In an exciting announcement at the ANA Inspiration, the first Major of the LPGA’s 2016 schedule, the Ladies European Tour (LET) named Annika Sorenstam as the captain of Team Europe for the 2017 Solheim Cup. That means Sorenstam has slightly more than 500 days to prepare for the most prestigious event in women’s golf, which will be played at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.
“It’s an absolute honor to be named the 2017 European Solheim Cup team captain,” said Annika. “The Solheim Cup was a very important component of my playing career and I’ve enjoyed working as a vice captain the past three Cups to prepare for this opportunity. The event has really grown over the last decade and we look forward to representing Europe in Des Moines, a tremendous golf market.”
Sorenstam may be the most widely famous woman golfer in the world. This is due in no small part to her successful professional career that included 89 worldwide victories (10 of which are Major Championships) and a record-low 59 score at the 2001 Standard Register Ping. Since retiring in 2008, Sorenstam has built a business that includes golf apparel design, golf course design and a golf academy where she has nurtured the talents of golfers of all ages. This experience makes Sorenstam a formidable opponent for Team USA Captain Juli Inkster.
“Annika had an outstanding playing career and she is a tough competitor, which will make her a great Captain for Team Europe. Over the next year and a half we’ll both be doing a lot of planning and watching as our teams take shape,” said Inkster. “I am sure she will have her team ready to compete to try and win back the Cup, and I hope to have Team USA ready to defend and keep the Cup for another two years.”
For Team USA, Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis have earned the most Solheim Cup points with 193 and 143 respectively. Jessica Korda is a distant third with 86. With more than a year and a half of tournament play to go, there are plenty of points up for grabs.
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