Sept. 7, 2005

Release Courtesy of American Junior Golf Association

WESTFIELD, Ind. - It will all come down to Wednesday's singles matches after Europe and the United States played to a 6-6 tie on Day One at the PING Junior Solheim Cup.

The PING Junior Solheim Cup, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association and hosted by The Bridgewater Club in Westfield, Ind., matches the 12 top female junior golfers from the United States against their European counterparts. Players competed in four-ball and foursome matches Tuesday, and will battle in singles matches Wednesday. The Europeans hold the Cup and need to reach 12 points to keep it, while the United States needs 12.5 points to reclaim the third biennial PING Junior Solheim Cup

The morning four-ball matches ended with the United States clinging to a precarious one-shot lead. That lead turned into a deficit after Europe won the first of the two afternoon foursome matches. However, the United States swung the momentum back in its favor by winning two-and-a-half of the final four points.

For the Europeans, Anna Nordqvist of Eskilstuna, Sweden, and Lene Krog of Drammen, Norway, teamed up for two points, winning both of their matches, including a 6-and-5 win over Kimberly Donovan of Hopkinton, Mass., and Sydney Burlison of Salinas, Calif., in the afternoon.

"I'm really happy," Nordqvist said. "Lene and I played well together. We had a lot of fun and I think that's why we played well."

On the American side, Megan Grehan of Mamaroneck, N.Y., and Sydnee Michaels of Temecula, Calif., each won their morning matches, then teamed together to win their afternoon foursome match.

"It feels great," Michaels said about her perfect 2-0-0 day. "My partners were great. Megan had some great shots and we complemented each other well."

Michaels and Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., claimed their morning match on the strength of a 40-yard pitch shot for eagle at the 16th hole. With a 1-up lead going into No. 16, Michaels holed her third shot on the par-5 from the right rough, giving her and Choe a 2-up lead with two holes to play. After both sides made par on the next hole, the U.S. pair claimed a 2-and-1 win.

"There was not a lot of green to work with," Michaels said. "So I opened the club face and just tried to get it close."

.Kimberly Kim of Pahoa, Hawaii, also won two points for the United States.

The pivotal moment of the day, however, came in the final group of the afternoon matches. With Europe and the United States tied at 5.5, the final group provided immense drama for the 200 spectators following along the final two holes. After Alessandra de Luigi of Como, Italy, and Florentyna Parker of Birkdale, England, fell three holes down to the U.S. team of Lila Barton of Dallas, Texas, and Taylore Karle of Scottsdale, Ariz., the Europeans won four straight holes to take a 1-up lead through 16.

The U.S. side rallied to win No. 17, meaning either side could win on the final hole. As it turned out, the pressure of the moment led each side to bogey the 400-yard 18th, as the teams ended the day tied at six points each.

The team captains, Colleen Walker of the United States and Charlotta Sorenstam of Europe, have enjoyed the camaraderie of the event.

"I think they've made new friends. They've learned more about each other" Walker said.

Echoing the sentiment, Sorenstam said, "The first day, there were three girls who hardly spoke. Now, they're the loudest. We're having a lot of fun together, no matter the outcome."

The PING Junior Solheim Cup concludes Wednesday with singles matches starting at 9 a.m. at The Bridgewater Club in Westfield, Ind. For more information about the PING Junior Solheim Cup, contact Steve Ethun of the AJGA at 678-571-7994.

Results

DAY ONE TOTALS: UNITED STATES 6, EUROPE 6

MORNING FOUR-BALL: UNITED STATES 3.5, EUROPE 2.5
Catherina Wang, Orlando, Fla. & Kimberly Kim, Pahoa, Hawaii (USA) def.
Marta Silva, Santiago de Compostela, Spain & Azahara Muñoz, Malaga, Spain (EUROPE), 1-up

Anna Nordqvist, Eskilstuna, Sweden & Lene Krog, Drammen, Norway (EUROPE) def.
Jennie Arseneault, Grinnell, Iowa & Taylore Karle, Scottsdale, Ariz. (USA), 2-up

Megan Grehan, Mamaroneck, N.Y. & Kimberly Donovan, Hopkinton, Mass. (USA) def.
Beatriz Recari, Pamplona, Spain & Alessandra de Luigi, Como, Italy (EUROPE), 3 & 2

Benedicte Toumpsin, Brussels, Belgium & Melissa Reid, Derby, England (EUROPE) vs.
Morgan Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla. & Jane Rah, Torrance, Calif. (USA), Halved

Esther Choe, Scottsdale, Ariz. & Sydnee Michaels, Temecula, Calif. (USA) def.
Caroline Masson, Gladbeck, Germany & Florentyna Parker, Birkdale, England (EUROPE), 2 & 1

Belén Mozo, Cadiz, Spain & Carlota Ciganda, Pamplona, Spain (EUROPE) def.
Lila Barton, Dallas, Texas & Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif. (USA), 3 & 2

AFTERNOON FOURSOME: EUROPE 3.5, UNITED STATES 2.5
Marta Silva, Santiago de Compostela, Spain & Azahara Muñoz, Malaga, Spain (EUROPE) def.
Catherina Wang, Orlando, Fla. & Jennie Arseneault, Grinnell, Iowa (USA), 3 & 2

Anna Nordqvist, Eskilstuna, Sweden & Lene Krog, Drammen, Norway (EUROPE) def.
Kimberly Donovan, Hopkinton, Mass. & Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif. (USA), 6 & 5

Megan Grehan, Mamaroneck, N.Y. & Sydnee Michaels, Temecula, Calif. (USA) def.
Belén Mozo, Cadiz, Spain & Carlota Ciganda, Pamplona, Spain (EUROPE), 4 & 3

Lila Barton, Dallas, Texas & Taylore Karle, Scottsdale, Ariz. (USA), halved

Beatriz Recari, Pamplona, Spain & Melissa Reid, Derby, England (EUROPE) def.
Esther Choe, Scottsdale, Ariz. & Jane Rah, Torrance, Calif. (USA), 5 and 4

Morgan Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla. & Kimberly Kim, Pahoa, Hawaii (USA) def.
Caroline Masson, Gladbeck, Germany & Benedicte Toumpsin, Brussels, Belgium (EUROPE), 6 & 4