Kettering’s Charley Hull has become the youngest golfer to be selected to represent Europe in the Solheim Cup after being picked as one of four ‘wild cards’ for the 2013 match against USA later this month.
Aged just 17 years, four months and 15 days at the time of Sunday’s announcement, Hull forms part of a 12-player side looking to retain the trophy at Colorado GC on August 16-18.
The teenager has made a stunning start to her debut season on the Ladies European Tour, recording five consecutive runners-up finishes in her opening five events, before grabbing ninth in the British Masters.
Despite missing the cut in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews last week, Hull’s form during a recent training session at the host venue impressed European team captain Liselotti Neumann.
Hull said: “It’s an honour. It’s funny, because I played in junior Solheim Cup last time and Liselotte was my captain then, so it’s pretty cool.
“When I found out, I smiled, but I was just trying to keep it cool. The experienced players will hopefully help me, but I´ll just keep on trying to play like I did this year.”
Caroline Hedwall (Sweden), Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (England) and Giulia Sergas (Italy) have received the other three picks as England’s Laura Davies, who has become a close friend to Charley’s family, misses out.
They will join Suzann Petterson (Norway), Carlota Cigandi (Spain), Catriona Matthew (Scotland), Caroline Masson (Germany), Beatriz Recari (Spain), Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Karine Icher (France) and Azahara Munoz (Spain).
Neumann said: “Charley’s had a great year and she has five second finishes on Tour. She shoots in the 60s about 30 per cent of the time.
“I find her energetic, fearless and I think she’s just a great competitor. I met her two years ago, as she said, on the Junior team and, I feel she’s a great addition to our team.
“It was a tough day having to make some of the phone calls and talking to some of the players. But I feel really comfortable and very confident with these four players that I picked.
“They totally complete our team and I’m super happy about our picks. We’ve never won over there, so it’s obviously a big challenge. I feel like this is really the team that’s going to do it“We’ve got some young girls, we’ve got some rookies, so we’ve got some big, strong players and some players that can really hit it, which I think favours.
“In Colorado, the golf course is quite generous off the tees, and looking for good long hitters and some girls with great energy. I think this is the team that’s going to do it.”