The Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. It is named after the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was a driving force behind its creation.

Solheim Cup
Tournament information
LocationEurope or United States
Established1990
Tour(s)Ladies European Tour
LPGA Tour
FormatMatch play
Prize fundNone
Month playedSeptember
Current champion
United States United States
2024 Solheim Cup

The inaugural Cup was held in 1990, and the event was first staged in even numbered years until 2002, alternating years with the Ryder Cup (the equivalent men's event). As part of the general reshuffling of team golf events after the one-year postponement of the 2001 Ryder Cup following the September 11 attacks, the Solheim Cup switched to odd numbered years beginning in 2003. Another reshuffle of team golf events took place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Solheim Cup will return to even numbered years from 2024 onwards.[1]

The United States teams have won the cup eleven times, compared with eight for Europe. The current holders are the US, who regained the cup with a 15.5–12.5 win in 2024.

The cup

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The trophy is a cut-glass Irish Waterford Crystal, designed in 1990 by one of Waterford's top designers, Billy Briggs. Weight: about 20 pounds. Height: 19 inches, including the mahogany base. Diameter of wooden base: 8 inches. Diameter at top: 4 inches.[2]

Format

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The tournament is played over three days. Since 2002, there have been 28 matches—eight foursomes and eight four-balls played on days 1 and 2, and 12 singles on the final day. This format is also used in the Ryder Cup. Before 1996, and also in 2000, the Solheim Cup used a similar, but abbreviated format.

One point is awarded to the team that wins each match; in the event of a tie, both teams score half a point. After all matches are complete, the team with more points wins or retains the Cup. Any ties are broken in favor of the defending champion team.

In addition to the indicated number of players, each team includes one captain and a set number of assistant captains (three as of 2015), none of whom play in the matches.

Year Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Total
Points
Players
per team
Morning Afternoon Morning Afternoon
1990 4 foursomes 4 fourballs 8 singles 16 8
1992 4 foursomes 4 fourballs 10 singles 18 10
1994 5 foursomes 5 fourballs 10 singles 20 10
1996–1998 4 foursomes 4 fourballs 4 foursomes 4 fourballs 12 singles 28 12
2000 4 foursomes 4 foursomes 6 fourballs 12 singles 26 12
2002–
present
4 foursomes 4 fourballs 4 foursomes 4 fourballs 12 singles 28 12
or or
4 fourballs 4 foursomes 4 fourballs 4 foursomes

Team qualification and selection

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The U.S. team[3] is selected by a points system, with American players on the LPGA Tour receiving points for each top-twenty finish on tour.[4] Through the 2013 event, U.S. citizens born outside the country were ineligible for consideration; beginning in 2015, eligibility for Team USA was expanded to include many more categories of (female) U.S. citizens.[5][a] For the European team,[6] up to 2005, seven players were selected on a points system based on results on the Ladies European Tour (LET). This allowed top European players who competed mainly on the LPGA Tour to be selected to ensure that the European team was competitive. Since 2007, only the top five players from the LET qualify and another four are selected on the basis of the Women's World Golf Rankings. This reflects the increasing dominance of the LPGA Tour, where almost all top European players spend most of their time.[7] In addition, each team has a number of "captain's picks", players chosen at the discretion of the team captains, regardless of their point standings, though in practice the captain's picks are often the next ranking players.

Captains

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Team captains are typically recently retired professional golfers with Solheim Cup playing experience, chosen for their experience playing on previous Cup teams and for their ability to lead a team.

