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Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland, 3rd August 2010: With The 2011 Solheim Cup just 13 months away, the European and US Captains, Alison Nicholas and Rosie Jones, were at Killeen Castle scouting the golf course ahead of this week’s AIB Ladies Irish Open.
The captains are already starting work on their course strategy ahead of the 12th staging of the biennial, international team match play competition, which will take place from 19-25 September, 2011.
For Nicholas, this week’s tournament will give her the opportunity to discuss the course set-up with the players, to give her side the best possible opportunity to regain the Cup.
“That’s what we’ll be looking at very deeply, basically. We’ll have a look at what the players think of the course in the practise rounds and during the week,” said Nicholas, who is joined on site by one of her two vice-captains, Joanne Morley. The other, Annika Sorenstam, will visit in September.
“The course is set up a little bit shorter than The Solheim will be but all the players have got the information in terms of the yardages and we’ll be looking at that very deeply with my vice-captain and setting a strategy from there.
“We don’t have any major secrets really but I’ve always got to remember that the American players are very, very good players and they adapt very well to anything. We’ve got some work to do and it’s always going to be a tough match because they are always very good. My players are getting ready for it. We’ve lost over the last three occasions so they will be up for it.”
The United States won The 2009 Solheim Cup, 16 to 12, over Europe at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The USA leads the overall competition 8-3, but they are 2-3 when competing on European soil.
The US Captain, Rosie Jones, was joined on-site by her assistant captains, Juli Inkster and Sherri Steinhauer, who were all delighted with the golf course.
Jones said: “I think it’s a great venue here at Killeen Castle. It’s a great golf course, a Niklaus design. I think it’s going to be very comfortable for our players to come over here. It looks a little more American than European style golf courses so we’re looking forward to that.
“The greens are very undulated, so you need to be a good iron player and I think you need to bring the rough into the fairways a bit. We’re trying to talk Alison Nicholas into doing that and she hasn’t responded yet.”
Inkster added: “It’s beautiful. It’s not really what I expected. I expected more of a linksy course. It’s pristine. It’s set up great. The greens are very undulated, good bunkering. It looks like iron shots and putting is probably where it’s going to be at.”
Both captains have been swapping notes with their Ryder Cup counterparts.
Nicholas said: “I’ve talked to all the Ryder Cup captains and I will be doing a bit more of that. I’m going to the Ryder Cup so I’ll be talking to them, particularly on course set-up possibly and I’ve read every article, everything you can think of. I’ve done my home work and I shall be doing more of that, getting the players together to discuss how we can go out and win this thing.”
Jones said: “I’ve had some conversations with past captains of the Ryder Cup and I’m certainly having conversations with past captains of the US teams. They’ve given me a lot of advice and information coming over here so I’ll be totally prepared.”
The Solheim Cup General Information:
The Solheim Cup is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition featuring the best U.S.-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the best European members from the Ladies European Tour (LET). The U.S. Team leads the competition, 8-3, and has never lost The Solheim Cup on home soil. In 2009, the Americans kept their untarnished home record intact at Rich Harvest Farms with a 16 to 12 final score against the Europeans. The 2011 Solheim Cup will be played from 23-25 September, 2011, at Killeen Castle, County Meath, Ireland. Weekly tickets, PING Pavilion tickets and travel packages for the event are available at www.SolheimCup.com.
About Killeen Castle
Killeen Castle, the ancestral home of the Earls of Fingal, sits in a wooded estate in 600 acres in Dunsany, Co. Meath. Set in the historic grounds of one of Ireland's oldest and finest 12th century Norman castles, the estate at Killeen Castle is home to a unique development of supreme quality residences discreetly positioned among the natural woodlands of the demesne and throughout which the magnificent Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course winds. Jack Nicklaus, course designer at Killeen Castle, said: “As the course designer, I am proud to be part of what is happening at Killeen Castle. It is phenomenal, what with the castle as a focal point. You have wonderful facilities to stage The Solheim Cup or the Ryder Cup in the future. It is a very strong course and will be nicely matured for 2011.”
Located just north of Dunshaughlin in the heart of Royal Meath overlooked by the ancient Hill of Tara, Killeen Castle is just minutes from the picturesque hamlet of Dunsany. Killeen Castle offers all the joys of true country living, yet it is only 35 minutes from Dublin International Airport and 45 minutes from Dublin city centre. The golfing facilities are augmented by a 30,000 sq ft stand alone modern purpose built clubhouse, with parking facilities in an old wall garden setting for 260 cars. In the context of holding The Solheim Cup, the venue provides ample room (500 acres) for public village and hospitality facilities, a television compound, grandstands and spectator traffic flow, all adjacent to the dramatic 18th hole. Killeen Castle is soon to be complemented by a luxury hotel and spa. For more information, visit the club’s website, www.killeencastle.com.
Fonte: ladieseuropeantour
Sophie Gustafson enhanced her prospects of returning to Killeen Castle next September as part of Europe’s Solheim Cup Team as she won a thrilling AIB Ladies Irish Open.
The Swede, who is a seven-time Solheim Cup player, shot a superb final round 66 on a day of perfect scoring conditions to card 12 under par and edge ahead of Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord and South Korean In-Kyung Kim.
Gustafson showed her class by winning her fourth Irish Open following victories in 1998 at Ballyliffin, 2000 at Faithlegg and 2003 at Killarney. It was her sixth title on Irish soil as she also won the 2003 BT Open in Northern Ireland and the TSN World Cup partnering Carin Koch in 2000.
