Sept. 14 -- Bowling Green, Ky. - The teams have been named, and the matches are set to begin as The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Ky., will host the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup, beginning Monday, and present an expanded format change to foursomes, mixed four-ball and singles competition.

Team Europe (pictured above) and Team USA (pictured below) are set to battle at The Junior Ryder Cup. (Photo: The PGA of America)

The 2008 United States Junior Ryder Cup Team was announced following the conclusion of the 33rd Junior PGA Championship in August at TPC River's Bend in Maineville, Ohio. The U.S. Team features six boys and six girls who are American citizens and are members of the high school graduating class of 2009, or younger.

U.S. Team Captain Ken Lindsay, past President of The PGA of America, knows he has a very poised and talented team.

"They are a very confident team and in watching them I am very impressed with their length off the tee and iron play," said Lindsay, who served as Captain of the 2000 PGA Cup Team. "I have told them that when they go out and play that they are representing The PGA of America, the United States, and themselves. I know they will do well."

Four spots on the team were granted to the winner and runner up in both the Junior PGA Championship's boys' and girls' divisions: boys' Champion Anthony Paolucci of Dallas, Texas; boys' runner-up Jordan Spieth of Dallas, Texas; girls' Champion Danielle Frasier; and girls'runner-up Sarah Brown of Phillipsburg, N.J.

Lindsay also announced his two Captains' picks: Jeffrey Kang, 17, of Fullerton, Calif., on the boys' side, and Tiffany Lua, 17, of Rowland Heights, Calif., on the girls' side.

Joining Paolucci, Spieth and Kang on the boys' side will be Cameron Peck, 17, of Olympia, Wash., who is the No. 1 ranked junior golfer in the country, and Cory Whitsett, 16, of Houston, Texas, who is the No. 2 ranked junior golfer in the country.

Completing the boys' side was Andrew Yun of Chandler, Ariz., who was a member of the 2006 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team.

Highlighting the girls' side will be Alexis Thompson, of Coral Springs, Fla., the No. 5 junior golfer in the country, who won the 2007 Junior PGA Championship. Joining Thompson will be Jennifer Johnson, 18, of LaQuinta, Calif., and Erynne Lee, 15, of Silverdale, Wash.

The European Junior Ryder Cup team was named following the 2008 European Young Masters in August. The top four boys and top four girls from the event secured a place on the European Team for the Junior Ryder Cup.

Identical twins Lisa and Leona Maguire of Ireland lead the girls' side after finishing first and second. Anna Arese of Spain and Carly Booth of Scotland will join the Irish duo.

With the top four girls at the 2008 European Young Masters guaranteeing themselves a place on the team, Stangl handed out his Captain's Picks to Kelly Tidy of England and Denmark's Daisy Nielsen.

Stanislas Gautier and Julien Brun of France lead the boys' and are joined in the automatic qualifying spots by Germany's Moritz Lampert and Adrian Otaegui of Spain. Chris Lloyd of England and Italy's Matteo Manassero earned Captain's Picks.

European Junior Ryder Cup Captain Gary Stangl is excited to showcase his European players.

"They do not have to prove anything, they have played well and are very motivated, said Stangl, who was a member of the Austrian National Junior Team from 1993-'95, and was a member of the Austrian National Team from 1995-'99. "I want to make sure they feel comfortable with each other and have a lot of fun."

Participants in the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup will play a nine-hole "friendship" match the day prior (Wednesday) to the start of the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The matches will feature a mixed four-ball, with the U.S. competing against Europe for the six matches, which will continue to build international friendships.

Contact: Randy Stutzman
The PGA of America
561-809-8609
rstutzman@pgahq.com