Michelle and Solheim Cup

[bobawiefan]

Youngsters making moves in the Solheim Cup points race


Jessica Korda of the USA in action during the final round of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Sentosa Golf Club on March 3, 2013 in Singapore, Singapore

The Team USA Solheim Cup points standings saw some big changes following last weekend's HSBC Women's Champions. Stacy Lewis (617) extended her lead over Cristie Kerr (294) after winning the Singapore event. She is now in first place on the list by 323 points.

Three young American players had top 10 performances to boost their points standings. Finishing T5, Jessica Korda moved into the 8 spot on the Solheim points list, and Lexi Thompson moved from seventh place to sixth by finishing T8. Also with a T5 finish was Danielle Kang, who is still on the outside looking in for Solheim but look for her to continue working her way up the list.

Another young American who has played very well so far this season is Lizette Salas, who has improved her Rolex Ranking this season from 86 to 58 through three tournaments. Lizette is a serious contender for a spot on Team USA as well. For a full listing of Solheim points for both Team USA and Team Europe, go to www.SolheimCup.com.

Solheim Cup is a highly emotional event for the players. In the video below, Michelle Wie talks about the ups and downs that some of these youngsters may experience if they make the team this year.

Solheim Spirit: Michelle Wie on high flying emotions at the Solheim Cup
Michelle Wie has competed in two Solheim Cups. She talks about the highs and lows that players go through every other year at this event

Link to Video:
www.lpga.com/golf/blogs/2013/3/solheim-points-update-0306.aspx

[bobawiefan]

7 Mar. Michelle Wieþ@themichellewie
How do you like these bad boys?! Motivation to get me some solheim cup points!!! #nikeswag #iheartnikeids…

http://instagram.com/p/Wk0aWop-tx

[bobawiefan]

Solheim Cup Ranking and Points:

Monday, May 20, 2013
Rank…Name……………Points:
1 Lewis, Stacy…………......783
2 Kerr, Cristie…………......408
3 Creamer, Paula………....379
4 Stanford, Angela ……..297
5 Lincicome, Brittany…..215
6 Thompson, Lexi ……...192
7 Korda, Jessica ………...190
8 Salas, Lizette ………....168
9 Lang, Brittany ………...154
10 Johnson, Jennifer ….140
11 Piller, Gerina ………....124
12 Hurst, Vicky ………....100
13 Castrale, Nicole ……...98
14 Futcher, Katie ………...97
15 Wie, Michelle ……..93
16 Pressel, Morgan ……..88
17 Harigae, Mina ………...83
18 Kang, Danielle ……....77
19 Gulbis, Natalie ……....74
20 Michaels, Sydnee ....65
21 Martin, Mo…………..... 60
22 LaCrosse, Cindy……..42
22 Park, Jane ………….....42
24 Inkster, Juli ……….....41


Monday, May 27, 2013
Rank…Name…………...Points:
1 Lewis, Stacy …………....783
2 2 Kerr, Cristie ………....435
3 Creamer, Paula ………...406
4 Stanford, Angela ……..297
5 Lincicome, Brittany ….215
6 Thompson, Lexi ……...205
7 Korda, Jessica ………...190
8 Salas, Lizette ………....168
9 Lang, Brittany ………...167
10 Johnson, Jennifer ….153
11 Piller, Gerina ………....124
12 Futcher, Katie ……....116
13 Pressel, Morgan……..101
14 Hurst, Vicky ………....100
15 Castrale, Nicole ……...98
16 Wie, Michelle ……..93
17 Gulbis, Natalie …….....87
18 Harigae, Mina ……......83
19 Kang, Danielle …….....77
20 Michaels, Sydnee …...65
21 Martin, Mo ………........60
22 LaCrosse, Cindy….....42
22 Park, Jane …………......42
24 Inkster, Juli ………......41

[bobawiefan]

U.S. Solheim team could be youngest squad ever
By Randall Mell
May 29, 2013 6:54 PM ET