Results

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Year Winners Score Host location Course U.S. captain European captain U.S. top
point scorer[b]
European top
point scorer[b]
2024   United States 1512–1212 Virginia
United States
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club,
Gainesville
Stacy
Lewis
Suzann
Pettersen
Zhang
4 / 4
Hull
3 / 5
2023 Tied
  Europe retains
14–14 Spain
Europe
Finca Cortesin,
Málaga, Andalusia
Stacy
Lewis
Suzann
Pettersen
Khang
3.5 / 4
Ciganda
4 / 4
2021   Europe 15–13 Ohio
United States
Inverness Club,
Toledo
Pat
Hurst
Catriona
Matthew
Kupcho; Salas
2.5 / 4
Maguire
4.5 / 5
2019   Europe 1412–1312 Scotland
Europe
Gleneagles Hotel (PGA Centenary),
Perthshire
Juli
Inkster
Catriona
Matthew
J. Korda; N. Korda
3.5 / 4
Boutier; Hall
4 / 4
2017   United States 1612–1112 Iowa
United States
Des Moines Golf and Country Club,
West Des Moines
Juli
Inkster
Annika
Sörenstam
Kerr
3.5 / 4
Nordqvist
3.5 / 4
2015   United States 1412–1312 Germany
Europe
Golf Club St. Leon-Rot,
St. Leon-Rot, Baden-Württemberg
Juli
Inkster
Carin
Koch
Kerr; Piller
3.5 / 4
Hull
4 / 5
2013   Europe 18–10 Colorado
United States
Colorado Golf Club,
Parker
Meg
Mallon
Liselotte
Neumann
Lang
3 / 4
Hedwall
5 / 5
2011   Europe 15–13 Ireland
Europe
Killeen Castle Golf Resort,
County Meath
Rosie
Jones
Alison
Nicholas
Pressel
4 / 4
Gustafson
4 / 4
2009   United States 16–12 Illinois
United States
Rich Harvest Farms,
Big Rock Township, Kane County
Beth
Daniel
Alison
Nicholas
Wie
3.5 / 4
Nocera
3.5 / 4
2007   United States 16–12 Sweden
Europe
Halmstad Golf Club,
Tylösand, Halmstad Municipality, Halland
Betsy
King
Helen
Alfredsson
Creamer
3.5 / 5
Matthew
3 / 4
2005   United States 1512–1212 Indiana
United States
Crooked Stick Golf Club,
Carmel
Nancy
Lopez
Catrin
Nismark
Creamer
3.5 / 5
Sörenstam
4 / 5
2003   Europe 1712–1012 Sweden
Europe
Barsebäck Golf & Country Club,
Barsebäck, Scania
Patty
Sheehan
Catrin
Nismark
Inkster; Kerr
3 / 4
Pettersen; Sörenstam
4 / 5
2002   United States 1512–1212 Minnesota
United States
Interlachen Country Club,
Edina
Patty
Sheehan
Dale
Reid
Diaz; Klein; Mallon
3 / 4
Koch
4.5 / 5
2000   Europe 1412–1112 Scotland
Europe
Loch Lomond Golf Club,
Luss, Argyll & Bute
Pat
Bradley
Dale
Reid
Robbins
3 / 4
Koch; Nilsmark
3 / 3
1998   United States 16–12 Ohio
United States
Muirfield Village,
Dublin
Judy
Rankin
Pia
Nilsson
Pepper
4 / 4
Davies
3.5 / 5
1996   United States 17–11 Wales
Europe
St Pierre Golf & Country Club,
Monmouthshire
Judy
Rankin
Mickey
Walker
King
3 / 3
Sörenstam
4 / 5
1994   United States 13–7 West Virginia
United States
The Greenbrier,
White Sulphur Springs
Joanne
Carner
Mickey
Walker
Burton; Mochrie
3 / 3
Alfredsson; Fairclough;
Nicholas; Reid
2 / 3
1992   Europe 1112–612 Scotland
Europe
Dalmahoy Country Club,
Edinburgh
Kathy
Whitworth
Mickey
Walker
Mallon
2 / 3
Davies
3 / 3
1990   United States 1112–412 Florida
United States
Lake Nona Golf & Country Club,
Orlando
Kathy
Whitworth
Mickey
Walker
Daniel
3 / 3
Davies
2 / 3

In the 19 competitions through 2024, the United States leads the series 11–7–1 with Europe retaining as holders when the teams tied in 2023.

Future venues

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Year Hosts Course Location Dates Last hosted Ref
2026   Europe Bernardus Golf Cromvoirt, North Brabant, Netherlands 7−13 September n/a [8]
2028   United States Valhalla Golf Club Louisville, Kentucky TBD n/a [9]

Bernardus Golf has previously hosted three editions (2021, 2022, 2023) of the men's European Tour's Dutch Open and will be the Netherlands' first Solheim Cup or Ryder Cup venue.

Valhalla Golf Club has hosted the men's PGA Championship four times in 1996, 2000, 2014 and 2024 as well as the Senior PGA Championship twice in 2004 and 2011. Despite being a first-time Solheim Cup venue, it previously hosted the Ryder Cup in 2008 and will become just the fourth course after The Greenbrier, Muirfield Village and the Gleneagles Hotel's PGA Centenary to host both events.

Records

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Sources[10][11][12]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ More specifically, the following groups of women became eligible:
  2. ^ a b If more than one player ties for top points scorer, players with the highest win% are shown

References

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  1. ^ "Solheim Cup to move to even years from 2024 to avoid Ryder Cup clash". BBC Sport. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Facts About the Solheim Cup Trophy".
  3. ^ "Solheim Cup USA". solheimcupusa.com. Solheim Cup USA. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Points distribution for 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team qualifying" (PDF). LPGA Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  5. ^ "Solheim eligibility criteria changing for U.S. team". Golf Channel. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  6. ^ SolheimCup2019. "Solheim Cup Europe". solheimcup2019.com. Solheim Cup Europe. Retrieved 12 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Solheim selection process changes". BBC Sport. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
  8. ^ "Solheim Cup: Europe confirm Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands as hosts for 2026 contest". SkySports. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  9. ^ LPGA Communications (13 August 2024). "Valhalla Golf Club to Host 2028 Solheim Cup". Solheim Cup USA. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  10. ^ The Solheim Cup All-Time Records Archived 29 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Solheim Cup Records
  12. ^ The Solheim Cup - Match history & records
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