LPGA Hall of Fame inductee JoAnne Carner to lead 2015 team in Germany
BRASELTON, Ga. — JoAnne Carner, a member of the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, has been named the Captain of the 2015 U.S. PING Junior Solheim Cup Team. Selected by PING, the founding organization of the Solheim Cup and PING Junior Solheim Cup, and the American Junior Golf Association, Carner will lead the 12 members of the United States team in September 2015.
“To be selected for this is a real thrill,” Carner said. “The PING Junior Solheim Cup is a neat opportunity for these young girls and I am so honored to be a part of it for 2015. It will be great to get an opportunity to see what our future holds.”
Modeled after the Solheim Cup, the PING Junior Solheim Cup biennially features the 12 best female junior golfers (ages 12-18) from the United States against the top 12 junior girls from Europe. St. Leon-Rot Golf Club near Heidelberg, Germany, will serve as the host of the 2015 Solheim Cup and PING Junior Solheim Cup, marking the first year both events will be played at the same venue.
“The choice of JoAnne Carner as the 2015 PING Junior Solheim Cup captain is especially meaningful for us because our relationship with her dates back to when we first became involved with the LPGA,” said John Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “JoAnne’s combined amateur and professional record is unprecedented. The girls who earn a place on her team will have the distinct honor of being led by one of the greatest golfers of all time. JoAnne’s experience as the winning Solheim Cup captain in 1994 will benefit her players and their careers for years to come. Her lighthearted sense of humor will keep the competition fun for the girls while they experience the thrill of competing for their country.”
Carner, eighth on the LPGA Tour’s all-time winningest players list, claimed victory 43 times, including two majors, during her 36-year professional career. Despite her milestone successes while on Tour, the LPGA Tour Hall of Famer may be more widely acclaimed for her astounding accomplishments as an amateur. A five-time U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion and four-time U.S. Curtis Cup Team member, Carner’s match-play success is unrivaled. In addition, the Arizona State alumna is the only women’s player in history to win the U.S. Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Open.
“PING is such an outstanding company,” Carner said. “For them to come up with the Solheim Cup originally, it really set the LPGA on the map. After a few years, to include the PING Junior Solheim Cup is really futuristic thinking on their part to help promote the game.
“I think it must be thrilling for juniors to go to Germany and represent their country. And, of course, the excitement of bringing match play back into the game is great.”
The eighth edition of the PING Junior Solheim Cup will take place September 14-15. This marks the first time the event has been played in Germany since its inception in 2002.
The U.S. Team will look to earn its second victory on foreign soil and fourth consecutive win in the all-time series currently split 4-2-1. Team Europe claimed victory in both 2003 and 2007 when the competitions were held in Sweden.
The Solheim Cup, the most prestigious team event in women’s professional golf and sponsored by PING golf equipment, is named in honor of the company’s founder, Karsten Solheim, and his family. It is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition featuring the best American-born players from the LPGA and the best European-born players from the Ladies European Tour. The U.S. leads the Solheim Cup series, 8-5-0. The 2015 Solheim Cup is scheduled for September 18-20, 2015.
About the PING Junior Solheim Cup
The PING Junior Solheim Cup is owned and hosted by PING and will be operated by St. Leon-Rot Golf Club and the Ladies European Tour with assistance from the American Junior Golf Association and the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Founded by Karsten and Louise Solheim, the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation is a long-time sponsor of the LPGA and AJGA. As the makers of PING golf equipment, the Solheim family continues to ensure the same superior workmanship today that was built into their original clubs more than 55 years ago. Now under the direction of John Solheim, Karsten and Louise’s youngest son, the company continues in its efforts to manufacture the highest quality golf equipment. The PING name is known world over. Besides its presence in the United States, PING markets custom-fit and custom-built equipment to more than 70 countries.
