Safeway Classic Presented by
Coca-Cola to serve as cutoff for
2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team Points

The LPGA recently announced the cutoff tournament for players to earn points toward the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team will be the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola, Aug. 19-21 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon. The 2011 Solheim Cup will be played at Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland, Sept. 23-25.

“The U.S. Solheim Cup Team points race is always very exciting and usually very excruciating emotionally,” said U..S. Team Captain Rosie Jones. “The Safeway Classic is a premium tournament on the LPGA schedule and Pumpkin Ridge is a fantastic golf course where players will be put to the test as they try to play their way onto the team or prove themselves worthy of a Captain’s pick.”

For the 12-person U.S. squad, 10 players qualify by earning points for wins and top-20 finishes over a two-year qualifying period, with two additional players selected by the captain. U.S. players began earning points toward the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team at the 2009 Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola. In 2011, points are valued at 1.5 times their worth compared to 2009 and 2010, and major championships points continue to be worth double points. For more information, log on to www.SolheimCup.com.

Following the points cutoff at the Safeway Classic, the Tour will go to the Montreal area for the CN Canadian Women’s Open, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G and the Navistar LPGA Classic in Alabama before the teams travel to Ireland.

“As Captain, I am excited to revisit the Portland area where I have so many wonderful experiences on the golf course during my career,” Jones said. “I look forward to introducing the 2011 U.S Solheim Cup Team at the end of play on Sunday.”

Entering 2011, five-time U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Cristie Kerr leads all U.S. Team hopefuls with 441 points on the strength of 24 top-20 finishes – including victories at the 2010 LPGA State Farm Classic and the 2010 LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans where she earned double points – since qualifying began in 2009.

U.S. Solheim Cup veterans Morgan Pressel (239 points), Michelle Wie (223), Angela Stanford (212) and Paula Creamer (199) round out the current top-five, while Brittany Lincicome (169) and Brittany Lang (146) sit sixth and seventh, respectively. Stacy Lewis (145), the only current member of the top-10 who has not been on a Solheim Cup Team, is eighth, while veterans Christina Kim (128) and Kristy McPherson 124) are ninth and 10th.

The United States won the 2009 Solheim Cup, 16 to 12, over Europe at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. The U.S. leads the overall competition 8-3, but they are 2-3 when competing on European soil.

About The Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup is named in honor of Karsten Solheim, and his family, the makers of PING golf equipment. The Solheim Cup is the most prestigious international team event in women’s professional golf. It is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition featuring the best U.S.-born players from the LPGA and the best European-born players representing the Ladies European Tour (LET). The U..S. Team leads the competition, 8-3. The 2011 Solheim Cup will be played at Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland, Sept. 23-25. The 2013 Solheim Cup will be contested at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado. In addition to founding sponsor PING, Global Partners of The Solheim Cup include AIB Group and Rolex. For information, log on to www.SolheimCup.com.