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Team USA won the PING Junior Solheim Cup for the fourth time in a row at Gleneagles, beating Europe 13-11 despite the hosts narrowly winning the singles. Picture by WME / IMG

EAM USA held off a spirited fightback by Europe to claim their fourth consecutive victory in the Ping Junior Solheim Cup with a 13-11 points triumph at Gleneagles.

The visitors took a 7½-4½ lead into Wednesday’s singles session after drawing the foursomes 3-3 and then convincingly winning the fourballs 4½-1½, and closed out the win when Brianna Navarrosa beat Somerset’s Mimi Rhodes (Burnham & Berrow GC) by one hole.

Earlier in the day, Scotland’s Hannah Darling (Broomieknowe GC) grabbed a half point when out first against Lucy Li, and wins for Surrey’s Annabell Fuller (Roehampton GC), Denmark’s Amalie Leth-Nissen and Slovakia’s Pia Babnik, who birdied four straight holes to win 2&1, narrowed the gap.

However, Rose Zhang stemmed the tide in match two, and triumphs for Amanda Sambach, Briana Chacon – who beat Essex’s Lily May Humphrey’s 6&4 – and then Navarrosa took the USA to the all-important 12 points needed to retain the trophy,

Christine Wang then made it 13 points when she beat Germany’s Paula Shulz-Hanssen in match 10.

American captain Mary Bea Porter-King said: “‘It was quite the victory, very close, it went up and down all day. They were ahead, then behind. I’m exhausted and I didn’t hit a shot.

“I’m very proud of my team, there wasn’t a whole lot I could do to help them – these young ladies are so talented, on both sides.

“I am so impressed to see the golf swings and how they play the game, which makes me feel good about the future of the game.”

Mickey Walker, who captained Europe in the first four Solheim Cups, and manged the continent’s girls team this week, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the European team.

“They’re very, very talented and we’ve had a wonderful time here. It’s been just amazing, one of the best experiences of my life,” added the former Essex club pro, who won six times on the Ladies European Tour and played in the 1972 Curtis Cup before turning pro.

“I think we were good enough to win, but we just missed out by virtue of a poor session in the afternoon yesterday.

“That’s what did for us. If you took the singles as a standalone competition, we won today,” Walker added.

“But we knew we needed to get eight-and-a-half points and we came up just short. It’s wrong to mention individuals because we really are a team.

“But Pia Babnik is the first-ever junior to play in this from Slovenia and beat Rachel Heck – an incredible scalp.

“Rachel’s one of the best American golfers and Pia is relatively inexperienced. The same for Lucie Malchirand beating Alexa Pano in the final match.

“So it augers very well for the future, and a lot of our team will still be young enough to play in two years’ time.”

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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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