Annika Sorenstam believes that junior golf in Sweden will receive a big boost thanks to the decision to include her ANNIKA Invitational Europe as a qualifying event for next year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup.
The ANNIKA Invitational Europe is now one of eight prestigious events across Europe where the Continent’s leading girl golfers will be able to pick up qualification points for the 2015 PING Junior Solheim Cup, to be played for the first time in Germany next September at Golf Club St Leon-Rot.
“We are proud the ANNIKA Invitational Europe has been chosen as a qualifying event for next year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup,” confirmed the popular, former World No. 1 ahead of her tournament this year at Forsgårdens Golf Club in Kungsbacka, Sweden.
“It can only motivate and inspire our young players and it will also give us a better field which in the long term can only help with the development of junior golf in our country. I look forward to welcoming all of Europe’s PING Junior Solheim Cup hopefuls to Bro-Bålsta next summer and know they will all be desperate to earn a place on the team.”
This year’s ANNIKA Invitational Europe was won by Marion Veysseyre, a member of the victorious French team at this year’s European Girls’ Team Championship in Slovakia, who carded rounds of 70-74-69 to finish on 3 under par, one shot in front of Elodie Bridenne of France and Ana Pelaez of Spain. It was just the third time the event has been played since inauguration in 2012 and it has already been recognised as one of Europe’s top tournaments, giving 78 junior girls between the ages of 12 and 18 the opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage.
The full list of qualifying events for the 2015 PING Junior Solheim Cup, to be held on September 14-15, 2015 at GC St. Leon-Rot, Germany, is as follows:
The Spanish International Ladies Amateur Championship at Real Club Pineda de Sevilla, Spain (Feb 25 – March 1)
The French International Lady Junior Championship at GC St Cloud, France (April 2-6)
The German Girls’ Open at GC St. Leon-Rot Germany (June 5-7),
The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship at Portstewart GC, Northern Ireland (June 9-13)
The European Girls’ Team Championship at Golf Resort Kaskada Brno, Czech Republic (July 7-11)
The European Ladies’ Team Championship at Helsingør, Denmark (July 7-11)
The ANNIKA Invitational Europe at Bro-Bålsta, Sweden (Aug 4-6)
The Girls’ British Open Championship at West Kilbride, Scotland (Aug 10-14)
