The 19th edition of the Solheim Cup will be held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia, USA. The competition initiates with an opening ceremony commencing on Thursday, while the matches start from Friday onward. Play sessions are divided into morning and afternoon slots for Friday and Saturday, whilst Sunday will see individual matches followed by the closing ceremony.
Sky Sports Golf will be providing live telecast throughout the tournament, which includes the opening and closing ceremonies. Receipt of Friday’s fourball and foursome matches from Ireland will commence at 5:30pm. Saturday’s coverage is planned from 11:30am until 11pm. Moreover, Sunday’s individual matches and the closing ceremony will be broadcast from 1pm and 8pm respectively.
Consisting of 12-player teams from both Europe and the US, the Solheim Cup mimics the Ryder Cup in Men’s Golf as the venue swaps between Europe and the US. Suzann Pettersen from Norway presides as the captain for Team Europe while Team USA is captained by Stacy Lewis.
The three-day golfing schedule constitutes four foursome matches in the morning and four fourball matches in the afternoon on both Friday and Saturday. Sunday sees 12 individual matches. Each match earns a single point, and a total of 28 points can be won during the competition. The victory is awarded to the team amassing 14½ points or more; in case of a 14-14 tie, the existing trophy keeper retains it.
The playing format for fourball matches requires each player to use their own ball, with the player scoring the best taking the hole. Conversely, foursome matches see players from the same team alternating shots using the same ball.
In 2023, the Solheim Cup in Andalucia, Spain concluded with a draw at 14-14, enabling Team Europe to repossess the trophy they had won with a 15-13 score in Ohio in 2021. Likewise, Team Europe emerged victorious in Scotland’s Gleneagles tournament in 2019. However, Team USA’s most recent triumph was achieved in Des Moines, Iowa, back in 2017. The overall wins stand at 10 for Team USA against 7 won by Team Europe.
The tournament is scheduled this year to bring it back to being arranged in even years, due to changes made in connection with Covid, so it wouldn’t conflict with the Ryder Cup next year.
Inform me about the location.
In 2024, the Solheim Cup is making its way back to the United States, specifically to Gainesville, Virginia, which is situated roughly an hour west of Washington DC. The staging ground for the tournament will be the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club – a par 72 course adjacent to Lake Manassas.
Are there any Irish participants?
Leona Maguire will be the solitary Irish player in the Solheim Cup once more, marking her third stint. The season has been challenging for the golfer from Cavan, as she has been unable to locate her rhythm. Her second Olympics was one to remember for the wrong reasons, and problems with her putts contributed to her downfall at the recent Women’s Irish Open. However, the 29-year-old boasts a remarkable record in the Solheim Cup, having secured seven victories, one draw and two defeats from her ten matches in the previous two tournaments.
Who are the team members?
Team Europe comprises Celine Boutier (France), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Linn Grant (Sweden), Georgia Hall (England), Esther Henseleit (Germany), Charley Hull (England), Leona Maguire (Ireland), Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark), Madelen Sagstrom (Sweden), Maja Stark (Sweden), and Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland).
Meanwhile, Team USA includes Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing, Megan Khang, Nelly Korda, Jennifer Kupcho, Alison Lee, Andrea Lee, Sarah Schmelzel, Lexi Thompson, Lilia Vu, and Rose Zhang.
Who should I pay attention to?
Team USA has several formidable players, particularly world number one and two, Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu. Korda clinched the Chevron Championship on the LPGA Tour in April, and added to her list of accomplishments with wins at the Mizuho Americas Open in May and a shared second-place position at the British Open the following month. Vu tied with her team-mate for second place at the conclusion of the game at St Andrews and earlier this year, she secured second place at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, only a week after emerging victorious at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Esther Henseleit from Germany has enjoyed a fruitful summer in Europe, securing a silver medal at the Paris Olympics before claiming another second-place finish at the Scottish Open in the previous month. Meanwhile, Celine Boutier, a French golf prodigy and the highest-ranked visitor this year, hasn’t had the best run in 2024 so far. With the exception of a runner-up position at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in early March and a 12th place at Blue Bay later that same month, her performance has been less than stellar.
Information regarding pairings and tee times for the upcoming tournament remain undisclosed as of now. However, updates will be provided as soon as these details are announced.
As for the expected weather conditions over the tournament period, it’s predicted to be warm in Virginia. Maximum temperatures during the three days are forecasted to hover between 28 to 30 degrees. It’s predicted to be overcast throughout the weekend, with potential rainfall, particularly over the course of Saturday and Sunday. The breeze during the tournament will be consistent, with a mild east/south-easterly wind expected to blow across the course throughout the competition duration.