Buckle up, Solheim Cup hopefuls.
This summer could be a bumpy ride with potentially the youngest American team ever coming together.
After this week’s Shoprite Classic, just six LPGA events will remain before the American Solheim Cup team is set and three of those events are major championships with double points up for grabs. Next week’s Wegmans LPGA Championship launches a potentially volatile summer of movement in the qualifying standings.
“That’s why I’m not getting overly excited about the points list yet,” U.S. Solheim Cup captain Meg Mallon told GolfChannel.com. “There are just so many points to get.”
The American and European teams will be announced Aug. 4 at the conclusion of the Ricoh Women’s British Open with the Solheim Cup scheduled Aug. 16-18 at Colorado Golf Club in suburban Denver.
Euro captain Liselotte Neumann is at the UniCredit Ladies German Open this week to watch prospective team members. It’s one of just five events remaining before the European team is set.
The American team will be made up of eight players off the U.S. Solheim Cup points list and two off of the Rolex World Rankings. Mallon gets two captain’s picks.
The European team will include four players off the Ladies European Tour points list and four off the Rolex World Rankings. Neumann gets four captain’s picks.
If the American team were decided today, there would be at least four Solheim Cup rookies on the team with the squad’s average age 26.0 years old. Lexi Thompson (18), Jessica Korda (20), Lizette Salas (23) and Jennifer Johnson (21) would all make their first appearances in the international team event. The youngest American team ever averaged 27.5 years old back in ’09 when the Americans won at Rich Harvest Farms.
The Americans have never lost on their home soil and the possibility looms that Mallon could be trying to defend that record with four or more Solheim Cup rookies. Since the Solheim Cup rosters were expanded to 12 players in 1996, there have never been more than five Solheim Cup rookies on an American team. There were five on the 2002 USA team that rallied from a two-point deficit on the final day to beat the Euros at Interlachen.
Stacy Lewis (28), Cristie Kerr (35), Paula Creamer (26), Angela Stanford (35) and Brittany Lincicome (27) look as if they’re all locks to make the team as the top five players on the American points list. They’re all Solheim Cup veterans. Kerr and Stanford are the only players over age 30 among those who currently sit within qualifying standards.
Thompson, Korda and Salas currently hold the final three spots off the points list. Brittany Lang (27) and Johnson, winner of the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic two weeks ago, currently hold the two roster spots off the Rolex World Rankings.
“We pretty much felt like the top five were a lock from last year because they accumulated so many points, but Lizette Salas, Jessica Korda and Lexi Thompson have stepped up the most this year and are really trying to cement their positions on the team,” Mallon said. “It’s fun to watch these three very talented and determined players.
“But, it’s still wide open. You saw what Jennifer Johnson did leapfrogging a bunch of people with a win. It’s why I’m sitting back and waiting because anybody can do that in the next six weeks.”Gerina Piller, Katie Futcher and Danielle Kang also sit right on the edge of qualifying as Americans looking to make their first Solheim Cup team.
The possibility of some major turnover on the American roster exists with six players on the U.S. team that lost in Europe two years ago sitting outside the qualifying standard in various states of sluggish form.
Juli Inkster, Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie, Christina Kim, Vicky Hurst and Ryann O’Toole played on that American team that lost in Ireland but none of them has yet to post a top-10 finish this season.
With so many young first-timers possibly making the team, Mallon could be looking for veteran leadership as her captain’s picks to help solidify the roster.“Considering I have five solid veterans who have played in Solheim Cups, I feel very good about that,” Mallon said. “That being said, with the possibly of four or five rookies making the team, I would definitely look for experience and players who are playing well going into the event. That combination would be the ideal situation for me.”
If Pressel, 25, doesn’t qualify for the team, she looms as a strong captain’s pick candidate. She was 4-0 in the last Solheim Cup and sports a 7-2-2 overall Solheim Cup record. She has a strong overall match play record having won the U.S. Women’s Amateur and finishing third in the Sybase Match Play Championship a year ago. She’s rebounding from a left-hand injury that derailed her in the second half of last season.
Inkster, 52, who has played in an American record nine Solheim Cups, told GolfChannel.com in April that she wasn’t really interested in playing again and believed it was time for some younger Americans to step up. Mallon, though, isn’t discounting Inkster making her 10th team.
“It’s Juli speak,” Mallon said. “In a way, it’s a motivator for her as well. I fully expect Juli to play well this summer with a carrot there in the Solheim Cup. She’s not a ceremonial golfer. She’s not out there just to play. She’s out there to play well. If she finds her game, she will put herself in contention to win tournaments.”
Wie has a 4-3-1 record in two Solheim Cups but she has missed five of 10 cuts this year with no finish better than a tie for 28th.
Natalie Gulbis, slowed by back problems in the past and a bout of malaria earlier this year, is 5-4-1 in three Solheim Cups.
“There are several factors that go into the captain’s picks,” Mallon said. “One is the golf course we’re playing. We are playing at altitude. We’re playing a second shot golf course where you need to have control of your golf ball. So, that’s one part of the pie. Another is experience. Having match-play experience would be great if it was Solheim Cup experience. Another factor is just flat out playing well at the time. That’s a significant factor, and so is the chemistry of the team. You have to have good chemistry in pairings.”
The European squad may feature three or more Solheim Cup rookies.
In the current European standings, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall and Germany’s Caroline Masson hold the top four spots. Off the Euro Rolex World Rankings list, Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, Spain’s Azahara Munoz, France’s Karine Icher and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist hold the top four spots.
Ciganda, Masson and Icher would be Solheim Cup rookies.
Spain’s Beatriz Recari, Germany’s Sandra Gal and England's Laura Davies loom as potential captain’s picks.

