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Val Skinner Named Captain of PING
Junior Solheim Cup Team
Val Skinner, a member of the victorious 1996 U.S. Solheim
Cup Team and a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, has been
named captain of the United States PING Junior Solheim Cup
Team.
“We are delighted that Val has accepted the U.S. Team
captaincy,” said John A. Solheim, chairman & CEO
of PING, the leading global manufacturer of custom-built golf
equipment that sponsors the event. “Val’s spirit,
love and dedication to the game of golf, combined with her
exceptional leadership qualities, made her an ideal candidate
for this position.”
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to captain
the U.S. PING Junior Solheim Cup Team,” said Skinner.
“It will be a pleasure to watch these young players
express their talent and love of the game in a team atmosphere.
The Solheim Cup was one of my best competitive experiences
as a golfer, and I look forward to sharing those experiences
and memories with these fine young players.
“I am very grateful to John Solheim for the invitation
and the vote of confidence to be invited to captain the team.”
The PING Junior Solheim Cup, which features the 12 best female
junior golfers (ages 13-18) from the United States competing
against the top 12 junior girls from Europe, will be held
Sept. 9-10 at the Bokskogens Golf Club near Malmö, Sweden.
The event immediately precedes The Solheim Cup at nearby Barsebäck
Golf and Country Club, Sept. 12-14.
The United States won the inaugural PING Junior Solheim Cup
at Oak Ridge Country Club in Minnesota last year, 17-7.
Skinner, who will be a commentator for The Golf Channel during
the 2003 Solheim Cup telecast, is playing her 21st year on
the LPGA Tour, where she ranks among the top 50 in all-time
career earnings. She also played six events on the Ladies
European Tour, winning four titles and earning Rookie of the
Year in 1982.
Skinner’s fierce competitiveness and determination
on the golf course transcends to her work involving philanthropy.
Her passion to create awareness about breast cancer among
young women earned her the LPGA’s 1999 Komen Award in
recognition of contributions and initiatives through golf
to eradicate this disease.
Skinner was close friends with LPGA member Heather Farr who
in 1993 lost her battle with breast cancer. As a result, Skinner
became founder, chairman and host of LIFE (LPGA Pros In the
Fight to Eradicate Breast Cancer). In four years, Skinner
has raised $2 million through LIFE for The Cancer Institute
of New Jersey and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,
the LPGA’s official national charity. The LIFE event
funds have supported the launch of a national campaign called
“The Young Women’s Initiative.”
Skinner, who resides in Bay Head, N.J., was the recipient
of the 2001 New Jersey Woman of Achievement Award. She has
also been cited as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scout
Council, has earned the Women’s Wellness Award and the
Samaritan Award.
She received the Award of Hope in 2000 from the Cancer Institute
of New Jersey for raising $500,000, the largest single-day
donation ever for breast cancer from a golf event.
In 1997, Skinner was selected as one of USA WEEKEND
magazine’s five “Most Caring Athletes” in
recognition of her humanitarian efforts in working to raise
awareness and funds.
Growing up in Nebraska, Skinner won eight state championships,
20 high school titles and competed nationally. This success
earned the likable golfer a scholarship at Oklahoma State
University, where she was named Big Eight Female Athlete of
the Year, Collegiate Player of the Year and was eventually
inducted into the Oklahoma State Hall of Fame. Skinner is
also a member of the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame and
the Nebraska Golf Hall of Fame.
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