On March 21st, The American Junior Golf Association announced that Beth Daniel would be the United States PING Junior Solheim Cup Captain for 2024. Riley Corona, South Central Regional Manager for AJGA, will be Vice Captain alongside Daniel. Corona played collegiate golf at The College of William and Mary, crediting her time at the university as her motivator to pursue a career in junior golf. Daniel was also Vice Captain, back in 2007, when Besty King was Captain.
Daniel says she was shocked to receive the call letting her know she’d been selected to be captain. “I saw John’s name pop up on my phone and I thought to myself why is John Solheim calling me. I was so surprised, I thought those days were behind me. I am so honored that the Solheim Family wanted me to Captain the junior team,” said Daniel, referring to John A. Solheim, Chairman of PING.
Daniel has previously played in the Solheim Cup eight times and was captain for the 2009 US team. Her impressive legacy with the Cup includes leading that 2009 team to a 16 to 12 victory at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Before becoming a captain, Beth had competed in the Cup from 1990 to 2005. She is currently tied for second all-time in most Solheim Cup appearances for the United States, behind Christie Kerr and Juli Inkster who have each competed nine times. Daniel is also fifth all-time for most matches played by a Team USA member overall, as she has played in 26 Solheim Cups. In all of her appearances, she earned Team USA 13.5 points, with the team winning six of those matches.
Photo by LPGA
In regards to being offered the role, Daniel says, “I think any time you are asked to be a Captain it’s an honor and a big responsibility. You have to put the time and effort into it to be successful. I have a passion for junior golf so I couldn’t pass on this opportunity.”
Daniel has not only an accomplished pro career, but an amateur one as well. She became quite an accomplished junior and amateur golfer. She won the US Women’s Open not just once, but twice as an amateur first in 1975 then again in 1977. As a player on the Furman University team, she earned the school a National Title in 1976. Because of her level of play in her senior year, she was awarded the Broderick Award (now known as the ANNIKA Award) as the nation’s top female collegiate golfer. She also had a chance to represent the United States in the Curtis Cup in both 1976 and 1978, going 4-0 in her first appearance in 1976.
Along with all of her accomplishments with the Solheim Cup, the South Carolina native is also a 33 time LPGA tour champion. Her single Major win came in 1990 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the Bethesda Country Club. Daniel had multiple Rookie of the Year honors in 1979 after her first victory at the Patty Berg Classic and after three wins in the 1980 season, she won three Player of the Year titles. Daniel was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1999 and a year later, in 2000, into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Daniel held a co-honorary chairman position at the US Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston in 2018, and annually hosts the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea tournament there. The best junior golfer with the most SCJGA points that year is awarded the “Beth Daniel Award”.
Now in 2024, Daniel hopes to lead Team USA to their first win since 2019. She joins a lengthy list of talented LPGA players who have held captain positions on the Junior United States Team, including Renee Powell, Amy Alcott, Nancy Lopez, and Mary Bea Porter-King. John Solheim, PING, and the Junior Solheim Cup are thrilled to have her as captain.
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