Golf

Everything to Know About the 2024 Solheim Cup

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Sep 17, 2024 / 363 Views

Evan Walker

It’s been a year since Europe won a historic three-peat in the 18th edition of the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain. Now, the Europe team has an opportunity to make it four in a row when they take on USA at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, from September 13-15.

A biennial team competition between the top women professional golfers from Europe and the United States, the Solheim Cup will return to even-numbered years in 2024 for the first time since 2002, as the Ryder Cup was moved to an odd-year schedule after 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Americans want to thwart Europe’s dominance with the backing of a home audience, as they haven’t won the Cup since 2017, when they triumphed at the Des Moines Golf & Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. On the other hand, Europe are looking to make history and strive for the trophy for a record-breaking fourth time after winning in 2019 and 2021 and tying in Spain in 2023.

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The Americans are the favourites to win this time, backed by a strong 10-8 advantage in Solheim Cup history. Nevertheless, the Europeans have a solid lineup in Virginia.

With both USA and Europe arriving in Virginia with a full roster, the stage is set for an extravaganza that will have the fairways buzzing, hearts racing, and fans cheering all over the world. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Solheim Cup, including its fascinating history, a recap of last edition’s action, schedule, venue, format, teams, and the key players to watch out for.

Rich history

The Solheim Cup is a three-decade-old tradition that continues to inspire players and fans. A biannual competition for lady pros, the tournament is named in honour of Karsten and Louise Solheim, the founders of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, which makes PING golf equipment.

Starting off in 1990, teams from the US and Europe took part in a comPetitive match-play style for the inaugural edition. Karsten Solheim’s vision inspired its rise to prominence, stressing on equality and high-level comPetition for women Golfers. Before 2002, the tournament was held in even-numbered years in tandem with the men’s Ryder Cup.

2024 solheim cup — (Image: The Solheim Cup/Instagram)

The tournament continues to uphold the tradition of not offering any prize purse; instead, the winning team receives a prestigious cut-glass Irish Waterford Crystal trophy.

Reliving 2023

The 18th Solheim Cup was held at Finca Cortesin in Casares, Andalusia. Stacy Lewis captained the United States team while Suzann Pettersen headed the European squad.

Friday frenzy

On Day 1, the dew-kissed greens witnessed some spectacular teamwork from both sides. The session was about alternate shots, and for the first time in History, USA won all four foursomes to start the comPetition on an upbeat note.

As the sun rose higher, the fourball format took centrestage. The Europeans started well by taking two wins and halving two losses to trail 3-5 going into Saturday.

The afternoon play was highlighted by just the second ace in Solheim Cup history, which came from Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen on the par-3 12th hole.

With efforts like this, the Europeans made it clear that they weren’t ready to go down without a fight.

Saturday showdown

Both teams split the Saturday morning foursomes, each winning two points to leave the scoreline reading at 7-5.

The dynamic combo of Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz delivered a fantastic morning show, winning convincingly 5&3 over Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier. The victory gave the American squad a boost in what proved to be a tough morning.

Conversely, Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda of Spain had their time and their 2&1 victory over Lilia Vu, while Jennifer Kupcho was a significant contribution that kept the comPetition alive.

The secret weapon for USA was their solid foursomes’ record, and the incredible performance propelled them into the lead. Notably, it was their greatest foursomes record on foreign soil in the history of the Solheim Cup.

Charley Hull and Leona Maguire handed the Europeans another critical fourballs point with their victory over Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing. The impetus had undoubtedly swung towards the Europeans, whose afternoon performance thrilled the local audience. Still, there was a lot of work to be done at 8-8.

Dramatic Sunday

The stakes were high as the teams faced off in the singles match-play on the last day, and 12 matches were left to decide the winner of the 18th edition.

Both teams won five matches and tied two, earning six points each from the singles session. Carlota Ciganda again proved her worth by defeating Nelly Korda on the 17th green to secure the critical point for Europe.

As it turned out, the 14-14 draw ensured the Europeans retained the Cup, which they had won in 2019 and 2021.

All about the 2024 edition

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Schedule

Friday, September 13: Four foursome matches in the morning and four fourball games in the afternoon
Saturday, September 14: Four foursome matches in the morning and four fourball matches in the afternoon
Sunday, September 15: 12 singles matches

Venue

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After being held in Europe last year, the 2024 Solheim Cup moved to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, United States. Inaugurated in 1991, and designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr, this private golf club has played home to the Presidents Cup since 1994, as well as in 1996, 2000, and 2005. The par-72 course has a playing distance ranging from 5,570 to 7,425 yards.

Format

During the first two days (Friday and Saturday), the two teams will play four fourball matches and four foursome matches apiece. The last day, which is Sunday, will see them play 12 singles matches. There are a total of 28 points on offer. The winner must have at least 14 ½. The rule is that the reigning champions retain the cup in the event of a 14-14 draw.

The teams

Europe

Captain: Suzann Pettersen

Georgia Hall (England), Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark), Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland), Celine Boutier (France), Maja Stark (Sweden), Linn Grant (Sweden), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Leona Maguire (Ireland), Madelene Sagstrom (Sweden), Charley Hull (England), and Esther Henseleit (Germany).

USA

Captain: Stacy Lewis

Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho, Sarah Schmelzel, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing, Megan Khang, Nelly Korda, Alison Lee, Andrea Lee, Lilia Vu, and Rose Zhang.

Players to watch out for at the Solheim Cup 2024

Nelly Korda

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Women’s World Golf Ranking: #1

This season, Korda has been the talk of the LPGA Tour. Following her five-win run, she added a sixth to her 2024 record in the Mizuho Americas Open. With a 7-4-1 record, she will compete in the Solheim Cup for the fourth time at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Rose Zhang

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Women’s World Golf Ranking: #9

Rose Zhang’s ranking on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings earned her a spot on the US team. She has had a fantastic season on the LPGA, taking home the Cognizant Founders in addition to four top-10 results.

Lilia Vu

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Women’s World Golf Ranking: #2

Another outstanding performer this year, Lilia Vu has a victory at the 2024 Meijer LPGA Classic and four top-10 results. The 2024 Solheim Cup will be her second appearance in the tournament.

Charley Hull

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Women’s World Golf Ranking: #12

A veteran of the Solheim Cup, Charley Hull is set to participate in the competition for the seventh time. She qualified for Team Europe via the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) Solheim Cup points. In fact, she topped the LET Solheim Cup Points list in 2024 with six top-five finishes on the LET and four top-10 results on LPGA.

Carlota Ciganda

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Women’s World Golf Ranking: #36

A seventh-time participant in Solheim Cup, Carlota Ciganda is another accomplished player whose performance in Europe’s 2023 triumph speaks volumes about her abilities. With three top-10 results on the LPGA and two on the LET, she has had a strong season overall.

Alison Lee

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Women’s World Golf Ranking: #26

The 29-year-old American narrowly missed out on last year’s edition, but is well-positioned on the LPGA at the moment with four top-10 results this season so far.

(Main image: The Solheim Cup/Instagram, The Solheim Cup Euro/Instagram; featured image: The Solheim Cup/Instagram)