Sheehan glad to see Solheim Cup team getting younger

Tuesday, April 23, 2002 | 9:53 a.m.

Solheim Cup captain Patty Sheehan could wind up with a lot of fresh faces when the United States tries to win back the cup Sept. 20-22 in Minnesota.

Atop the standings is 26-year-old Laura Diaz, who earned her first LPGA Tour victory last month in Arizona. Cristie Kerr is a 24-year-old player from Miami who turned pro out of high school, won her first event last week and is fourth in the Solheim Cup standings.

"I want to play for Patty Sheehan," Kerr said. "She lives with so much heart and soul it's ridiculous, and I want to help the U.S. bring the cup back here."

Also in the top 10 are three other young players who have never competed in the biennial matches against Europe - Emilee Klein (27), Wendy Ward (28) and Dorothy Delasin (21).

"I'm not so much worried about the newcomers," said Sheehan, a hall of famer who played on four Solheim Cup teams in the 1990s. "They're very aggressive and very confident. We have great veterans to take the newcomers under their wings and help them."

Dottie Pepper is missing the first part of the year to recover from shoulder surgery but has been given clearance to start chipping and putting. Pepper is second in the standings and has played in every Solheim Cup since it began in 1990. Also high in the standings are Rosie Jones and Juli Inkster.

Sheehan, a four-time LPGA Championship and U.S. Open winner who lives in Reno, Nev., said having so many young players has its advantages.

"I know we can put them out twice a day and they won't poop out," she said.

Sheehan played golf as a one-person woman's team at Nevada for three years before transferring to San Jose State and winning the Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) individual national title in 1979. She has won more than $5 million on the LPGA tour.