Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.VA. LENGTH: Medium
JoAnne Carner admits Britain's Laura Davies can be intimidating. But Carner, captain of the U.S. team for the Solheim Cup, isn't too concerned.
``It's a love-hate relationship. It is, `I'd love to play her, but I'd hate to play her.' She is so dangerous that, you know, the [U.S.] team, they know they are playing well and they can take Laura on, but yet, she still scares them,'' Carner said Thursday after watching her team practice for today's opening foursome matches at The Greenbrier.
European captain Mickey Walker threw Carner a curve ball when she didn't put Davies in an early pairing today, instead opting to wait until the fourth match. Davies, whose drives average an LPGA Tour-best 253 yards, will pair with Alison Nicholas, a fellow Brit with whom she has had great Solheim success.
Davies and Nicholas have combined to win five of six matches in the two previous Solheim Cup competitions. They open play today, in an alternate-shot format, against Betsy King and Donna Andrews, a native of Lynchburg, Va.
``I was guessing they would put Laura in [match] two or three, so I was off,'' Carner said. ``But that really doesn't make any difference. She is going against our one and two [players] on the Solheim points list.''
Said Walker: ``I suppose I felt that maybe JoAnne would expect me to put Laura-Alison out first, so I didn't. ... I obviously wanted to put who I considered a strong pairing out first, which is very apparent, and spread the other teams around.''
Today's first match features the Swedish pair of Liselotte Neumann and Helen Alfredsson against the U.S. team of Dottie Mochrie and Brandie Burton.
The second match pits Annika Sorenstram and Catrin Nilsmark against Beth Daniel, ranked second on this year's LPGA money list behind Davies, and Meg Mallon of the United States.
In the third match, Dale Reid and Lora Fairclough will face Tammie Green, a Marshall University graduate, and Kelly Robbins. The fifth match pits Pam Wright and Trish Johnson against the veteran U.S. team of Patty Sheehan and Sherri Steinhauer.
The Solheim Cup is named for Karsten Solheim, the founder and president of Karsten Manufacturing, which produces Ping golf products. It is a biennial match-play competition that began in 1990.
The United States won the first Solheim Cup title at Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., 111/2-41/2. In 1992, at Dalmahoy in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Europeans prevailed 111/2-6.1/2.
There are 20 total points available during the three days of competition. One point is awarded for each match won, with halved matches worth a half-point each. The first team to reach 101/2 points wins.
On Saturday, the teams play five four-ball matches, in which the best score from each twosome counts against the best score from the opposing team on each hole.
The teams play 10 singles matches Sunday.
The competition, which will be shown live on ESPN from 1 to 3 p.m. today, will be played on The Greenbrier Course, a par-72 layout measuring 6,330 yards this week.
Solheim Cup
United States vs. Europe in women's team golf competition at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., 1 p.m.-3 p.m., today, ESPN cable.
by CNB