Solheim captains going with youth

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — U.S. captain Juli Inkster added two to her Solheim Cup team for matches that will see plenty of new faces.

Inkster, the captain for the second consecutive time, added Angel Yin, 18, and Austin Ernst, 25, to her 10 automatic qualifiers. She passed over the experience in Paula Creamer and six-time Solheim Cup veteran Angela Stanford. Creamer, a captain’s pick in 2015, will miss her first Solheim Cup since she turned pro.

The Solheim Cup is Aug. 18-20 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa.

The Americans rallied to beat Europe two years ago in Germany.

The 10 qualifiers for the United States were Women’s PGA champion Danielle Kang, Cristie Kerr, Jessica Korda, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks), Brittany Lincicome, Gerina Piller, Lizette Salas, Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie. European captain Annika Sorenstam also preferred youth rather than familiarity with the Solheim’s uniquely partisan atmosphere.

Four of Europe’s players — Emily Pedersen of Denmark, Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden and English pair Georgia Hall and Florentine Parker — will be making their Solheim Cup debuts, with Pedersen and Sagstrom two of Sorenstam’s four picks.

The other wild cards — Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Masson — will be making their fifth and third appearances in Europe’s colors, respectively.

Rounding out the European team were Carlotta Ciganda, Charley Hull, Karine Icher, Suzann Pettersen, Melissa Reid and Jodi Ewart Shadoff.

— The Associated Press