The Solheim Cup starts later this week, the week before the Ryder Cup.
Ordinarily, the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup would be held in alternate years. The reason this year’s competitions are so close to each other on the calendar is a hangover from the Covid pandemic: the 2020 Ryder Cup was postponed until 2021, meaning that for two editions (2021 and 2023) it has been in the same year as the Solheim Cup.
In order to return the tournaments to alternate years, after the 2023 edition of the Solheim Cup, the next tournament will be held just one year later, in 2024. The next Ryder Cup will be in 2025.
As the teams get ready for the start of play, US veteran Lexi Thompson has advised her rookie team-mates of the importance of blocking out the noise from the home crowd.
When is the Solheim Cup?
This year’s Solheim Cup begins on Friday, Sept 22, with the final day on Sunday, Sept 24.
The competition lasts three days, and comes after the major LPGA tournaments of the summer.
Where is it being held?
This year’s Solheim Cup is being held in Spain, the first time the country has hosted the competition.
The cup is going to take place at Finca Cortesin in Casares, a small town in Andalucia. The golf course is regarded as one of the best in Spain.
Carlota Ciganda is the only player from Team Europe to be playing on home soil this year.
How can I watch it on TV?
Sky Sports will be showing the competition live. The day’s matches will get under way at 8.10am local time (7.10am BST) on the Friday and Saturday, whilst the singles matches will commence at 11.10am local time (10.10am BST) on Sunday, Sept 24.
What is the Solheim Cup?
The Solheim Cup is a team matchplay competition in women’s professional golf that happens once every two years and involves Europe and the United States.
The competition derives its name from Karsten Solheim, a Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer who pioneered the idea in women’s golf. The format of the competition mirrors the men’s Ryder Cup, which starts a week after the Solheim Cup.
Team Europe are looking to achieve their first three-peat in Solheim Cup history after Catriona Matthew of Scotland led the team to victories over the Americans in 2019 and 2021.
The Solheim Cup was first held in 1990 in Florida and the US have won 10 of the 17 competitions to date.
Who are the Solheim Cup captains?
Team Europe will be led by Suzann Pettersen (Norway), flanked by vice-captains Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Laura Davies (England) and Caroline Martens (Norway).
Team US will be led by Stacy Lewis. Her vice-captains are Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis and Angela Stanford.
Who are the players?
Team Europe
Celine Boutier (France) and Maja Stark (Sweden) qualified automatically via the LET Solheim Cup points list while Anna Nordqvist (a playing vice-captain), Charley Hull (England), Leona Maguire (Ireland), Linn Grant (Sweden), Georgia Hall (England) and Carlota Ciganda (Spain) secured their spots via the world rankings.
Suzann Pettersen’s four captain’s picks are: Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland), Caroline Hedwall (Sweden), Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark) and Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden).
Team USA
The automatic qualifiers via the world rankings are Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang while Allisen Corpuz, Danielle Kang, Megan Khang, Nelly Korda, Jennifer Kupcho, Andrea Lee and Lilia Vu came through on the Solheim Cup points list.
Ally Ewing, Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin are the captain’s picks for Stacy Lewis.
What is the Solheim Cup format?
Over three days, 28 matches are played with those matches falling into three categories: foursomes, fourballs and singles.
There are 12 players on each team, and they compete as pairs or individuals.
Four foursomes and four fourballs matches will be played on both Friday and Saturday. Each of these matches will see one pair from Europe compete with a pair from team USA.
In a foursome match, each team will alternate between shots and will use one ball between two players. In a fourballs match, each competitor will get to use their own ball.
Points are awarded to the team that scores the lowest on each hole. The match is won when the advantage one team has is bigger than the number of holes left to play on the course. If the result is drawn by the end of the match, the match is halved.
The first of the foursome matches will begin at 8.10am local time (7.10am BST) on both Friday and Saturday. Fourballs matches will be played on Friday and Saturday afternoon, getting underway at 1.40pm local time (12.40pm BST).
On Sunday, all of the 24 competitors will get the chance to play in singles matches, with the first of these matches being played at 11.10am local time (10.10am BST).
There are 28 matches in total across the weekend, meaning 28 points are up for grabs. The team that reaches the 14-and-a-half point marker first will be victorious. Europe will retain the cup if the tournament ends in a draw.
What is the Solheim Cup schedule?
Friday, Sept 22: Four foursomes matches in morning, four fourballs matches in afternoon.
Saturday, Sept 23: Four foursomes matches in morning, four fourballs matches in afternoon.
Sunday, Sept 24: 12 singles matches before closing ceremony.
How can I buy tickets?
General admission tickets are still available for all three days of the Solheim Cup, via the official website.
Access to all three days of the tournament will cost around £210 while individual day tickets are available from £70 for the Friday, £82 for the Saturday and £103 for the Sunday.
Latest news
Lexi Thompson, who is gearing up for her sixth Solheim Cup, has told the US team’s five rookies to tune out the noise from the European crowd.
“Going to another country, it’s a whole different thing,” Thompson said. “We’re going to hear their chants, not ours and hopefully not hear boos. But it’s just a matter of focusing on your game and blocking out all the noise and just focusing on what you can control because the first tee experience is like no other.
“But they have nerves of steel. They have no problem. I think [it’s just] a matter of being there as a team-mate and partner whoever I have on my side in matches. That’s all you need.”
The American Solheim Cup debutants are Allisen Corpuz, Cheyenne Knight, Andrea Lee, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang. Corpuz and Vu combined to win three majors this season, while Zhang took the LPGA by storm by winning in her professional debut.
If the Americans are going to wrest the trophy back for the first time since 2017, and win for the first time on European turf since 2015, they will have to see off rising stars such as France’s Celine Boutier and Ireland’s Leona Maguire.
“We know that they’re gonna bring their A games and we have to bring our A-plus game,” Thompson said.
What are the best of the odds?
- Europe: 21/20
- USA: 11/10
- Draw: 12/1
