European Captain Matthew picks Celine Boutier, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Bronte Law and Suzann Pettersen
European Captain Catriona Matthew announced her four Captain’s picks – France’s Celine Boutier, English stars Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Bronte Law and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen – at a press conference at Gleneagles today broadcast live on Sky Sports News and the Golf Channel.
Pettersen has played in a remarkable eight Solheim Cups and qualified for a ninth in 2017 but an injury forced her to swap to a Vice Captain role, while Ewart Shadoff has played in two Solheim Cups, 2013 and 2017, and has had four top tens this season. Law is currently the highest ranked British woman, sitting at 25th on the Rolex World Rankings, while Boutier finished sixth at the AIG Women’s British Open earlier this month and fifth at the 2019 US Women’s Open and is currently ranked 59th.
The eight players who automatically qualified for The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, from 9th to 15th September, at the conclusion of yesterday’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club were Carlota Ciganda, Anne Van Dam, Caroline Hedwall, Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Azahara Munoz, Caroline Masson and Anna Nordqvist.
Scotland’s Matthew, who has played in nine Solheim Cups, explained the reasoning behind her four selections: “Bronte and Celine’s excellent recent form speaks for itself in terms of why I selected them, and I think they are both going to have fantastic Solheim Cup debuts. I chose Jodi and Suzann for their vast experience, their recent good form and because I know exactly what they bring to the European team room. With our only other rookie being Anne Van Dam, who has also had an excellent year, I feel the experience of our team will be a great advantage to us along with the home crowd support.”
Three of the Captain’s picks were in the room when Matthew announced her final line-up while Ewart Shadoff was not able to attend after having a minor procedure last week.
Ewart Shadoff said: “I am gutted not to be there for team practice today but I will be back hitting balls next week and I am really excited to be part of Catriona’s team. I think the team looks incredibly strong, probably the strongest team I’ve been a part of and I’m honoured to have been chose by the Captain to be part of it. This will be my first Solheim Cup in Europe and just to experience the home crowd will be amazing and a big advantage for us.”
Law said: “I couldn’t be happier to be making my Solheim Cup debut here at the beautiful Gleneagles. I am so grateful to Catriona and all the Vice Captains for picking me and I can’t wait for it to start. To be part of this great team with so many Solheim Cup legends is pretty surreal but they have all been very generous in giving me advice ahead of making my debut.”
Boutier said: “I have been dreaming of playing Solheim Cup since I was a little girl and it really is amazing to be here at this press conference and know that my dream will come true in a month’s time! Getting out there to practise with the team today on the PGA Centenary course where I watched so much of the Ryder Cup was fantastic and I think this course is going to suit me very well.”
Pettersen said: “Catriona knows that match play brings out the absolute best in my game and that I will be ready to deliver points for her come September. I honestly believe that my best contribution to our Solheim Cup campaign will be on the course and I am very grateful to Catriona for having the confidence to choose me for this year’s team.”
With Pettersen stepping out of her Vice Captaincy role, Matthew announced that Mel Reid would now be her final Vice Captain, joining Dame Laura Davies and Kathryn Imrie.
The final qualifying event for the USA team will end with the CP Women’s Open in Canada, 22nd to 26th August, with many players still fighting to join their team in defending the Solheim Cup in Scotland next month.
Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Lisette Salas and Jessica Korda are all safely qualified while past US Solheim Cup team standouts Cristie Kerr and Stacy Lewis, would need to win the CP Women’s Open to claim their place without needing a Captain’s pick from Juli Inkster.
About Gleneagles:
Located one hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, The Gleneagles Hotel is set in an 850-acre estate, with its own railway station just minutes away. Gleneagles is synonymous with golf, and home to three championship golf courses – The PGA Centenary Course – venue for the Ryder Cup 2014 – and the stunning King’s and Queen’s Courses. But there’s even more to keep guests entertained off the course: a choice of more than twenty activities can be found in the grounds, from clay target shooting, archery and trout fishing on three lochs within the resort’s estate, to horse-riding, Segway tours and gun dog training. Throughout the hotel you will find the finest comfort – from its 232 luxury bedrooms and suites, to the calming environment of the spacious destination spa by ESPA, home to one of only two ESPA Life wellness centres in the world. Gourmands will have plenty to discover, with four on-site restaurants, including Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant Andrew Fairlie.
About the Solheim Cup:
The Solheim Cup combines the tradition and prestige of the game of golf with passion for one’s country and continent. This biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition features the best European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the best U.S. players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. The Solheim Cup is named in honour of Karsten Solheim, the founder of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, which makes PING golf equipment. In 1990, the Solheim family, in conjunction with the LET and the LPGA, developed the concept and became the title sponsor for the Solheim Cup, professional golf’s international match-play competition for women. Today, the global partners of The Solheim Cup are PING, Scotland, The Home of Golf, and Rolex. Held every two years, the event has grown into the most prestigious international women’s professional golf team event. The Solheim Cup is the most highly coveted trophy in women’s professional golf team competition; some of the most memorable moments in the sport have happened during past Solheim Cups and berths on the European and U.S. teams are highly sought-after by players from both organisations. The 2017 Solheim Cup took place on August 14-20, at Des Moines Country Club in Iowa, United States. The U.S. Team retained the coveted Waterford Crystal trophy by 16 ½ to 11 ½ points. For more information log on to www.solheimcup.com.
About EventScotland:
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews. EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland see www.visitscotland.org or for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.
About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.
About the Ladies European Tour:
The Ladies European Tour (LET) is headquartered at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club near London and celebrates women’s golf on a global stage. Since its formation in 1978, the Ladies European Tour has crowned more than 250 different winners and 700 championship trophies have been lifted as players from nearly 30 different countries have won on the Tour. The LET operates tournaments across the continents and The Solheim Cup, which has been played 15 times biannually since 1990, has become one of the biggest female sporting events in the world. The LET Access Series is the official developmental tour and bridges the gap from amateur to professional golf, giving young players the opportunity to gain valuable competitive experience and progress onto the main professional tour. The Board of Directors are the guardians of the tour and along with the Players Council ensure the tour continues to grow and improve for players, fans and all associates. The tour is also proud to have bestowed Honorary Membership to Louise Crozier Solheim, Helena Alterby Nordström and Roland Specker.
