Battle of the Best
Less than 10 miles down the road from Rich Harvest Farms, home of the 2009 Solheim Cup, are 24 junior golfers: 12 European, 12 American. These young women dream of one day walking down the same fairways as the professional golfers who will tee it up at the premier team event in women’s golf.
These juniors make up the field of the PING Junior Solheim Cup, a junior event that mirrors The Solheim Cup. These young ladies represent the best junior golfers of Europe and the United States. They hold titles to some of the most prestigious junior events worldwide, and they have all arrived in Aurora, Ill., with one common goal: taking home the Cup.
The U.S. team returns three players from the 2007 squad: Tiffany Lua; Kristen Park; and Jane Rah, who will be making her third appearance in the PING Junior Solheim Cup (2005, '07, '09).
Rah, a four-time Rolex Junior All-American, is no stranger to top-notch team events, as she is a five-time member of the Canon Cup West Team. The No. 11-ranked player in the Polo Golf Rankings has a PING Junior Solheim Cup record of 3-2-1.
Park, winner of the 2007 U.S. Girls' Junior, boasts an undefeated PING Junior Solheim Cup record of 3-0-0.
Joining these veterans is the No. 1-ranked player in the Polo Golf Rankings. Alexis Thompson is a two-time first-team Rolex Junior All-American and has six victories to her name.
Spectators may think they are seeing double as the European team takes to the tee. The Europeans are helmed by identical twins Leona and Lisa Maguire.
Leona is the current French U21 champion and was victorious at the Helen Holmes Scottish Open. She was also a member of the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup team.
Lisa holds the title to both the 2009 Irish Women’s Open Stroke Play competition as well as the Irish Women’s Close Championship. She, too, was a member of the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup Team.
The European team's sole returning member is Sally Watson of Earlsferry, Scotland. Her team match-play experience will be a strong asset to her team, as she has made appearances at the 2007 PING Junior Solheim Cup, the 2008 Curtis Cup and the European Ladies Team Championship.
While each team brings different strengths to the competition, one thing is certain: the competition will be fierce at the 2009 PING Junior Solheim Cup.
Since its inception, the PING Junior Solheim Cup has been hoisted by the host team. Will the American team bring the Cup back to the U.S., or will the 2009 European team be the first to capture the trophy on foreign soil?
Regardless of the outcome, those in attendance will witness the future of the Solheim Cup and the future of women’s golf.