Germany's Sandra Gal, recent winner of the Kia Classic, is eligible to play for European Solheim Cup team.
Kia Classic winner is eligible for European team
SkySports.com can reveal that Germany's Sandra Gal, the highly impressive winner of the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic last month, is now eligible for the European Solheim Cup team in September.
Following her victory in California it was widely reported that, as a non-member of the Ladies European Tour, she was unable to be considered for selection, either by right via the points list or as a captain's pick.
Since Gal has always been based in the United States and rarely plays in Europe, it was thought that the only chance of her getting around this problem was to win either the two co-sanctioned events mid-summer (the Ricoh Women's British Open and Evian Masters) or play another LET event on invitation and win it. Although both options were possible, they were not going to be easy.
Gal is currently ranked 38th in the world (which makes her the sixth highest ranked European) and she validated her form by finishing 15th at the season's first major championship, last month's Kraft Nabisco Championship. All of which set tongues wagging about the potential absurdity of Europe lacking one of its strongest players because of small print.
It was, however, overlooked that the Tour has a regulation which permits any LPGA or JLPGA winner to be offered membership.
This offer has duly been made, Gal has accepted and Europe's captain Alison Nicholas herself delivered the signed documents to the LET headquarters.
Regulations
To be specific, section 3 of the Ladies European Tour Members Regulations Handbook 2011 states: "Any Non Member of the Tour who wins a Ranking Tournament on the LPGA or the JLPGA may be offered Membership of the Tour with Exemption Category 11a Status for the current season with immediate effect. Such new Member will be eligible to appear on the Exemption Ranking subject to standard requirements to do so being met and provided that she becomes a Member of the Ladies European Tour within the Season of the Tournament win and subject to payment of the appropriate entrance and subscription and Qualifying School fees."
As of 4th April Gal is a member of the LET and therefore the six foot tall 25-year-old from Dusseldorf now stands an excellent chance of making her debut in the bi-annual match at Killeen Castle on the 23rd September - and Nicholas will not, after all, have her hands tied by rules and regulations.