Link to Article:
www.golfchannel.com/news/randall-mell/us-solheim-team-could-be-youngest-ever/

[bobawiefan]

Solheim may motivate Wie, pull her out of funk
By Randall Mell
May 31, 2013 8:15 AM ET

If something is going to spark Michelle Wie’s game this summer, it’s the Solheim Cup.
That’s what Rolex world No. 2 Stacy Lewis and No. 3 Suzann Pettersen believe.
Wie tees it up at the Shoprite LPGA Classic Friday looking to improve her position in the U.S. Solheim Cup points standings in a bid to make the American team for a third time. Wie’s struggles have put her in a hole with just seven events remaining to qualify.
Wie is No. 16 on the U.S. points list. The top eight at the conclusion of the Ricoh Women’s British Open qualify for the Aug. 16-18 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club.
Wie is No. 11 on the U.S. Rolex World Rankings list. The top two qualify for the team. The final two American roster spots will be captain’s picks.
Pettersen told media in a news conference Thursday that she has witnessed how the Solheim Cup transforms Wie. Though Pettersen defeated Wie in Sunday singles in Ireland when the Euros won the Solheim Cup two years ago, she said Wie gave her a terrific battle.
“My game plan was just to wear her out by hitting fairways and greens and making putts,” Pettersen said. “I was just waiting for her to hit a few wild shots, and then she would lose it, but she didn’t. She really kept it together.
“I was fortunate enough to win that match, but she played fantastic golf. I think the surroundings at the Solheim bring her passion and her heart into it. I think, sometimes, she plays with a lot of pressure from herself. Just seeing her in that environment an entire week, it really brings out her enjoyment of being out there playing golf, the way she did growing up.”
Lewis agreed.
“Some of Michelle’s best weeks have been in Solheim Cups,” Lewis said. “I don’t know what it is. If she could find that every week . . . She can still hit shots that nobody else on tour can hit. She’s just that talented.
“She’s kind of far down on the points right now, and she’s got some work to do. I don’t know, I mean, she’s taken ownership of her game. She works hard. She wants to be on the team. I know she does, but I don't know.”
Wie was dominant as a captain’s pick helping the Americans win at Rich Harvest Farms four years ago. She was 3-0-1 that week. Wie is 4-3-1 overall in Solheim Cup play, but she’s struggling again this year. She has played into the weekend in just five of 10 starts this year and two of those starts were in events without cuts. She missed 10 cuts in 23 starts last year.
Back in 2006 when the first Rolex world rankings list was released, Wie was No. 3. She was just 16. She’s No. 100 this week.
American captain Meg Mallon isn’t discounting Wie making a summer run at the American team with so many Solheim Cup points available in three summer major championships.
“Michelle’s working as hard as anyone out there,” Mallon said. “She still makes a lot of birdies in a round. Unfortunately, she’s canceling them out, but she’s working to get out of that. We all know her talent and potential is pretty incredible.”

Link to Article:
www.golfchannel.com/news/golftalkcentral/wie-needs-sizzling-summer-to-get-into-solheim-cup/

[bobawiefan]

Michelle’s earned Solheim Points:

Excerpt from
ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer Final Round Notes and Interviews

Solheim earners: Michelle Wie tallied her first top-10 finish of the season. Her tie for ninth at 2-over-par earned her 19.5 points toward the U.S. Solheim Cup points race and moves into the 13th spot in the rankings.
The top American finisher was Gerina Piller, who finished in a tie for fifth at 1-over-par following her final round 69. The Roswell, New Mexico native is trying to make her first U.S. Solheim Cup team and earned 25.5 points this week. She’s currently 11th on the points list.
Other American point earners this week included: Cristie Kerr- T18 (13.5 pts), Paula Creamer- T18 (13.5 pts), Nicole Castrale- T18 (6 pts) and Christina Kim- T18 (6 pts).
The top eight spots will automatically qualify for the team. Spots nine and 10 on the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup Team will be determined by the Rolex Rankings which will be updated on Monday morning. Additionally, U.S. Team Captain Meg Mallon will have two picks to round out the squad.

