The QUEENS Teams Finalized, Curious Oversights
Despite some curious oversights in team selections for The Queens, with Dame Laura at the helm we’ll look forward to some world-class match play!
The Ladies European Tour has released final selections for the LET, ALPG, KLPGA and JLPGA 9-player teams to compete in The Queens presented by Kowa, December 4-6 at Miyoshi Golf and Country Club in Aichi, Japan.
Read More about The Queens
For the LET, playing Captain Dame Laura Davies will be joined by four members of the 2015 European Solheim Cup Team: Karine Icher, Catriona Matthew, Gwladys Nocera and Melissa Reid, as well as Hannah Burke, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Marianne Skarpnord.
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Nocera, Reid, Burke and Pedersen have all won on the Ladies European Tour this season, at the Lalla Meryem Cup, Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, Tipsport Golf Masters and Hero Women’s Indian Open respectively.
Interestingly, Team Europe’s senior player at the Solheim Cup this year, Suzann Pettersen, is absent from the roster, as are five other valuable Solheim Cup European players, Azahara Munoz, Carlota Ciganda, Charley Hull and Anna Nordqvist. And while bringing Burke, Madsen Pedersen and Skarpnord into Team Europe’s stable of match players certainly makes sense, passing over the proven competitors remains curious.
Captain Davies, who holds 79 world titles, including 4 Majors, offered this explanation for the selections;
"“I’m extremely pleased to have a tremendously talented group of players on our team, with a combined total of 117 tournament victories and 29 Solheim Cup appearances for Europe between us. The Queens presented by Kowa presents a very good opportunity for us all to play in a top level international team match play competition, which will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world and we are determined to give a fantastic performance.”"
The LPGA of Japan Team includes Momoko Ueda, who in 2007 became the youngest player in the history of the tour to finish first on the money list. She will be joined by Ayaka Watanabe, Misuzu Narita, Akane Iijima, Shiho Oyama, Erina Hara, Miki Sakai and Ritsuko Ryu.
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Again, there are some curious oversights: specifically, Mika Miyazato, although Narita, Oyama and Hara are solid inclusions, given their good performances at the LPGA’s Japan Classic last week.
The Korean LPGA Team includes the 2015 US Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun, Sung Hyun Park, Jung Min Lee, Yoon Ji Cho, Jin Young Ko, Seon Woo Bae, Min Sun Kim, Sei Young Kim and Bo-Mee Lee.
Again, there are some curious oversights: Inbee Park, most obviously, but also So Yeon Ryu, Park’s match play partner at the World Ladies Championship last year, as well as Amy Yang, Hyo Joo Kim, Na Yeon Choi and Chella Choi, all highly ranked by Rolex.
The Australian Ladies Professional Golf Team will be led by Rachel Hetherington, a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, who is joined by Nikki Campbell, Nikki Garrett, Whitney Hillier, Sarah Kemp, Katherine Kirk, Stephanie Na, Sarah Jane Smith and Lindsey Wright. Where are Karrie Webb and Minjee Lee, who delivered such dynamic performances at the LPGA’s 2014 International Crown?
Read More about the ALPG team for The Queens
Comments by the LET’s Chief Executive Officer Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh suggest that The Queens may well be a proving ground, or a training field, for olympic golf competitors:
"“Interest in women’s professional golf is stronger than ever, especially with the Olympic Games just around the corner and this is a fantastic opportunity to connect and collaborate with our fellow tours. Together, I am confident that we will create an unprecedented showcase of world class sporting entertainment and help to grow the game worldwide.”"
Next: Golf: A Chinese Conundrum
Surprises aside, I look forward to The Queens and its 34 matches played over three days: eight fourball matches on day one, eight foursomes matches on day two and 18 singles matches on day three. With Dame Laura at the helm you can be sure some fierce golf will be delivered at The Queens.