Nicholas plays it safe with wild cards

Golf:European captain Alison Nicholas has finalised her team for next month's Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Co Meath. While Irish fans may have hoped the likes of Rebecca Codd would get a pick, Nicholas kept sentiment out of the equation and went straight to the world rankings to determine her four wild cards.

European captain Alison Nicholas has finalised her team for next month’s Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in Co Meath. While Irish fans may have hoped the likes of Rebecca Codd would get a pick, Nicholas kept sentiment out of the equation and went straight to the world rankings to determine her four wild cards.

With eight players already safely on the team via the qualification process, the next three

players in the rankings not already qualified have been called into the side with Spain’s Azahara Muñoz (42nd), Germany’s Sandra Gal (43rd), Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall (48th) making the final cut.

Spain’s Beatriz Recari, who is ranked 50th in the world, might consider herself unfortunate to miss out with England’s Karen Stupples (60th) preferred. Stupples, however, is the only captain’s pick with Solheim Cup experience having featured at Crooked Stick in 2005.

“I am confident in my team and I believe that we will do very well at Killeen Castle,” said Nicholas at today’s team announcement.

“These players represent the best of European women’s golf and we look forward to putting on a magnificent show for the fans.”

Scotland’s Catriona Matthew along with Sweden’s Maria Hjorth, Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson qualified from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

England’s Melissa Reid and Laura Davies, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and Christel Boeljon from the Netherlands had already earned their places on the team from the Ladies European Tour’s Solheim Cup points’ list.

Solheim Cup
(Killeen Castle, Sept 23rd-25th)

Europe:Melissa Reid (Eng), Laura Davies (Eng), Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Christel Boeljon (Ned), Maria Hjorth (Swe), Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Catriona Matthew (Sco), Sophie Gustafson (Swe), Azahara Muñoz (Esp), Sandra Gal (Ger), Caroline Hedwall (Swe), Karen Stupples (Eng)

USA:Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Morgan Pressel, Angela Stanford, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang, Juli Inkster, Christina Kim, Vicky Hurst, Ryann O'Toole.