Link to full Article:
www.lpga.com/golf/news/2013/6/shoprite-notes-final-rd.aspx

[bobawiefan]

Players to Earn Double Solheim Cup Points at this Week's Wegmans LPGA Championship

PARKER, Colo., June 4, 2013 – For just the second time this season, U.S.-born LPGA Tour players will earn double points for the 2013 Solheim Cup at this week’s Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y.

The LPGA Tour’s second major of the year, the Wegmans LPGA Championship will be held June 6-9 at Locust Hill Country Club. Stacy Lewis, a member of the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team and world No. 3, currently leads the U.S. Solheim Cup standings heading into the 72-hole event.

The famed tournament will be a great opportunity for players to either solidify their positions or make big jumps in the points standings with the Solheim Cup just more than two months away. Three of the next six LPGA events are majors.

“Things are going to change, and a lot is going to happen in the next six events because there are three majors involved,” U.S. Captain Meg Mallon said. “I sent an e-mail to the top 30 players and said that, those who aren’t playing well have an opportunity to turn it around, and those who are playing well are looking really good and have an opportunity to win a golf tournament. If you win a major, you’re leapfrogging a lot of people, and if you win a tournament, everything will take care of itself.

“So, it’s exciting for the players that so many people have an opportunity to make this team, and we’ll see how everyone responds.”

With players earning one-and-a-half times as many points in 2013 as they did in 2012, there are large amounts of potential points available. A U.S.-born player winning the Wegmans LPGA Championship will earn a whopping 120 Solheim Cup points.

Players earn points for top-20 finishes at official LPGA Tour events, and only U.S.-born players are eligible. U.S. players began earning points for the 2013 Solheim Cup at the 2011 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

Here is a breakdown of the points available this week:
1. 120.….11. 33
2. 60.……12. 30
3. 57.……13. 27
4. 54.……14. 24
5. 51.……15. 21
6. 48.……16. 18
7. 45 ……17. 15
8. 42.……18. 12
9. 39.……19. 9
10. 36.….20. 6

Link to Full Article:
www.lpga.com/golf/news/2013/6/double-solheim-points-at-wegmans.aspx

Got to love wie golf

bobawiefan

[bobawiefan]

Solheim Cup Standing:
As of June 10, 2013

1 Lewis, Stacy…………...783.5
2 Kerr, Cristie…………....478.5
3 Creamer, Paula………..420
4 Stanford, Angela…….297
5 Lincicome, Brittany…230
6 Thompson, Lexi……..205.5
7 Korda, Jessica………..190.5
8 Salas, Lizette………….168
9 Lang, Brittany………..167.5
10 Pressel, Morgan…..158.5
11 Johnson, Jennifer…153.5
12 Wie, Michelle……151.5
13 Piller, Gerina………...150
14 Futcher, Katie……...116.5

[wiesyfan]

It would be terrific if Michelle gets top 8 in points.

If she gets to 9-11 it would also give her a legitimate chance for a captain's pick.

[bobawiefan]

Hello Wie Nation:
I am not doing this week’s Lpga stats…Not much movement with one round of stats…

Michelle’s Rolex Ranking…84
Official Money List…$108,968.00...Ranked…59

Solheim Cup Standing:
As of July 1, 2013

Rank……Player……Solheim Cup Points…Rolex Ranking
1 Lewis, Stacy………………......810.5.…………….......2
2 Creamer, Paula…………….....496.5.…………….....14
3 Kerr, Cristie……………….......484.5.…………….....12
4 Stanford, Angela………….....351.……………….....18
5 Lincicome, Brittany………...269.………………......35
6 Korda, Jessica…………….....235.5.……………......31
7 Thompson, Lexi…………....232.5.…………….......27
8 Lang, Brittany…………….....226.……………….......44
9 Salas, Lizette………………....174.…………….........19
10 Pressel, Morgan…………..164.5.…………….......51
11 Johnson, Jennifer………..153.5.…………….......58
12 Wie, Michelle……………....151.5.…………….......84
13 Piller, Gerina……………....150.………………........60
14 Futcher, Katie……………..116.5.…………….....124
15 Castrale, Nicole…………..104.………………........70
16 Hurst, Vicky……………....100.5.……………........96
17 Harigae, Mina……………....90.5.……………....... 86
18 Gulbis, Natalie………….....87.5.……………......118
19 Kang, Danielle …………....77.…………………......74
20 Michaels, Sydnee………..65.5.…………….......129

Michelle has 3 tournamnets left to earn Points??

