ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 23, 1996 TAG: 9609230159
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHEPSTOW, WALES
SOURCE: Associated Press
Winning nine of 12 singles matches Sunday, the United States rallied for a 17-11 victory in the Solheim Cup women's golf event.
By winning, the U.S. retained the cup over a European team stocked with some of the world's top players.
The Solheim event is the women's version of the Ryder Cup.
Annika Sorenstam won Europe's only singles match, a 2 and 1 victory over Pat Bradley. Finally gauging the slow greens at the St. Pierre course, the Americans went on to win nine, halve two and save face for U.S. golf.
Americans had lost golf's other three major international cups in the last 12 months - Ryder, Walker and Curtis.
Kelly Robbins, the only American to play the maximum five matches (four Europeans played all five), got the half-point the United States needed when she dropped a 2-footer on the 18th hole for birdie to halve with Alison Nicholas.
Betsy King and Dottie Pepper led the Americans, winning three points each and Sorenstam led Europe with four and Laura Davies had three.
LENGTH: Short : 32 lines KEYWORDS: GOLFby CNB