With just one tournament to be played before the first four players on the 2015 European Solheim Cup team are confirmed from the Ladies European Tour’s points list, there is everything to play for this week at the Tipsport Golf Masters in Pilsen, Czech Republic, the last LET tournament before Carin Koch names her full team on Tuesday, 25th August.
Following the Ricoh Women’s British Open, where Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist, Melissa Reid, Amy Boulden, Vice-Captain Maria McBride and Hannah Burke all earned points for finishing inside the top 20 at a Major Championship, there were a few changes to the list.
Suzann Pettersen, Gwladys Nocera and Charley Hull are still in the top three. However, Anna Nordqvist is now in fourth position with 132.05 points and Melissa Reid is in fifth position with 124.83 points, only 7.22 points behind her.
At the Tipsport Golf Masters, points will be awarded for top ten finishes as follows:
1st place: 40 points, 2nd place: 24 points, 3rd place: 18 points, 4th place: 16 points, 5th place: 14 points, 6th place: 12 points, 7th place: 10 points, 8th place: 8 points, 9th place: 6 points, 10th place: 4 points.
Therefore Melissa Reid, who recently entered the tournament, needs to finish eighth to overtake Nordqvist, who is not playing in Pilsen.
Carlota Ciganda now lies in sixth place with 112.67 points. She is 19.38 points behind Nordqvist, which means she needs to finish second in Pilsen to overtake her.
Holly Clyburn is in seventh spot with 85.83 points. She is 46.22 points behind Nordqvist and cannot qualify on points, so would have to receive one of the four captain’s picks, as would the next players on the list, who don’t qualify from the Women’s World Golf Rankings. Currently occupying those positions on the World Rankings are Azahara Munoz, Sandra Gal, Carlota Ciganda and Catriona Matthew.
Next on the points list is Laura Davies, followed by Valentine Derrey, Amy Boulden, Hannah Burke, Pamela Pretswell, Kylie Walker, Nicole Broch Larsen and Caroline Masson.
Also in the frame, from the Women’s World Golf Rankings, are Karine Icher, Christel Boeljon, Pernilla Lindberg and Beatriz Recari. There have also been several stand-out performances from the European rookies this year, such as a final round of 65 in the Ricoh Women’s British Open from Nanna Koertz Madsen, but will that have been enough to impress the Captain?
United States Captain Juli Inkster will announce her team, including her 10 qualifiers and two picks, on Monday 24th August in Orlando.
The matches are taking place at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot in Germany on 18th -20th September.
