By Fred Altvater
Golf fans watched as the European Solheim Cup Team and Team USA battled to a 14-14 tie in Spain last month. Just prior to the main event, the PING Junior Solheim Cup was held in Spain, as well.
Twelve young American women from America competed against a European Team in match play, just like their idols from the LPGA and Ladies European Tour.
One of those young ladies on the Team USA was Gianna Clemente originally from Warren, but now residing in Estero, Florida, where she can practice every day.
Gianna took the golf world by storm last year when she Monday qualified for three consecutive LPGA tournaments and won the PING Invitational for the second consecutive year. Earlier this year she partnered with Avery Zweig to become the youngest winners of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship held in Tacoma, Washington. She also won one of the most prestigious women’s amateur events by grabbing the trophy at the Women’s South Atlantic Amateur Championship in Ormond Beach, Florida.
Oh yeah, she also finished tied for 14th at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April, where she was also the youngest competitor. Did I fail to mention Gianna is only 15 years old and already a national standout in the amateur golf world.
Like the LPGA Tour stars, the U.S. Junior Solheim Cup lost to the Europeans, but for the 12 Americans, this was the golf trip of their young lives.
The following week after the PING Junior Solheim Cup, Gianna flew from Spain to Italy as she was also a member of the Junior Ryder Cup Team.
Golf Nazionale served as the host venue for the first two days of team play in foursomes and fourballs. The final round singles action took place on Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the site of the 2023 Ryder Cup. The U.S. Team was seeking its seventh straight victory and owns a 7-3-1 all-time record in the biennial competition. The Junior Ryder Cup Teams is comprised of six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and members of the high school graduating class of 2024 or younger.
You may want to remember Gianna’s name, 10 of the 12 Europeans professionals and six of the Americans on the U.S. Solheim Cup previously played in the PING Junior Solheim Cup as amateurs.
She will probably finish high school first, but we will be seeing Gianna Clemente on the LPGA Tour in the not too distant future.
