Associated Press
Friday, September 29

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Pat Bradley went with experience Sunday, choosing Beth Daniel and Brandie Burton as her captain's picks for the U.S. Solheim Cup team that will face Europe in two weeks in Scotland.

Solheim Cup rosters

United States Juli Inkster Meg Mallon Dottie Pepper Rosie Jones Sherri Steinhauer Pat Hurst Kelly Robbins Michele Redman Nancy Scranton Becky Iverson x-Beth Daniel x-Brandie Burton Europe Sophie Gustafson, Sweden Trish Johnson, England Laura Davies, England Alison Nicholas, England Patricia Meunier Lebouc, France Raquel Carriedo, Spain Annika Sorenstam, Sweden x-Helen Alfredsson, Sweden x-Carin Koch, Sweden x-Janice Moodie, Sweden x-Liselotte Neumann, Sweden x-Catrin Nilsmark, Sweden (x-captain's choices)

"First-time players earn their spots," Bradley said.

Cristie Kerr and two-time U.S. Amateur champion Kelli Kuehne, 11th and 12th in the two-year standings, missed a chance to qualify this weekend. They played poorly in the Safeway Championship in Portland, Ore., the final event to earn points for the 10 automatic spots.

The matches will be played Oct. 6-8 at Loch Lomond. The United States won 16-12 in 1998 at Muirfield Village in Ohio.

Daniel, who will be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in November, was 13th in the standings and brings the experience of four Solheim Cup matches.

"I was fully expecting Pat to say, 'I'm sorry, I can't pick you,' " Daniel said. "I couldn't believe it."

Burton played with Bradley in the first round at Portland and had an 80 in windy conditions, then missed the cut by one stroke. Bradley took her anyway, going with a winner of two major championships and a tough match player in the last four Solheim Cups.

Burton missed all of last year with a shoulder injury.

"It definitely was my No. 1 goal after having all of '99 off," said Burton, who has a 7-4-1 record and has played every Solheim Cup since she turned pro. "It's a special treat to be on this team."

Also left off the team was Betsy King, another Hall of Famer who has played in every match since the Solheim Cup began in 1990. That makes Dottie Pepper, who finished third in the standings, the only player to compete in every Solheim Cup.

The 10 Americans who earned their way onto the team were Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon, Pepper, Rosie Jones, Sherri Steinhauer, Pat Hurst, Kelly Robbins, Michele Redman, Nancy Scranton and Becky Iverson.

Redman, one of three rookies for the United States, played her way onto the team by winning the Betsy King Classic two weeks ago. The other two first-timers are Scranton and Iverson.

The European team, announced two weeks ago, includes seven Swedes and four rookies. The United States leads 4-1, with Europe's only victory coming in Scotland in 1992.

"We have a great mix of veterans and newcomers to the team," Bradley said. "This is our Olympics. This is my dream team."