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By virtue of making the cut at the RICOH Women’s British Open, Lizette Salas is guaranteed a spot on the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup Team via the Rolex Rankings category. She is joined by the top-seven players on the U.S. Team points list who are also locked in for spots. Four positions remain up for grabs and the Old Course at St. Andrews will be the venue where the plot unfolds this weekend.
Salas will play on her first Solheim Cup team alongside veterans Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford and Brittany Lincicome, as well as newcomers Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda. Salas can still move into the points qualification and free up the spot she currently holds in the Rolex category. The second Rolex Rankings spot remains up for grabs.
Brittany Lang, currently in the eighth and final points spot, can still be knocked out of her guaranteed spot. Players who still have a mathematical chance to qualify via the points list include Salas, Gerina Piller, Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie, all of whom must win the RICOH Women’s British Open to guarantee a spot.
Players in contention this weekend with a mathematical chance to qualify via Rolex Rankings include Danielle Kang and Nicole Castrale. Jennifer Johnson missed the cut and can no longer qualify via the points race, but is still mathematically in the running for a Rolex Rankings spot pending finishes by others.
The 2013 Solheim Cup will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado, Aug. 16-18.
Loving Scottish golf? Morgan Pressel is in contention to win the second major championship of her career and qualify for her fourth U.S. Solheim Cup Team this weekend at the RICOH Women’s British Open. The 25-year-old American is two shots off the pace of leader Na Yeon Choi at 8-under-par. Not bad for a player who previously despised links golf.
“Everything happens for a reason, and I think that my past struggles here at St. Andrews as well as links golf in general my first two years on Tour taught me a lot,” Pressel said.
Pressel fired a 2-under-par 70 on Friday in relatively calm conditions on Friday morning to move into solo third place with 36 holes remaining at St. Andrews. She is currently 12th in the U.S. Solheim Cup Team points race and needs a win to earn a guaranteed spot via points. She is also in the mix for an automatic spot via the Rolex Rankings category.
“At this point, you know, I’ve played well for two days, and I’m more focused on this tournament,” Pressel said, when asked about Solheim Cup qualification. “I feel like I’ve given myself the best opportunity to play on the team in the last couple months. We’ll see how it falls at the end of the week but I feel good about where I am.”
