We have now already had the Girls’s Ashes in cricket and the Girls’s soccer World Cup this summer season. Now it’s time for ladies’s golf to take the highlight as it’s time for the Solheim Cup. The 12 greatest gamers from Europe and the US will battle it out over three days of intense matchplay within the largest occasion within the girls’s recreation. Each level shall be important and every part shall be on the road as the 2 sides bid to get their fingers on the cup.
With the Ryder Cup going down the week after, this actually is a feast for golf followers as we are able to benefit from the reduce and thrust of matchplay golf as a break from the common weight loss plan of 72-hole strokeplay tournaments. For these of us new to the sport or unfamiliar with the Solheim Cup, we at AMERICAN GOLF need to assist. That’s why now we have produced this information with a potted historical past, the format and the gamers to be careful for on this implausible occasion to get everybody in control.
Historical past of the Solheim Cup:
In comparison with the lads’s Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup is a comparatively new phenomenon. This yr’s match will solely be the 18th staging of the occasion whereas the Ryder Cup the week after takes place for the 44th time.
The Solheim Cup takes its identify from Norwegian engineer Karsten Solheim. He labored for Common Electrical earlier than he started taking part in golf on the age of 42. Solheim caught the golf bug however he additionally introduced his enquiring, engineering thoughts. Solheim got here up with revolutionary concepts about membership making as he established the tools firm that everyone knows immediately, PING.
Within the Nineteen Eighties, the merging of Nice Britain and Eire to turn out to be a European crew within the males’s Ryder Cup had a transformative impact on that match into turning into arguably the largest occasion in golf. Seeing that made Solheim and his spouse, Louise, imagine that one thing related was wanted for ladies’s golf and so the Solheim Cup was created.
The stage was set for Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida to host the primary match in November 1990. There have been solely eight gamers on every crew and there was no tv protection of the occasion. There have been 4 foursomes matches on day one and 4 fourballs on the second earlier than eight singles have been performed on the ultimate day. The USA have been resounding 11.5-4.5 winners, however the occasion was a hit. The gamers have been determined to put on crew colors and the followers who attended have been enthusiastic and patriotic, in a great way. The format for a biennial {golfing} contest between feminine golfers from Europe and America had been established.
The groups have been elevated to 10 gamers per aspect for the primary match on European soil at Dalmahoy in Scotland in 1992 earlier than it was raised to 12 gamers per aspect in 1996, which remains to be in place immediately.
It is vitally uncommon for each the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup to be staged in the identical yr, not to mention in back-to-back weeks. They have been staged in the identical month in September 2002 after the Ryder Cup was postponed for a yr in 2001 following the 9/11 assaults. The conflict this time is brought on by the Ryder Cup being pushed again by COVID in 2020. In consequence, the Solheim Cup is transferring ahead to happen in even years. The subsequent match shall be held subsequent yr from 13-15 September on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership in Gainesville, Virginia.
Solheim Cup Format:
The format of the Solheim Cup is precisely the identical because the Ryder Cup with 28 match play video games unfold throughout three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday: Morning: 4 Foursomes (07:10 BST, 07:22, 07:34, 07:46)
Afternoon: 4 Fourballs (12:40 BST, 12:55, 13:10, 13:25)
Saturday: Morning: 4 Foursomes (07:10 BST, 07:22, 07:34, 07:46)
Afternoon: 4 Fourballs (12:40 BST, 12:55, 13:10, 13:25)
Sunday: 12 Singles (10:10 BST, with matches at 12-minute intervals till the ultimate recreation tees off at 12:22 BST)
For the primary two days of the Solheim Cup, eight gamers from every crew function in each session and 4 gamers sit out. The captain is free to select whichever mixture of gamers she needs. For instance, England’s Charley Hull may have the identical associate for all 4 rounds of foursomes and fourball video games, or she may have 4 completely different ones. There aren’t any limits. On Sunday, all 12 gamers from every crew play within the singles. It’s the solely assured match for gamers all week.
The magic quantity is 14.5 factors. Reaching that determine wins the Solheim Cup.
Nevertheless, as present holders of the trophy, Europe will retain the Solheim Cup if the match finishes in a 14-14 draw. That’s but to occur within the historical past of the Solheim Cup.
The place is the Solheim Cup 2023:
The Solheim Cup is going down at Finca Cortesin Golf Membership on the outskirts of Marbella within the south of Spain. It’s the first time that the Solheim Cup has been performed in Spain – which is the sixth European nation to host the occasion. Remarkably, the Solheim Cup has by no means been staged in England.
The crowds might not be on fairly the identical scale as for the Ryder Cup, however they’ll definitely present a number of ambiance. The blue and yellow flags of Europe and the celebs and stripes of America shall be widespread sights all week on the fairways and within the stands.
It’s additionally widespread to see gamers with faces or nails painted within the colors of their respective groups – one other function of Solheim Cup week!
Earlier Solheim Cup winners:
The USA leads the collection 10-7. Nevertheless, Europe is aiming for a 3rd straight victory for the primary time. The Individuals have achieved that feat twice (1994, 1996, 1998) and (2005, 2007, 2009).
