Irish Open helps Nicholas tick a lot of Solheim boxes

GOLF:AS A precursor to the real deal, with the Solheim Cup now just 44 days away, the Ladies Irish Open at Killeen Castle in county Meath ticked a lot of boxes.

For Europe’s captain Alison Nicholas, the victory by Suzann Pettersen – the world number three and likely to be the talismanic figurehead of the team – was perfect on a number of counts.

Firstly, confirming her automatic place on the team without redress to a wild card pick; and, secondly, giving the Norwegian player that added edge of returning to a course where she is a proven winner.

Having describing Pettersen’s win as “a big confidence boost for the team” ahead of next month’s Solheim Cup, when Europe will be seeking to end the United States’ recent domination of the event, the performances of other likely members of her team – Mel Reid (third), Catriona Matthew (sixth), Maria Hjorth (sixth), Laura Davies (11th), Sophie Gustafson (11th) – will also have greatly pleased Nicholas, while Azahara Munoz’s runner-up finish will have boosted the Spaniard’s claims for a captain’s pick.

With only one counting event – the Scottish Open – left in the qualifying process which finishes on August 29th, after which the top four players on the LET qualifying will earn their places along with the top four off the world points list, Nicholas will then have four wild card picks to dispense with to make up the 12-player team.

Pettersen, for her part, was understandably impressed by the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. “I like what I see,” she said, adding: “There’s going to be a lot of birdies out there in the Solheim (Cup) and I think it will be a great match . . . this is one up (to Europe) and hopefully our captain has got a few answers to questions she was asking herself.”

The official attendance of 30,000 over three days at Killeen Castle seemed perhaps a little generous, but there was certainly a wonderful atmosphere that bodes well for the Solheim Cup when it is anticipated crowds in excess of 20,000 a day will attend the match from September 23rd-25th.

As for the Maguire twins, Leona and Lisa, their third appearance as amateurs in the Ladies Irish Open – an event which will be staged again next year as part of the agreement that brought the Solheim Cup here – provided further evidence of their rich promise.

The 16-year-old sisters aren’t of course eligible for the main event next month but will front the European challenge for the Junior Solheim Cup, which takes place at Knightsbrook in Trim ahead of the actual Solheim Cup.

And playing alongside Stacy Lewis – winner of the Kraft Nabisco, a Major, earlier this season – and US hot shot Alexis Thompson over the weekend provided confirmation to Leona Maguire that they are headed on the right track.

“Having played with Stacy and Alexis, it is definitely all down to putting. Lexi hit the ball pretty far, but Stacy was a lot better putter and that’s what you need to be a Major winner . . . really, there is not as big a gap as I thought there was,” said Leona.