July 6, 2017

Ten named to PING Junior Solheim Cup U.S. Team

Ten named to PING Junior Solheim Cup United States Team

Top junior golfers from the United States to face off against European counterparts on American soil

BRASELTON, Ga. — The first 10 junior golfers have been named to the 2017 PING Junior Solheim Cup United States Team, the American Junior Golf Association announced Thursday.

Modeled after the Solheim Cup, the PING Junior Solheim Cup biennially features the 12 best female junior golfers (ages 12-19) from the United States against the 12 best junior girls from Europe. The team match play event includes: foursomes, four-ball and singles matches played over two days and rotates between U.S. and European host sites coinciding with the Solheim Cup.

The first 10 players named to the U.S. Team were selected based on a combination of the AJGA Rankings and the Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Girls Rankings as of July 5. The final two spots on the U.S. Team are reserved for captain’s picks. LPGA legend Alice Miller will captain the U.S. team. As a player, Miller was a member of the Arizona State University 1975 AIAW National Collegiate Championship team. Miller played on the LPGA Tour for 20 years where she won eight events and one major championship, the 1985 ANA Inspiration.

The ninth biannual PING Junior Solheim Cup will be held at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, August 14-16, 2017. The United States leads the all-time series 5-2-1. In 2015, the United States was the first team to win on foreign soil, earning its fifth win in history, 13-11, at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club in Heidelberg, Germany.

Representing the United States

Earning entry through Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Girls Rankings are Lucy Li of Redwood Shores, California, Rachel Heck of Memphis, Tennessee, Emilia Migliaccio of Cary, North Carolina, Alyaa Abdulghany of Newport Beach, California, and Kaitlyn Papp of Austin, Texas.

The following players earned entry through the AJGA Rankings: Gina Kim of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Youngin Chun of Gainesville, Florida; Erica Shepherd of Greenwood, Indiana; Brooke Seay of Rancho Santa Fe, California; and Jennifer Chang of Cary, North Carolina.

The final two players will be announced on July 31.

AJGA alumnae who have graduated from PING Junior Solheim Cup to the Solheim Cup on Team USA include Paula Creamer, Brittany Lang, Alison Lee, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Lexi Thompson.

About the PING Junior Solheim Cup

The PING Junior Solheim Cup is owned by PING and will be operated by the American Junior Golf Association with assistance from the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour.

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 they built into their original clubs more than 50 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.

About PING

The tournament owner and title partner, PING, designs, manufactures and markets a complete line of golf equipment including metal woods, irons, putters and golf bags. The family-owned company was founded in 1959 by the late Karsten Solheim. Solheim is the only person to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as a golf club manufacturer. Today, the Phoenix-based company is under the direction of Solheim's youngest son, John A. Solheim. PING game-improvement products can be found in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit ping.com.

About the AJGA

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 6,600 members from 50 states and 55 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 600 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Hunter Mahan, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Zach Johnson, Justin Thomas, Stacy Lewis, Ariya Jutanugarn , Alison Lee, Lexi Thompson, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.