1990 (Lake Nona, Florida): USA 11.5-4.5
1992 (Dalmahoy, Scotland): Europe 11.5-6.5
1994 (The Greenbrier, Virginia): USA 13-7
1996 (St Pierre, Wales): USA 17-11
1998 (Muirfield Village, Ohio): USA 16-12
2000 (Loch Lomond, Scotland): Europe 14.5-11.5
2002 (Interlachen, Minnesota): USA 15.5-12.5
2003 (Barseback, Sweden): Europe 17.5-10.5
2005 (Crooked Stick, Indiana): USA 15.5-12.5
2007 (Halmstad, Sweden): USA 16-12
2009 (Wealthy Harvest Farm, Illinois): USA 16-12
2011 (Killeen Citadel, Eire): Europe 15-13
2013 (Colorado Golf Membership, Colorado): Europe 17.5-10.5
2015 (Golf Membership St-Leon Rot, Germany): USA 14.5-13.5
2017 (Des Moines, Iowa): USA 16.5-11.5
2019 (Gleneagles, Scotland): Europe 14.5-13.5
2021 (Inverness, Ohio): Europe 15-13
Groups:
Europe:
Captain: Suzann Pettersen – Pettersen supplied probably the most iconic second in Solheim Cup historical past in 2019. She holed the successful putt on the 18th inexperienced within the ultimate match on the Sunday afternoon to win the Solheim Cup again for Europe. It was solely her third occasion again after giving start to her son and it will be her final ever match earlier than retiring. A veteran of 9 matches as a participant, Pettersen is now the captain of the European crew, attempting to make them an unprecedented third victory in a row.
Golfers:
Eight gamers certified routinely, two from a Girls European Tour record and 6 by way of world rankings – with the remaining 4 gamers (wildcards) chosen by the captain.
Celine Boutier (France): The main European on this planet rankings following her victory in France within the Evian Championship – one of many 5 girls’s Majors – in July.
Maja Stark (Sweden, rookie): Six wins because the earlier Solheim Cup made her a shoo-in for this European crew.
Linn Grant (Sweden, rookie): Received the Scandinavian Combined in 2022 by 9 pictures, a match for women and men on the DP World Tour and Girls European Tour, an indication of her capacity.
Charley Hull (England): Nonetheless solely 27, this can be a sixth Solheim Cup for Hull. The heartbeat of the European crew, matchplay golf fits her energetic character.
Carlota Ciganda (Spain): Enjoying on house soil, she is certain to have the crowds pulling for her.
Georgia Corridor (England): Brilliantly received the British Open in 2018 at Royal Lytham and performed a key ole in Europe’s final two Solheim Cup successes.
Anna Nordqvist (Sweden): Nordqvist was named as one in all Pettersen’s assistant captains for this match, earlier than she performed her means on to the crew.
Leona Maguire (Eire): The stand-out participant in Europe’s win in America two years in the past and now a confirmed winner on Tour.
Caroline Hedwall (Sweden): The Swede is the one participant to win 5 factors out of 5 in a single Solheim Cup as she did in 2013.
Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden): Claimed an important level within the Sunday singles as Europe received in America two years in the past, one thing not misplaced on captain Pettersen.
Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland, rookie): Chosen as a wildcard by Pettersen after a maiden LPGA win in Japan final November and stable kind in 2023.
Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark): Secured the purpose for outright victory in 2021 Solheim Cup as she completes the Scandinavian flavour to the aspect.
USA:
Captain: Stacy Lewis – A constant performer for a few years on the LPGA Tour and a two-time Main winner. At 38, she is the youngest ever American captain on this match. She performed in 4 Solheim Cups however misplaced twice as a lot of her matches as she received. Should halt the European try and win three-in-a-row.
Golfers:
9 gamers got here by way of a qualification course of and world rankings to make the crew with three wildcards chosen by the captain.
Lilia Vu (rookie): By no means performed within the Solheim Cup, however she is the shape participant of 2023 after successful two Majors – the Chevron Championship and the Girls’s British Open.
Nelly Korda: Ex-world primary comes from an unimaginable sporting household. Sister Jessica has performed previous Solheim Cups, brother Sebastian is a professional tennis participant, whereas mother and father Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova have been additionally professional tennis gamers.
Allisen Corpuz (rookie): Secured the largest prize in girls’s golf and a cheque for $2 million when successful the US Girls’s Open at Pebble Seashore this yr.
Megan Khang: Good associates with actress and eager golfer Kathryn Newton, she was constant by way of qualification earlier than successful the final counting occasion.
Jennifer Kupcho: Three wins in 2022 assured her spot. Her husband, Jay, shall be in Spain – as caddie for team-mate Allisen Corpuz!
Danielle Kang: An everyday within the American crew and on this planet’s prime 20, that is her fourth straight look.
Andrea Lee (rookie): Good finishes within the Scottish Open and the Girls’s British Open helped her to make the crew for the primary time.
Lexi Thompson: Thompson has been making headlines since qualifying for the US Girls’s Open as a 12-year-old. Now 28, and with out a person title for 4 years.
Rose Zhang (rookie): The 20-year-old solely turned professional in Might and promptly received her first occasion. She is seen as the brand new star of the ladies’s recreation.
Ally Ewing: Chosen for this match based mostly on earlier expertise. However two wins from eight Solheim Cup matches is just not fairly a ringing endorsement.
Cheyenne Knight (rookie): Impressed captain Stacy Lewis with constant kind in the beginning of 2023 to earn one in all three wildcard spots.
Angel Yin: Performed in final successful crew in 2017 and the Individuals will need to name upon these these good vibes.
The place are you able to watch the Solheim Cup:
Sky Sports activities shall be on web site at Finca Cortesin to broadcast all of the motion over the three days, stay from when the primary ball is struck on Friday morning till the ultimate putt is holed on Sunday night. There will even be highlights obtainable within the night on BBC.
In regards to the Creator
Adam is a contract information and sports activities journalist who has written for the BBC, The Sunday Submit, The I, The Instances, The Telegraph and extra. He has been writing about golf for almost 20 years and has lined 13 Open Championships and two Ryder Cups. Not solely does Adam cowl golf, however he has performed golf for so long as he can bear in mind. He was a member at Northenden Golf Membership for round 25 years till his kids arrived and his final official handicap was 11, though on any given day his kind fluctuates wherever between eight and 18.
