Solheim Cup: Piller, Wie named captain's picks

Solheim Cup: Piller, Wie named captain's picks
The Sports Xchange August 4, 2013The SportsXchange









Morgan Pressel's final-round 76 at the Women's British Open on Sunday cost her more than her second major title - it also kept the 25-year-old off the United States Solheim Cup roster.

With a victory at St. Andrews, Pressel would have secured one of the eight automatic spots for the 13th Solheim Cup, which will be played Aug. 16-18 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo. But her tie for fourth place left Pressel's fate in the hands of captain Meg Mallon, who chose Gerina Piller and Michelle Wie as he captain's picks.

Piller and Wie will join the top eight players who earned automatic spots: Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr,Angela Stanford, Brittany Lincicome, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda and Brittany Lang.

"I'm just thrilled to finally have my team announced," Mallon said. "I have 12 players who I am very excited to have on this team. They have all played their hearts out over the last two years."

No. 19 Lizette Salas and Pressel (41) were the two highest-ranked players in the world who will not be on the team.

It will be the third Solheim Cup for Wie, while Piller - a former contestant on Big Break - will make her first.

"I feel a thousand emotions, but I'm just honored to be considered and ecstatic to be picked," Piller said.

The European Solheim Cup Team, led by Captain Liselotte Neumann, was also announced.

The top four players who automatically qualified for the team are: Suzann Pettersen (Norway), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Catriona Matthew (Scotland) and Caroline Masson (Germany). Based on the Rolex Rankings, the four highest-ranked players not in the top four spots on the points list who qualified are: No. 20 Beatriz Recari (Spain), No. 22 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), No. 24 Karine Icher (France) and No. 27 Azahara Munoz (Spain).Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England), Caroline Hedwall (Sweden), Giulia Sergas (Italy), and Charley Hull (England) - who will be the youngest competitor in Solheim Cup history at 17 - round out the European Team as captain's picks.