SOMERSET’S Mimi Rhodes, Essex’s Lily May Humphreys and Surrey’s Annabell Fuller have all been included in the European team to face the United States of America in next month’s PING Junior Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

Seventeen-year-old Rhodes, from Burnham & Berrow, earned an automatic place on the team having finished in the top-six on the European Junior Solheim Cup ranking.

Fuller, from Roehampton, and Humphreys, from Stoke by Nayland, who have both already played in the Curtis Cup against the USA even though they are only both 17 like Rhodes, were both selected as wild card picks by European captain Mickey Walker.

Scotland’s Hannah Darling, Denmark’s Amalie Leth-Nissen, France’s Lilas Pinthier and Germany’s Paula Schulz-Hanssen were the other picks.

“I’m excited to announce such a young, talented and international team for this year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup, said Walker, who was Europe’s Solheim Cup captain when the match was first played in 1990.

“This will be a special week for everyone involved and create memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

“I am delighted the matches will be played at Gleneagles, one of the most iconic golfing venues in the UK and one of my personal favourite places to visit and play golf,

Walker, who was herself an Essex-based amateur, added: “I feel sure that all the girls participating in the PJSC will feel the same.”

“Finally, on behalf of the European team, I would like to say a big thank-you to John Solheim and his family for their vision and generosity in creating this wonderful match between the very best young players from the two continents.”

“The depth of talent on Mickey Walker’s team is very impressive and promises to create some exciting and memorable moments at Gleneagles,” said John Solheim, PING chairman and chief executive.

“It is wonderful to see six countries represented. It speaks to the wide appeal of the game and is a testament to the golf organisations within each country that have committed to developing such talented young ladies.,” Mr Solheim added.

This year’s PING Junior Solheim Cup is to be played over the King’s course at Gleneagles, on September 10 and 11, immediately ahead of the Solheim Cup which starts on the resort’s PGA Centenary course on September 13.

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HERTFORDSHIRE’S England international Alice Hewson booked herself a place in this week’s AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn, after producing a last day charge to win the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship at Dorset’s Parkstone Golf Club.

Hewson, from Berkhamsted, started the final day just inside the top 20 after opening rounds of 72, 70 and 73.

But the 21-year-old stormed though the field with a six-under par 66 that included six birdies and two eagles.

That was enough to see her tie at the top of the leaderboard with Finland’s Krista Junkkari on seven-under.

The pair were still level after a three-hole play-off before the two-time Curtis Cup player won with a par at the second hole of sudden-death.

The new champion becomes just the fourth English player after Emma Duggleby (2000), Joanne Morley (1992) and most recently Bronte Law (2016) to lift the trophy.

The Clemson University player can now look forward to spending the next week in the company of the world’s best players as they compete for this year’s fifth women’s major at Woburn.

“This is incredible,” said the Berkhamsted player moments after holing the winning putt. “Going into today I just went out there and tried to get as low as I could. I was brave out there and it paid off.

“I was quite far out of it this morning. I played really solid earlier in the week without really getting anywhere but today I made a lot of eagles and birdies.

“As I said before, I just tried to be brave. I gave my putts a little extra and it worked.

“Playing in the Women’s British Open is going to be absolutely incredible,” added Alice who was the first Englishwoman to play a competitve round at Augusta, in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, in April.

Hewson, who can’t wait to tee it up in the Women’s British Open against the best players from the LPGA and LET, said: “It’s going to be my first major and being so close to home will to make it even more special. I can’t wait to get started.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to Krista,” she added. “It was a really great play-off. She played absolutely great all week.

“She’s been there or thereabouts all week. She made four pars in the play-off at a time when she was probably just as nervous as me. She played really well.”

Further down the leaderboard Italy’s Caterina Don closed with a two-under par 70 to clinch third place, while Norway’s Franziska Sliper played the shot of the day when she holed out for an albatross on the sixth on her way to finishing fourth after posting a 68.

It was also a great week for Hewson’s England international team-mate Annabell Fuller, from Roehampton, while Western Australian Kirsten Rudgeley, finished tied-fifth.

She finished alongside Scotland’s Hannah Darling who fired a bogey-free 68 to lead after three rounds. Darling, who celebrated her 16th birthday last week, was bidding to become the first Scot to claim the European title,

Darling, the second youngest player in the 144-player field, said after her third round: “Obviously it’s a big tournament but it’s still the same golf course.

“There’s no pressure on me to be honest, I’m only 16, so I’m just going to enjoy it and see what happens in the end,” added the Broomieknowe member.

Her final round 77 left her in a six-way share of fifth alongside Sweden’s Linn Grant, Denmark’s Karen Fredgaard and Italy’s Virginia Bossi.

Rudgeley, the current Western Australian Amateur Champion, who made her debut in the Toyota Junior World Golf Cup in June, will play the English and British Girls, as well as the English Ladies Strokeplay while visiting the UK in her bid to improve her world ranking.

Kirsten has spent recent summers playing in England to broaden her experience.

For full scores from the European Ladies Amateur Championship can be found at the European Golf Association’s website here.

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