DES MOINES, Iowa (August 16, 2017) – European Solheim Cup Captain Annika Sörenstam announced today that Catriona Matthew will replace the injured Suzann Pettersen at The 2017 Solheim Cup, being conducted this week at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Sorenstam chose Matthew as her alternate when she selected her team following the conclusion of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and informed the United States team as required by the captains’ agreement.

Matthew and Pettersen will effectively switch roles, with Pettersen stepping in as a vice captain next to Sorenstam this week.

Pettersen, an eight-time Solheim Cup participant, qualified to make her ninth appearance for the European team through the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She arrived in Des Moines on Monday evening after receiving treatment for a recurrent slipped disc injury which occurred in Norway over the weekend. Despite receiving further treatment from the team osteopath on site, she withdrew on Wednesday morning due to experiencing persistent pain.

Pettersen said: “I have made this extremely difficult decision to help the European team and give my team mates the best possible chance of success. There was no guarantee that I would be fit to compete on Friday morning and I did not want to play unless I was able to give 100 per cent. I truly love The Solheim Cup and I will stay and support my team this week in whatever way I can.”

This will be Matthew’s ninth Solheim Cup appearance. She has earned 19 points from 33 matches, played from 1998-2015 and was a member of three winning teams in 2003, 2011 and 2013.

She famously holed the winning putt in The 2003 Solheim Cup at Barsebäck Golf and Country Club in Sweden and secured the half point to win the Cup outright to seal Europe’s first away victory at Colorado Golf Club in 2013.

Sörenstam said: “It’s unfortunate that Suzann has to withdraw due to her back injury. The Solheim Cup has been such an important part of her career. It was a very tough decision, but I am proud of her and she will still be a leader this week.

“Catriona is a proven Solheim Cup performer who will be able to step right in and play with anybody. She’s ready to go.”

NUMBERS TO KNOW - CATRIONA MATTHEW

47/11/22 – Catriona Matthew will become the oldest player to compete for Team Europe in Solheim Cup history at 47 years/11 months/22 days on Friday, passing Laura Davies (47 years/11 months/18 days). Juli Inkster remains the oldest competitor overall at 51 years/2 months/30 days in 2011.

6 – Matthew is one of six players from Scotland to play in the Solheim Cup - her 2017 stint makes it 22 appearances by the country overall on Team Europe

9 – Matthew’s ninth Solheim Cup appearance ties for the second most of any player in Solheim Cup history, joining Beth Daniel, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr and Suzann Pettersen

33 – Matthew is tied with Pettersen for the fourth most matches played in Solheim Cup history at 33

19 – Matthew is also tied with Pettersen for the third most points earned in Solheim Cup history at 19

Team Europe is looking forward to the challenge of trying to recapture The Solheim Cup on American soil in front of huge galleries at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa this week.

Don’t expect the Europeans to be intimidated by the record crowds that are expected to show up in red, white and blue.

Mel Reid, who played in Ireland in 2011 and in Germany in 2015, said: “To be honest, we are expecting American side to be very respectful. We’re not expecting any heckling, like, within reason. But I think that we’re there to embrace the crowd whether they’re for us or against us.”

“I think it’s pretty cool,” said Charley Hull, who was the youngest ever competitor aged 17 when she contributed to Europe’s first away victory in Colorado in 2013. “It’s great to see massive crowds around us. And it’s good. It needs to be that out there as it’s a big event, because it is a big event. And to have big crowds as well, it’s going to be pretty awesome.”

Carlota Ciganda, who was also a rookie on the victorious team in Colorado, explained that she is looking forward to the challenge of trying to recapture The Solheim Cup on American soil this week.

“I think when you play match play you’re very focused on the present. It’s just you and the Americans.

“I mean you really want to win because you are playing for your team, for your teammates, for your captain, so you really want to do well this week. I think it’s important to be just in the present and play your best.”

Anna Nordqvist, who will make her fifth Solheim Cup appearance this week, added: “I just think it’s a little bit different for us, playing in the U.S., because the crowds are obviously a lot bigger over here. And sometimes, like, the roars, you think, obviously, you won a hole and maybe they tied a hole. So I kind of find myself that I’m looking a little bit more at leader boards just trying to feel where we’re at because sometimes the roars just kind of doesn’t do justice. And even if Europe wins a hole it might be quiet and you don’t really know what’s going on.

“Hopefully we’ll have a lot of European fans. I know we have a lot of a lot of families might not be super loud, but silence always a good thing in the U.S.”

HEALTH WATCH – THOMPSON, NORDQVIST AND PETTERSEN

During her press conference, USA Captain Juli Inkster announced that Lexi Thompson is battling a virus. Thompson, who is competing in her third Solheim Cup, postponed her scheduled Tuesday press conference to later in the week and provided the following statement:

“Unfortunately, I have been battling an illness for the past few days and am having difficulty sleeping. I have been advised to focus on getting some rest in order to make a full recovery. I’m looking forward to getting healthy and having an amazing Solheim week. Thank you for your support and understanding.”

On the European side, many eyes were on veterans Anna Nordqvist and Suzann Pettersen on Tuesday. Nordqvist was sidelined for much of July with mononucleosis (glandular fever) and was forced to rely on receiving a captain’s pick to compete in this week’s Solheim Cup.

“Pretty happy where I’m at and so far I’ve been making it through 18 holes,” Nordqvist said. “Hopefully as the week goes on I can hopefully play even two matches in one day.”

As for Pettersen, the nine-time Solheim Cup competitor was limited to putting only on Tuesday. Captain Annika Sorenstam told GolfChannel.com that Pettersen had injured her back and later confirmed that Vice Captain Catriona Matthew had practised on Tuesday as the team’s alternate.

“While there are no immediate injury concerns, Catriona was practicing with the team today as a precautionary measure,” Sorenstam said in a statement.

MEL REID ON THE SOLHEIM CUP AND THE GROWTH OF WOMEN’S SPORT

While there is no doubt that women’s sport is enjoying a surge in popularity, Mel Reid pointed out that The Solheim Cup is one of the most well attended women’s sporting events globally.

“I have a lot of friends who play sport professionally, women. World Cup – England just won the World Cup in cricket. And they’re now playing the rugby. Just finished up in football.

“And I feel like women’s sport is really moving forward, and maybe not as quickly as we’d like, but the crowds we’re expecting this week is probably one of the biggest women’s sporting events that you’re going to get.

“I have friends at home that they know that I play golf but they love watching The Solheim Cup. That’s the only event they watch every two years. So that is what this tournament is about. It’s about getting people that wouldn’t normally come and watch to be interested in it and really get involved in it and this is why we do what we do. We work extremely hard and feel like we don’t get the recognition we sometimes deserve. So when we’re expecting crowds like this, that’s why we do it. We try and put our sport out there and make it as enjoyable for people to watch as possible.”

All six members of the Swedish Girls’ National Team qualified for the 2017 PING Junior Solheim Cup and could celebrate with their coach, Fredrik Wetterstrand, at the Opening Ceremony at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa on Sunday, ahead of the matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The six Swedish players, Maja Stark, Beatrice Wallin, Frida Kinhult, Julia Engström, Linn Grant and Amanda Linnér together won the European Girls’ Team Championship earlier this year in Finland and they also won four of the nine PING Junior Solheim Cup qualifying events as individuals.

Julia Engstrom’s week started particularly well when she made a hole-in-one during the second practice round on Sunday. She aced the 144-metre par-3 seventh hole on the Members’ Course using her 7-iron as she was practising foursomes with Mathilde Claisse, who also almost holed in one. The European PING Junior Solheim Cup team is looking strong!

Photo by: Göran Söderqvist