“I love Ireland. This is my sixth win in Ireland if you count the time I won in Northern Ireland in 2003 and at the World Cup in 2000,” said a delighted Gustafson. “I think maybe it’s the people. They are all very friendly and easy going and they have always been very supportive of me.”
The €75,000 first prize is Gustafson’s first winner’s cheque since the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup, which she won in April partnering Anna Nordqvist. It was her 24th individual win worldwide and has helped her bid to make Alison Nicholas’ 2011 team to take on the United States.
When asked what she thought of The 2011 Solheim Cup venue, the 36-year-old said: “I think my win pretty much says it all: that I like it! I expect to play my way onto the team.”
The 15,000 spectators that attended on the final day would have been impressed as they saw the drama unfold on the course that will host The Solheim Cup from 23-25 September, 2011.
Playing in the penultimate group ahead of the second round leader, Kim, Gustafson played a wedge from 130 yards to 10 feet at the par four closing hole in front of a packed gallery and rolled the ball straight down the hill into the hole to edge one shot clear.
Kim had a chance to enter a playoff, but her long birdie putt on 18 finished just below the hole and she finished with a round of 70. Skarpnord, twice a winner on the Ladies European Tour, fired a 69.
“Being able to make that putt was fantastic because I’ve been struggling with my putting, so that was very, very nice,” Gustafson added. “I think I’ve been playing better than my recent results have shown, so that was very pleasing being able to play so well.”
Gustafson started the final round three shots adrift and was out in 34 but picked up the pace after rolling in a short birdie putt on the par-four ninth, which was playing as the toughest hole on the course.
She came back in 32, with an eagle on the par-five 12th hole, where she hit a four-iron to 15 feet and then birdied holes 14 and 18.
There were seven potential European Solheim Cup team members in the top 11 places and two American prospects. England’s Melissa Reid finished in fourth place on 10 under after a final round of 66. Australian Katherine Hull was the exception and fired a 64 to finish fifth.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, who made her Solheim Cup debut in 2009, finished sixth at eight under par, with Brittany Lang, who made her debut on the United States side in 2009, a stroke back in seventh.
Helen Alfredsson of Sweden, who has made eight Solheim Cup appearances as a player and captained the European team in 2007, fired a 67 to share eighth with two-time United States team member Brittany Lincicome (68), 2007 Solheim Cupper Linda Wessberg (74) and Spanish hopeful Azahara Munoz (70). First round leader Maria Hjorth of Sweden (73) finished a stroke back in a five-way tie for 12th.
Rebecca Coakley was the leading Irish player in a tie for 17th place on four under par and 15-year-old Lisa Maguire from Ireland took the Philomena Garvey trophy as the leading amateur in a share of 40th place.
AIB Ladies Irish Open
Killeen Castle
6-8 August 2010
Final Scores:
204 - Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 70 68 66
205 - Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 70 66 69, In Kyung Kim (KOR) 69 66 70
206 - Melissa Reid (ENG) 68 72 66
207 - Katherine Hull (AUS) 73 70 64
208 - Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 69 67 72
209 - Brittany Lang (USA) 73 68 68
210 - Helen Alfredsson (SWE) 75 68 67, Brittany Lincicome (USA) 71 71 68, Azahara Munoz Guijarro (ESP) 73 67 70, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 70 66 74
211 - Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 78 69 64, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 74 71 66, Christina Kim (USA) 72 70 69, Maria Hjorth (SWE) 67 71 73, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 71 66 74
212 - Rebecca Coakley (IRE) 71 72 69, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 69 72 71
213 - Amy Yang (KOR) 74 71 68, Angela Stanford (USA) 71 72 70, Nikki Garrett (AUS) 73 69 71, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 70 70 73
214 - Becky Morgan (WAL) 71 75 68, Caroline Masson (GER) 70 75 69, Sophie Giquel (FRA) 72 72 70, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 73 71 70, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 70 73 71, Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 74 68 72
215 - Louise Stahle (SWE) 74 71 70, Iben Tinning (DEN) 69 76 70, Laura Davies (ENG) 76 69 70, Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 73 72 70, Kristy McPherson (USA) 69 74 72, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 72 71 72, Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 72 68 75
217 - Mollie Fankhauser (USA) 73 74 70, Stefanie Michl (AUT) 72 74 71, Anja Monke (GER) 75 71 71, Lisa Hall (ENG) 75 70 72
218 - Catriona Matthew (SCO) 75 73 70, Lisa Maguire (Am) (IRE) 72 74 72, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 75 69 74
219 - Beth Allen (USA) 75 72 72, Danielle McVeigh (Am) (IRE) 74 73 72, Rebecca Flood (AUS) 73 73 73, Frances Bondad (AUS) 74 71 74, Carly Booth (SCO) 69 75 75, Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 74 70 75
220 - Marta Prieto (ESP) 73 73 74, Leona Maguire (Am) (IRE) 72 72 76, Carin Koch (SWE) 71 73 76, Krystle Caithness (SCO) 73 69 78
221 - Kylie Walker (SCO) 74 74 73, Alison Walshe (USA) 75 73 73, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN) 73 72 76, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 73 71 77, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 71 71 79
222 - Vikki Laing (SCO) 74 74 74, Kate Combes (AUS) 75 73 74
223 - Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 69 79 75, Mallory Blackwelder (USA) 73 75 75
224 - Kym Larratt (ENG) 72 74 78
225 - Caroline Afonso (FRA) 73 75 77
226 - Laura Cabanillas (ESP) 72 75 79
Fonte: ladieseuropeantour