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Nobody ever said that Paula Creamer lacked confidence.
The LPGA rookie had that air about her as a junior, winning numerous titles on the American Junior Golf Association circuit, and as an amateur competing in - and nearly winning - LPGA events.
And she has certainly had it during her rookie season, with two victories and two close-calls.
Still, nobody expected Creamer to be so bold on Sunday when the U.S. Solheim Cup team was announced at a news conference after the Wendy's Championship.
"All I can say is that they better get ready because they're going to get beat," Creamer said of the European team that the United States faces Sept. 9-11 in Carmel, Ind. "I'm laying it down."
Never mind the Creamer is all of 19, just a few months removed from high school graduation, and can't even rent a car.
None of that kept her from becoming the first rookie professional to qualify in the event's history.
"I looked at ( Juli ) Inkster and said, "We need to talk to her a little bit," said LPGA veteran Beth Daniel , who was one of captain Nancy Lopez 's at-large selections. "There's a fine line, because we don't want to make them mad."
Lopez had no problem with Creamer's comments.
"She's awesome," Lopez said. "She's pumped up. I love that."
The Solheim Cup, the women's version of the Ryder Cup, will be played at Crooked Stick Golf Club. Although the United States leads 5-3 and has never failed to win at home, the Europeans dominated the last competition in Sweden, winning 171/2 to 101/2.
The Wendy's tournament was the final event in the qualifying process. Creamer, who has clinched LPGA rookie of the year honors, came up a shot short of Solheim teammate Cristie Kerr when her 50-foot birdie putt on the final green lipped out. Creamer's two victories include eight top 10s. She has earned more than $1.2-million.
Also qualifying for the U.S. team were Meg Mallon , Inkster, Rosie Jones , Pat Hurst , Natalie Gulbis , Christina Kim , Michele Redman and Laura Diaz . Lopez picked Daniel and Wendy Ward to round out the squad.
And here's something you're unlikely to see from the U.S. Ryder Cup team: Lopez and her 12 players boarded a bus on Sunday night headed for Crooked Stick, where they were scheduled to play a practice round Monday. It was the third such session among players expected to make the team.
COMING UP SHORT: Clearwater's Jenny Gleason won twice this year on the Future's Tour and was in position to earn exempt status on the LPGA Tour next year by finishing among the top five money winners. But with the final event on Sunday, Gleason could manage no better than a tie for 57th. And she finished sixth on the money list, missing a full exemption by less than $8,000, although she likely would have needed to win the tournament to finish among the top five.
"Getting a full card slipped through my fingers and I'm disappointed, for sure," Gleason said through the Futures Tour. "The hardest part was I was in the top five for almost two months before my putter cooled down. I tasted it. I was right there."
The next 10 players on the money list are exempt into the final stage of LPGA qualifying, but that is small consolation to Gleason. As a nonexempt player this year on the LPGA Tour, she had a pass into the qualifying tournament finals.
WHO'S HE?: Nobody knew Michael Putnam when he arrived for the Buick Championship last week. Fresh off playing for the U.S. Walker Cup team two weeks before, Putnam had plans to compete in last week's U.S. Amateur before turning pro. But he got a last-minute sponsor exemption to the Buick, decided to turn pro, then made the most of it, shooting 63 on Sunday to tie for fourth, just two shots out of a playoff won by Brad Faxon .
"I was happy to be here," Putnam said afterward. "Once I got the call with the sponsor's invitation, I didn't think twice about (the U.S. Amateur)."
Putnam, who is from Tacoma, Wash., played college golf at Pepperdine. His top-10 finish gets him a spot in this week's Deutsche Bank Championship outside of Boston.
WIE'S FUTURE: There has been considerable speculation that Michelle Wie will turn pro around the time of her 16th birthday in October, before competing in the Samsung World Championship, to which she has a sponsor's invite.
That thinking got a boost when the Los Angeles Times reported that Wie is close to signing an endorsement contract with the William Morris Agency. If that happens, Wie's amateur career would immediately end.
William Morris is best known for representing actors and others in Hollywood, although it does have some sports clients, including tennis player Serena Williams .
Wie, who has played in seven LPGA events this year, finished second three times and third once. She was second at the LPGA Championship. Had she been a pro, her finishes would have earned her $663,363, good for 11th on the money list. Various projections suggest she can sign endorsement deals for several million dollars immediately.