AIG Girls’s Open: Solheim Cup hopefuls Albane Valenzuela, Esther Henseleit impress at St Andrews

As world No 1 Nelly Korda challenged defending champion Lilia Vu and Charley Hull for AIG Girls’s Open victory, many additional down the leaderboard had an extra goal on their minds.

Korda took a three-shot lead into the weekend across the Previous Course at St Andrews, the place the ultimate main of the yr additionally serves because the final qualification occasion within the race to qualify for subsequent month’s Solheim Cup.

The highest two on the European Solheim Cup Factors Checklist robotically qualify for Workforce Europe, together with the following six within the Rolex Girls’s World Rankings, earlier than Suzann Pettersen broadcasts her 4 captain’s picks – live on Sky Sports activities Information – on Monday afternoon.

Workforce Europe are anticipated to stay with the vast majority of the aspect who retained the trophy with a dramatic 14-14 attract Spain, with Pettersen on-site in Scotland this weekend to take a more in-depth take a look at her potential gamers and resolve who will full her line-up.

Esther Hensleit is amongst these closing in on a Solheim Cup debut, having moved second on the European Factors Checklist after following a runner-up end on the Olympics by claiming second on the ISPS Handa Girls’s Scottish Open.

Henseleit was congratulated by Pettersen after making the minimize on the quantity at St Andrews, then charged up the leaderboard with a six-under 66 throughout her third spherical to maneuver a step nearer to a Solheim Cup spot.

“It has been my goal for I don’t know how many years to be part of the Solheim Cup team,” Henseleit mentioned. “I am actually excited for it. It has been a enjoyable summer season.

“I’ve been playing well all year but I feel like now the scores are coming together as well. It’s fun to be on the golf course at the moment and I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

Henseleit’s 66 was matched by Albane Valenzuela, who was born in America to a Mexican father and French mom however is eligible for Workforce Europe since shifting to Switzerland as a toddler.

The world No 68 closed out her bogey-free third spherical as Pettersen watched on on the 18th, with Valenzuela hoping to earn a captain’s choose ought to she fail to qualify for the Solheim Cup robotically.

“She said ‘good round’,” Valenzuela mentioned about her post-round dialog with Pettersen. “She said ‘good playing’. It was very nice of her.

“Solheim is obviously a big goal of mine, but I’m just outside on the bubble. I’m just trying to play good golf and I just told myself at the beginning of the year that good golf will take care of itself. That’s really all I can do.

“There are such a lot of nice European gamers and it is tremendous aggressive to be on that crew. It has been such an enormous purpose of mine ever since I used to be just a little child and I really feel like I am near incomes that spot. It will be a dream and honour to be on the crew, and all I can do is strive my greatest.”

Alexandra Forsterling – at the moment outdoors the automated qualification locations – dropped three pictures over her closing three holes to put up a one-under 71, as Bronte Regulation, Gemma Dryburgh, Anna Nordqvist and Emily Pedersen all missed the minimize.

Hull got here into this week high of the European Factors Checklist forward of Henseleit, with Celine Boutier, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda and Madelene Sagstrom within the qualification spots by way of the world rankings.

Who will qualify for the Solheim Cup? Watch the AIG Girls’s Open stay this week on Sky Sports activities. Watch all 4 rounds stay this week on Sky Sports activities Golf, with protection every day from noon! Stream the ladies’s majors and extra sport with NOW.