Golf: Golf-Lewis names Creamer, Lincicome among her four Solheim Cup assistants

(Reuters) – U.S. captain Stacy Lewis on Tuesday named major champions Morgan Pressel, Angela Stanford, Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome as her assistants for September’s Solheim Cup in Gainesville, Virginia.

Creamer and Lincicome will serve as assistants for the first time while Pressel and Stanford worked alongside Lewis in the 2023 Solheim Cup in Andalusia, Spain, where Europe secured a third straight triumph in the top team event in women’s golf.

“These four have so much experience and love for the Solheim Cup, plus they’re my friends and all major champions too,” said former world number one Lewis. “I’m excited to see them in this role and to help prepare them to be future captains as well.”

Creamer, a 10-time LPGA Tour winner who became a major champion at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, played on her first U.S. Solheim Cup team as an LPGA Tour rookie in 2005 at age 19, then the youngest player in the event’s history.

The 37-year-old Creamer also represented the U.S. in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 and her seven foursomes wins are the most for any American player.

“When Stacy asked me to be on her team for the Solheim Cup, I couldn’t say yes fast enough,” said Creamer. “My seven Solheim Cups are some of the best memories of my career, and I can’t wait to make more memories working with Stacy.”

Lincicome has top-10 finishes in all five LPGA Tour major championships, including titles at the 2009 and 2015 Chevron Championships.

Having competed in six Solheim Cups, Lincicome’s four four-ball partnerships with Brittany Lang are the most for any duo in Solheim Cup history, and the pair went a perfect 4-0-0.

“Serving as an assistant captain to the U.S. Solheim Cup team will be one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Lincicome.

Creamer and Lincicome were Solheim Cup team mates with Lewis four times, most recently in 2017.

Pressel has competed in six Solheim Cups, including in 2011 when she had a 4-0-0 record, and in 2009 when she secured the winning point with a 3-and-2 win over Anna Nordqvist.

Stanford has competed in six Solheim Cups and in 2015 earned the winning point with her 2-and-1 victory over Suzann Pettersen.

Both Pressel and Stanford were Solheim Cup team mates with Lewis in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

This year’s Solheim Cup is Sept. 13-15.

The Solheim Cup Committee previously approved to move the event to even years starting in 2024 after the announcement that the Ryder Cup would move to an odd-year schedule after the 2020 competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)