Denmark’s Puk Lyng Thomsen made a big move up the PING Junior Solheim Cup European Ranking after winning the individual stroke play qualifying event at the European Amateur Team Championship at Helsingør Golf Club in her home country.
The 17 year-old from Frederikshavn carded rounds of 71 and 65 to finish a single shot ahead of England’s Alice Hewson and Finland’s Matilda Castren and in the process jump up from a share in ninth on the European Ranking into a tie for second place behind current leader, France’s Agathe Laisne.
Austria’s Emma Spitz and Spain’s Ana Pelaez are two other players to have made substantial advances up the European Ranking thanks to their fine performances at the concurrent European Girls‘ Team Championship at the Kaskáda Golf Resort in the Czech Republic. Reigning Italian Women’s International champion, Spitz, entered the Ranking in a share of fifth place after carding rounds of 73 and 70 to win the individual stroke play qualifying event at Kaskáda while Pelaez jumped up from tied 6th to tied 2nd with Thomsen after finishing one shot behind her Austrian rival.
Spitz went on to help Austria finish third behind Spain and Italy in the team event.
France beat Switzerland 4-3 in the final of the European Women’s Team Championship played in Denmark while Spain defeated Italy by the same scoreline in the European Girls‘ Team Championship in the Czech Republic.
The top-10 as it stands at present with just two counting events left to go – the ANNIKA Invitational Europe at Bro-Bålsta GK, Sweden (August 4-6) and the Girls’ British Open Championship at West Kilbride GC, Scotland, (August 10-14) – is headed by Laisne with 70 points and she is followed by Pelaez and Thomsen (both 50 points), Germany’s Leonie Harm (42.5 points), Spitz, Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey and Sweden’s Elin Esborn (all 40 points), Spain’s Maria Parra (37.5 points), Hewson (35 points) and Germany’s Esther Henseleit (30 points). The top six on the European Ranking after the Girls‘ British Open will all earn automatic places in the European side for this year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club (September 14-15). The team will be completed with six Captain’s picks.
ABOUT THE PING JUNIOR SOLHEIM CUP
The PING Junior Solheim Cup 2015 is to be played at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club on September 14-15 immediately ahead of The Solheim Cup, which is staged at the same German golf club on September 18-20. It is the first time the same venue has been used for both matches.
The PING Junior Solheim Cup is a team match play competition between Europe and the United States, each team featuring the best 12 female golfers 18 years of age and younger.
The competition consist of 24 matches – six foursome matches, six fourball matches and 12 single matches.
The aim of the competition is to give juniors the opportunity to further their golfing careers by playing matchplay at a high level and also for the competitors to meet, learn and be inspired by the professional players playing in The Solheim Cup.
The 2015 event marks the eighth time the PING Junior Solheim Cup team will be contested with the US Team currently leading the series 4-2-1.
The PING Junior Solheim Cup was established by PING CEO and Chairman, John Solheim, back in 2002 and since has developed a deserved reputation for showcasing the talents of the world’s best female junior players with Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist, Carlota Ciganda, Beatriz Recari, Melissa Reid, Charley Hull, Caroline Masson, Caroline Hedwall, Paula Creamer, Vicky Hurst, Brittany Lang, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel, Jessica Korda, and Lexi Thompson all playing in the match before graduating to The Solheim Cup.
PING JUNIOR SOLHEIM CUP 2015 – EUROPEAN RANKING
Po. Name Country Points
1 Agathe Laisne France 70
t2 Ana Pelaez Spain 50
t2 Puk Lyng Thomsen Denmark 50
4 Leonie Harm Germany 42,5
t5 Emma Spitz Austria 40
t5 Olivia Mehaffey Ireland 40
t5 Elin Esborn Sweden 40
8 Maria Parra Spain 37,5
9 Alice Hewson England 35
10 Esther Henseleit Germany 30
11 Albane Valenzuela Switzerland 28,75
t12 Klara Kaminska Czech Republic 20
t12 Elena Hualde Spain 20
t14 Pauline Roussin-Bouchard France 10
t14 Ann-Charlotte Mora France 10
t14 Maria Herraez Galvez Spain 10
17 Emma Grechi France 8.75
t18 Eva Gilly France 5
t18 Diane Baillieux Belgium 5
20 Julia Engström Sweden 1
The ranking was updated following the European Girls Team Championship and the European Team Championship strokeplay. The next update will take place following the ANNIKA Invitational Europe Aug 4-6.
