WESTFIELD, Ind. – By claiming 10 of 12 points during singles matches, the United States won back the PING Junior Solheim Cup 16-8 Wednesday at The Bridgewater Club in suburban Indianapolis. This continues the growing trend of the Cup being won by the team on its home soil, as has been the case in the previous two events.

After closing ceremonies, the U.S. Team, led by LPGA Tour veteran and U.S Captain Colleen Walker, individually dove into the swimming pool to celebrate their victory. Not to be outdone, the Europeans soon joined the United States, ending the event in the most golf-talented swim party in the history of junior golf.

The PING Junior Solheim Cup was conducted by the American Junior Golf Association and hosted by The Bridgewater Club in Westfield, Ind. The matches included the 12 top female junior golfers from the United States against their European counterparts. Players competed in four-ball and foursome matches Tuesday, and battled in singles matches Wednesday. The Europeans held the Cup previously, after winning the second biennial event in Sweden in 2003. The United States won the inaugural event in 2002 at Oak Ridge Country Club in Hopkins, Minn.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think we could go out today and win as many matches as we did,” Walker said. “I knew we had the talent, but my goal was to get the 6.5 points needed to win; I knew there were a few matches that could go either way.”

Walker now joins Sherri Steinhauer (2002) in leading a U.S. squad to victory at the PING Junior Solheim Cup.

“I have to say that standing outside the ropes was even harder than standing in the fairway hitting the shots,” 1988 Vare Trophy winner Walker said.

The United States and Europe split the first four matches 2-2. Jennie Arseneault’s 6-and-5 victory during the first match of the day, however, scored the United States its first point and set the tone for what was to come.

Anchored again by the stellar play of Sydnee Michaels of Temecula, Calif., Megan Grehan of Mamaroneck, N.Y., and Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla. – who all went undefeated for the event – the United States won the final eight matches of the day.

Anna Nordqvist of Eskilstuna, Sweden, was the lone European to go unbeaten for the week.

The deciding point of the Cup came when Catherina Wang of Orlando closed out Marta Silva of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on the par-4 18th, 1-up. Michaels’ victory soon followed, continuing the U.S. landslide toward its victory.

“This whole week has been an incredible experience,” Michaels said, who won her match, 5 and 4 over Caroline Masson of Gladbeck, Germany, with four birdies and an eagle. “I was just happy to play well for my team and my country.”

Grehan and Pressel’s matches were two more points that were decided after the Cup had officially changed hands. Grehan defeated Beatriz Recari of Pamplona, Spain, 3 and 2, while Pressel closed out her junior career with a win against Azahara Munoz of Malaga, Spain, 6 and 4.

“No matter what had already happened, it was important to me to win my match,” Grehan said. “It was important to my team and to my country to get that point.”

Pressel, who went 2-0-1 during the event, will turn professional in the months to come, ending one of the most impressive junior careers in AJGA history.

“This was so important to me to play in this event,” Pressel said. “There is no better way to end my time in junior golf. Going out on top with this team is the way I wanted it.”


During the closing ceremonies, it was announced the 2007 PING Junior Solheim Cup will take place at Bastad Golf and Country Club in Nya Bana, Sweden.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA, the largest Association of its kind, has a junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 200 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA 160 include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Dottie Pepper, Grace Park, Cristie Kerr, Beth Bauer, and Paula Creamer.

FINAL TOTAL: UNITED STATES 16, EUROPE 8