Got to love wie golf

Bobawifan

[bobawiefan]

Solheim Cup Points Update
www.lpga.com/~/media/8275784c633d4e888e3e48d4a52db996/13%2006%20stanforda%20171885603%20s%20620x349.jpg [/img]

Americans are patriotic by nature at their national championship, but there was more than just a major title available for the taking last week at Sebonack Golf Club. The Solheim Cup is only a month and a half away and double points were on the line for those who can finish in the top 20.
At the end of the day on Sunday, nine of the top 10 players on the U.S. Solheim Cup team points list finished in the top-20 at the U.S. Paula Creamer and Angela Stanford shared top American honors after finishing in a tie for fourth and earned 54 points each. Creamer moves into second place on the points list and trails Stacy Lewis by 314 points. Lewis leads the pack with 810.5 points. Players have just three events left to earn points at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, the Marathon Classic and the RICOH Women’s British Open.

Player Name……….Finish…Points Earned…Total Points…Rank
Paula Creamer …………...T4 …………....54 …………......496.5 ……....2nd
Angela Stanford ………..T4 …………....54 ………….......351.……… ....4th
Jessica Korda …………....T7 …………....45 …………......235.5.…….. ..6th
Brittany Lang …………....T7 …………....45 …………......226 ……….....8th
Brittany Lincicome ……..T9 …………....39 …………......269 ……….....5th
Lexi Thompson ………..T13 ………......27 ………….......32.5 ………...7th
Cristie Kerr ……………...T20 ………….....6 ………….......484.5 ……..…3rd
Lizette Salas …………...T20 ……….....…6 ………….......174 ……….....9th
Morgan Pressel ………..T20 ………….....6 ……...........164.5……....10th

Stacy Lewis……………....N/A…………......0.………….......810.5.……….1st
Johnson, Jennifer………N/A…………......0.………….......153.5.……….11th
Michelle Wie…………......WD…………......0.………….......151.5.………12th

The top eight players will automatically qualify on points, spots nine and 10 on the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup Team will be determined by the highest ranked players in the Rolex Rankings not otherwise qualified. Additionally, U.S. Team Captain Meg Mallon will have two picks to round out the squad.

Link to Article:
www.lpga.com/golf/blogs/2013/7/solheim-points-update-0704.aspx

[bobawiefan]

Solheim Cup Up Date as of 15 July 2013?

Rank.....Player………Solheim Cup Points
1 Lewis, Stacy…………..........834.5
2 Creamer, Paula……….........496.5
3 Kerr, Cristie…………...........484.5
4 Stanford, Angela………......381
5 Lincicome, Brittany…….....269
6 Korda, Jessica……….........247.5
7 Thompson, Lexi…….........232.5
8 Lang, Brittany……….........226
9 Piller, Gerina…………..........174
9 Salas, Lizette…………........174
11 Pressel, Morgan…….......164.5
12 Johnson, Jennifer……....162.5
13 Wie, Michelle………....160.5
14 Futcher, Katie……….......116.5
15 Castrale, Nicole…….......104

[davidy48]

I'm looking forward to the shenanigans surrounding Meg's 2 wild card picks. Currently Jennifer Johnson is just ahead of Michelle on the points table, well ahead in the Rolex Rankings and Money List, has a win this season,and looks likely to pick up a few more Solheim points at the Marathon, whereas Wiesy will need some kind of miracle to do so ( top 20 only earn points ). Let's assume that's still the situation after the BO - I can imagine IMG and Nike will have Meg's right arm up her back to find a way to pick Michelle ! Should be entertaining.....

[chargepads]

Meg's justification for picking Michelle over Jennifer for the last spot is Michelle's previous Solheim record and her continued TV attraction. To be more blunt, nobody cares about Jennifer in terms of TV rating. At the end of the day, Meg will pick Michelle. Now, if Michelle bombs and goes 1-3 or worse 0-4 this time at the Solheim Cup, then she will definitely needs to earn her way next time around by winning tournaments.

[davidy48]

I see your point of course, but don't forget one thing - Meg wants to win ! If she thinks she has a better chance of winning with Jennifer in the team rather than Michelle ( and on current form that's hard to dispute, sadly ) she might still go that way......