SOLHEIM CUP: Annika Sorenstam, Suzann Pettersen, Catriona Matthew and Sophie Gustafson have made the European Solheim Cup team as the top four Europeans on the world rankings not already qualified from the European points' standings.
Sweden's Sorenstam (three), Norway's Pettersen (six), Scotland's Matthew (25) and Sweden's Gustafson (31) will join the five automatic selections from the Ladies' European Tour rankings, which were finalised on Sunday after the Wales Ladies Championship of Europe.
The five qualifiers from the European Solheim standings are Gwladys Nocera from France, England's Trish Johnson, Germany's Bettina Hauert, England's Laura Davies and Wales' Becky Brewerton.
European captain Helen Alfredsson will announce her three captain's picks at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden today ahead of the Solheim Cup which takes place at the Halmstad Golfklubb in Sweden (September 14th-16th).
The United States team will be finalised next week, at the conclusion of the Safeway Classic in Portland, Oregan.
Solheim Cup team
(automatic qualifiers - the three wildcard choices will be announced today): Gwladys Nocera (Fra), Trish Johnson (Eng), Bettina Hauert (Ger), Laura Davies (Eng), Becky Brewerton (Wal), Annika Sorenstam (Swe), Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Catriona Matthew (Sco), Sophie Gustafson (Swe).
BRITAIN AND IRELAND BOYS:Paul Cutler, recently selected for the Irish men's team, has been chosen for the Britain and Ireland team to play the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy at Notts Golf Club on August 31st and September 1st.
Cutler, from Portstewart, has been rewarded after a strong performance in the recent Boys Internationals at Machynys Peninsula in Wales in which he won five points from a possible six. Earlier in the year he lost in the final of the West of Ireland after defeating Rory McIlroy in the last eight.
Fraser Fotheringham, the 18-year-old Scottish boy international from Nairn, has been rewarded for reaching the final of the Boys Amateur Championship where he lost to 16-year-old Emilio Cuartero of Spain by one hole.
Until recently, Britain and Ireland had assumed almost automatic possession of the trophy but last year's 19½-4½ win for the Continental boys at Marianske Lazne confirmed that their success 12 months earlier at Royal Porthcawl was anything but a fluke.
Britain and Ireland Boys
(for Jacques Leglise Trophy, Notts GC, August 31st and September 1st): James Byrne (Banchory), Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall), Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn), Matthew Haines (Rochester & Cobham), Jack Hiluta (Chelmsford, capt), Andrew Johnston (North Middlesex), Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck).
WOMEN'S US TOUR: Mexico's Lorena Ochoa fired a two-under-par 69 to finish three strokes ahead of Paula Creamer in the final round of the Canadian Open at the Royal Mayfair Country Club course.
Fresh off winning her first major title, the British Open, Ochoa finished at 16-under 268 and picked up $337,500 for her fifth victory of the season.
Creamer had five birdies and two bogeys for a 68 to take second at 13-under 271, raising her season winnings total to $2.63 million.
Birdies at three and six got the Mexican off to a fast start and she pretty much cruised home from there. She bogeyed and Creamer birdied the 17th hole, but that made little difference in the outcome.
Leading final scores (US unless stated, par 71): 268 - Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 70 65 64 69; 271 - Paula Creamer 68 69 66 68; 274 - Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) 67 67 74 66; 275 - Laura Diaz 65 70 68 72, Brittany Lang 71 67 70 67; 276 - Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor) 67 71 67 71, Kim Hall 68 67 72 69, Jeong Jang (Kor) 67 71 70 68.
