Spain’s Nuria Iturrios and Germany’s Quirine Eijkenboom moved into the top four on the 2013 PING Junior Solheim Cup European Ranking after producing fine performances at the recent French International Lady Junior Amateur Championship at St Cloud.

17 year-old Iturrios and her German rival, Eijkenboom, both earned 32.5 ranking points for finishing tied third behind Germany’s Laura Funfstuck and Spain’s Natalia Escuriola in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying event at St Cloud. Both now go into this year’s third PING Junior Solheim Cup Ranking event just 50 points behind early pace-setter, Emily Pedersen from Denmark who lost in the second match play of this year’s second qualifying event in France.

France’s Lauralie Migneaux collected 30 ranking points after making it through to the semi-finals of the match play stages at St Cloud and is now tied sixth alongside compatriots, Anyssia Herbaut and Mathilda Cappeliez, and Sweden’s Jessica Vasilic, on the current PING Junior Solheim Cup European Ranking.

French duo, Herbaut and Cappeliez, plus English international, Gabriella Cowley, all earned 10 ranking points for reaching the quarter finals of the match play stages at St Cloud to move into the top-12 of the European Ranking.

The current top-12 (in order) on the 2013 PING Junior Solheim Cup European Ranking comprises Denmark’s Emily Pedersen (82.50 points), Sweden’s Linnea Ström (72.50), France’s Shannon Aubert (40), Spain’s Nuria Itturios (32.50), Germany’s Quirine Eijkenboom (32.50), France’s Anyssia Herbaut (30), Sweden’s Jessica Vasilic (30), France’s Lauralie Migneaux (30), France’s Mathilda Cappeliez (30), France’s Eva Gilly (20), England’s Gabriella Cowley (10), Sweden’s Emma Svensson, Holland’s Anne Van Dam (5) and Germany’s Leonie Harm (3.75).

The next PING Junior Solheim Cup European qualifying event is the German Girls’ Open, to be held at GC St Leon-Rot on June 7-9. It is followed by the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship at Machynys Peninsula G & CC (June 11 -15) and the European Girls’ Team Championship at Linköping, Sweden (July 9-13) before the qualifying system concludes at the European Ladies’ Team Championship at Fulford GC, England (July 9-13) when the leading six players from the official Points Table will earn an automatic place in the European side. The six qualifiers will be joined by a further six Captain’s picks.

Leading golf manufacturing company PING is the founder, owner and title sponsor of the PING Junior Solheim Cup. The contest pits the 12 best European junior girl golfers (born 1995 or later) against the 12 best junior girl golfers from the United States.

This year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup is to be played at The Inverness Golf Club, on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, on August 13-14. It always takes place immediately ahead of The Solheim Cup, which this year will be played on August 16-18, just 20 minutes away from The Inverness Club.

The updated European PING Junior Solheim Cup Ranking, plus more news and event information can be found on www.solheimcupeurope.com.

For media enquiries, please contact Colin Callander at Golf Marketing Services on +44 (0) 1438 718399. ([email protected])

Note to Editors

The 2013 French International Lady Junior Amateur Championship was won by Germany’s Laura Funfstuck. The 19 year-old won the Esmond Trophy by beating 18 year-old Spaniard, Natalia Escuriola, by one hole in the final of the match play stages at St Cloud but both finalists were not eligible to collect PING Junior Solheim Cup ranking points because the event is open only to players who are born 1995 or later.

English international, Bronte Law, defeated Sweden’s Jessica Vasilic by 3 & 2 in the final of the concurrent Cartier Trophy. Both Law and Vasilic are eligible for this year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup but ranking points were not available in this second flight competition.