Duramed FUTURES Tour Alums Add Points at Solheim Cup

HALMSTAD, SWEDEN, Sept. 14, 2007 – Six Duramed FUTURES Tour alums added points to the board for the U.S. Solheim Cup team today as the Americans took a slight lead of 4.5 points to Europe’s team total of 3.5 points. This morning’s format featured foursome matches, while the afternoon was the four-ball matches.

The U.S. squad went up 2.5 to 1.5 in the morning, with Europe fighting back in the afternoon to match two points to the Americans’ two points on the strength of Duramed FUTURES Tour alum Laura Davies’ spectacular performance on the 16th hole. Europe trailed 1-down in the final match when Davies pulled off a miraculous shot on the par-three 16th hole.

The native of Great Britain missed her tee shot wide right into thick bushes and seemingly had no chance of salvaging the hole, but she used a lob wedge to hack out of the shrubs, worked her shot around a tree, over a water hazard and landed to the back fringe of the 16th green. As the Americans struggled with their own errant shots off the tee, Davies opened up the face of her wedge again and chipped downhill to the hole off the back of the green. The ball was on line all the way and fell into the cup, ultimately giving the Europeans some momentum with two holes to play.

“I had maybe a 500 to 1 chance of making that shot,” said Davies. “We needed some luck because we had none. Things like that happen in golf.”

Even the Americans agreed that Davies turned the tide for the Europeans in that final match, allowing the big-hitting Brit and Trish Johnson to halve the hole with Americans Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

“Maybe that was the all-time greatest par,” said U.S. team member and Duramed FUTURES Tour alum Cristie Kerr of Miami.

“Maybe that was the best par save of the century,” added Pressel.

Kerr and Pat Hurst halved the first match of the morning foursome matches with Europeans Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson. Two Tour alums, Sherri Steinhauer of Wisconsin and Laura Diaz of Florida, won the second match 4&2. Davies and Becky Brewerton lost Match 3 to Americans Creamer and Juli Inkster 2&1. Europeans Gwladys Nocera and Maria Hjorth earned the final match of the morning foursomes 3&2.

In the afternoon four-ball matches, Europe’s Iben Tinning and Catriona Matthew topped Pat Hurst and Brittany Lincicome 4&2 to put early afternoon points on the board for the home side, but Duramed FUTURES Tour alums Angela Stanford of Texas and Stacy Prammanasudh of Oklahoma halved Match 6. Tour alums Nicole Castrale of California and Kerr grabbed a 3&2 win over Sophie Gustafson and Nocera, prior to the last halve in the final match between Europeans Davies and Johnson and Americans Creamer and Pressel.

“I’m glad to be inside,” said Kerr, following a day of pouring rain, blowing wind and cold temperatures. “It was a day of survival. We’re going to come out tomorrow and play our hardest.”

One of two captain’s picks this year, Castrale -- who finished among the top five on the 2005 Duramed FUTURES Tour’s money list -- said her first-day jitters were over. The Solheim Cup rookie was happy to contribute her first points on the board.

“Everyone kept saying that there would be more pressure on the captain’s picks, [but] we didn’t come over here as 10 players and two picks,” said Castrale, a two-time winner on the 2005 Duramed FUTURES Tour who earned her 2006 LPGA Tour card by finishing fourth on the season money list. “We’re going to play as a team of 12 and just see what happens.”

Play resumes on Saturday with the morning foursome matches at 8:05 a.m., with Tour alums Steinhauer and Laura Diaz facing Maria Hjorth of Sweden and Gwladys Nocera of France.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.