Moodie and Matthew will represent Europe in Illinois this month

Scotland will have two representatives in the Solheim Cup after Janice Moodie was one of European captain Alison Nicholas's wildcard picks.

Catriona Matthew, who won the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham on Sunday, had already taken one of the nine automatic spots based on rankings.

Moodie missed the cut at Lytham with a 10-over-par total after two days.

However, she said: "I did not shine out there, but I have been on the team twice and we have won the cup twice."

England's Laura Davies, who has represented Europe in every match since the event began in 1990, claimed her 11th straight Solheim Cup cap.

Despite a final-round 74 leaving her 14 over at Royal Lytham, Davies's rivals could not make up enough ground to pass her in the points table.

The top five on the European points list and four more from a special Rolex rankings list make the team by right.

Davies would have been left needing a wildcard if two Europeans had gone past her on the points table at Lytham.

But Swedes Maria Hjorth and Sophie Gustafson, Norway's Marianne Skarpnord and German Martina Eberl did not do enough, though Gustafson and Hjorth still qualified for the team.

For the US, the top 10 in the Solheim Cup rankings qualified by right before skipper Beth Daniel named Michelle Wie, the girl wonder who has yet to win a professional tournament, and Juli Inkster as her wildcards.

Wie, who first shot to stardom when she played on the men's US Tour at 14 and missed the halfway cut by only one shot, was given the news after finishing 11th at Royal Lytham.

The 49-year-old Juli Inkster is a seven-time major winner and seven-time cup player

Swedish 22-year-old Anna Nordqvist, who won her first major in June, and Wales' Becky Brewerton were the other European wildcards.

This year's Solheim Cup - the biennial contest between Europe and the United States - will be held at Rich Harvest Farms in Illinois from 17-23 August.

Europe will be looking to prevent the US from completing a hat-trick of victories, following wins at Crooked Stick, Indiana in 2005 and Halmstad in 2007.

The US have won the trophy seven times to Europe's three.

Europe: Gwladys Nocera (France), Tania Elosegui (Spain), Diana Luna (Italy), Laura Davies (England), Sophie Gustafson (Sweden), Suzann Pettersen (Norway), Helen Alfredsson (Sweden), Catriona Matthew (Scotland), Maria Hjorth (Sweden), Becky Brewerton (Wales, wild card), Janice Moodie (Scotland, wild card), Anna Nordqvist (Sweden, wild card).

United States: Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Nicole Castrale, Brittany Lang, Morgan Pressel, Kristy McPherson, Christina Kim, Brittany Lincicome, Natalie Gulbis, Juli Inkster (wild card), Michelle Wie (wild card).

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version