Italy's first US amateur winner

News round up/US AMATEUR: Edoardo Molinari rallied from three down to become Italy's first US amateur champion with a 4 & 3 win over American Dillon Dougherty at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

The 24-year-old engineering student from Turin, who tied for 60th in last month's British Open at St Andrews, sealed victory in the 36-hole final with a 30-foot birdie putt at the 33rd hole.

"The way I played was a once in a lifetime," Molinari said after becoming the eighth foreign winner of the US amateur and the first European champion since Britain's Harold Hilton in 1911. "I don't really know the difference between this morning and this afternoon."

Trailing by three holes after the morning round, the Italian reeled off seven birdies in the afternoon and never relinquished the lead after going ahead at the 25th hole. He holed four putts of 25 feet or more in the afternoon and one-putted 10 times in his last 15 holes.

"I went to the pro shop and bought a shirt because the one I had was all wet from the rain. I asked the guy in the shop for a magic shirt and probably he gave me the right one."

Both Molinari and Dougherty earn exemptions into next year's US Masters and US Open, as long as they retain their amateur status. Molinari also receives an exemption into next year's British Open.

SOLHEIM CUP: United States captain Nancy Lopez has said her team is ready to win back the trophy after she named experienced duo Wendy Ward and Beth Daniel as her two wildcard picks for next month's Solheim Cup against Europe.

The other 10 in the 12-woman team for the Ryder Cup-style event at Crooked Stick in Indiana from September 9th to 11th automatically qualified via the US Solheim standings.

Among those, there were three rookies in Natalie Gulbis, Christina Kim and Paula Creamer, who turned 19 this month and will become the youngest player in Solheim history. Creamer will be two years younger than Europe's 2002 rookie, Suzann Pettersen.

"I think we have a great team," said Lopez, whose only Solheim appearance came in the first match at Lake Nona in Florida in 1990.

"Europe are a great team, but we mean business. I know that there are a lot of players who were on the losing side in Sweden two years ago and are breathing hot air wanting to get the cup back."

US TEAM - Top 10 (via rankings): C Kerr, M Mallon, J Inkster, R Jones, P Hurst, N Gulbis, C Kim, P Creamer, M Redman, L Diaz. Captain's selections: W Ward, B Daniel.