Why is the Solheim Cup being played in two consecutive years?

The fifth and final major of the women’s golfing calendar takes place between Thursday, August 22 and Sunday, August 25, with the 2024 AIG Women’s Open being held at St Andrews in Scotland. The tournament could well have a big say in which 24 players qualify for the 2024 Solheim Cup, which is only a few weeks away.

Where and when is the 2024 Solheim Cup?

Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia will host the 19th edition of the Team USA - Team Europe women’s golf event, which gets underway on Friday, September 13. Unusually, it comes less than a year after the conclusion of the last Solheim Cup, which Europe retained after a 14-14 tie at Finca Cortesin in the south of Spain last September.

Like the Ryder Cup, the men’s equivalent, the Solheim Cup usually takes place every two years. However, this will be the second time in the History of the tournament, which was first held in 1990, that we’ll have two editions in back-to-back years. And in both cases, the reason is linked to the Ryder Cup.

Originally, the Ryder Cup, which has been on the go since 1927, took place in odd-numbered years, leaving even-numbered years for the Solheim Cup.

9/11′s effect on the Ryder and Solheim Cups

However, that all changed due to 9/11, with tragedy striking in New York less than three weeks before the 2001 Ryder Cup, causing the men’s event to be postponed for a year.

The two tournaments were played in consecutive weeks in September 2002, after which the decision was made to play them in separate years once again. The Ryder Cup switched to even-numbered years, with the Solheim Cup taking odd-numbered years. An extra edition of the ladies’ event was played in 2003, rather than waiting three years to 2005.

Covid-19 pandemic also changes Ryder and Solheim Cup schedules

History has now repeated itself as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, which led to the postponement of the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Both tournaments were played in 2021 and 2023, the men’s event returning to its original odd-numbered years schedule.

The Solheim Cup has also reverted back to even-numbered years and, once again, its has been decided to play an extra edition of the event this year rather than wait three years until 2026, after which the biennial frequency will resume.