Rowland Heights, CA.)
Alison Lee (Valencia, CA.)
Kristen Park (Buena Park, CA.)
Beth Dockter, vice captain
Nancy Lopez, captain