Solheim Cup history: How it started, results, controversy
Members of Team USA and Team Europe pose with the Solheim Cup.
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The Solheim Cup will be played for the 18th time this year, and for the first time at host course Finca Cortesin in Spain. The Americans and Europeans have staged some closely contested battles over the years, with Team USA holding the all-time edge at 10-7.
Keep reading to learn about Solheim Cup history, results and notable controversies.
Solheim Cup history
The Solheim Cup was named for Karsten Solheim, founder of Ping Golf. Solheim was a staunch supporter of the women’s game. Ping was the exhibition’s original sponsor, and remains involved as a global partner to this day.
The Solheim Cup currently features a team of 12 Americans and 12 Europeans who compete in match play over three days. Over the years, the daily format has changed, but always includes foursomes, fourball and singles.
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The inaugural Solheim Cup was played in 1990 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Florida. While the first few iterations of the Solheim Cup were abbreviated, with fewer players and only 16 points up for grabs, the current Solheim Cup format calls for 12 players per team and 28 total points.
The Solheim Cup was played every two years until 2002, when it switched to odd years. With the Ryder Cup moving to odd years since the 2020 Covid pandemic, the Solheim Cup will move back to even years starting in 2024.
Solheim Cup results
Since the inaugural Solheim Cup was won by the Americans, the U.S. team leads with 10 victories. Europe has seven wins, including the two most recent Solheim Cups in 2019 and 2021.
2021 Inverness Club, Ohio, USA: Europe 15–13
2019 Gleneagles, Scotland: Europe 14.5–13.5
2017 Des Moines Golf and Country Club, Iowa, USA: United States 16.5–11.5
2015 Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, Germany: United States 14.5–13.5
2013 Colorado Golf Club, Colorado, USA: Europe 18–10
2011 Killeen Castle Golf Resort, Ireland: Europe 15–13
2009 Rich Harvest Farms, Illinois, USA: United States 16–12
2007 Halmstad GK, Sweden: United States 16–12
2005 Crooked Stick Golf Club, Indiana, USA: United States 15.5–12.5
2003 Barsebäck Golf & Country Club, Sweden: Europe 17.5–10.5
2002 Interlachen Country Club, Minnesota, USA: United States 15.5–12.5
2000 Loch Lomond Golf Club, Scotland: Europe 14.5–11.5
1998 Muirfield Village, Ohio, USA: United States 16–12
1996 St Pierre Golf & Country Club, Wales: United States 17–11
1994 The Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA: United States 13–7
1992 Dalmahoy Country Club, Scotland: Europe 11.5–6.5
1990 Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Florida, USA: United States 11.5–4.5
Solheim Cup controversies
Given all the passion involved in playing for one’s country, the Solheim Cup is primed for drama, and it’s no surprise that competitive behavior has occasionally ignited some controversy. Below are some notable moments from recent years.
Team USA’s comeback after controversy (2015)
The 2015 Solheim Cup was played in Germany, at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, and things were not going well for Team USA, which trailed Europe 10-6 after the team portion of the competition. The Americans had an especially sour taste in their mouths after what transpired during the afternoon fourball session. American Alison Lee was playing with Brittany Lincicome against current Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull. The Americans were tied with the Euros on the 17th hole, and Lee had a putt to win. She missed, and thought she heard from her competitors that the 18-inch putt she had left was conceded. She picked up the ball, and Pettersen said the putt had not been conceded. Whoops.
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Tears were shed on both sides, and the American duo lost the match, 2 down.
Pettersen was widely criticized for her role in the ordeal, and she issued an apology the next day. But the perceived injustice lit a fire under the Americans, who rallied to win the 8.5 points they needed in Sunday singles to reclaim the Cup. The final score: 14.5-13.5, good enough for the biggest comeback ever in the Solheim Cup’s 25-year history.
Annika Sorenstam’s chip-in reversal (2000)
The enforcement of match play rules featured in another memorable controversy back in 2000, at Loch Lomond in Scotland. And this time, the victim was none other than LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam.
Team Europe was dominating 5.5-2.5 as the competition moved into the fourball portion of the event on Saturday. Sorenstam was playing in the anchor match alongside Janice Moodie against Americans Pat Hurst and Kelly Robbins. On the 13th hole of their closely contested match, Sorenstam chipped in for birdie from just off the green, bringing the match back to a tie — or so she thought.
The Americans deemed Sorenstam to have played out of turn because it was Robbins who was actually away. Sorenstam was required to replay her shot. Somewhat predictably, Sorenstam did not chip in the second time around, and she and Moodie eventually lost the match 2 and 1.
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“When people ask me what I wanted to be known for, I always said sportsmanship,” Sorenstam told ESPN. “When that happened, that was no sportsmanship at all, and that made me upset. It wasn’t about losing the hole or the match. It was more the principle that somebody could do something like that.”
Team Europe went on to prevail that year, 14.5-11.5.
Dottie Pepper’s hot mic (2007)
Legendary LPGA player and current CBS Sports broadcaster Dottie Pepper made some serious waves while working for Golf Channel during the 2007 Solheim Cup at Halmstad Golf Club in Sweden when, believing she was in the midst of a commercial break, Pepper called the U.S. players “choking, freaking dogs” when they failed to close out a match. Unfortunately for Pepper, her mic — and the broadcast — was still live.
Pepper apologized, and while players were reportedly upset, any lingering ill will was effectively squashed when Pepper served as an assistant captain to Meg Mallon at the 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club.
Michelle Wie West’s walk-off (2013)
At the 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club, Michelle Wie West took some heat for draining her putt and heading to the 17th tee before her opponents, Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson, had finished out on the 16th green. Compared to the controversies described above, it was a somewhat minor infraction, but Wie West is one of the women’s game’s biggest stars. She took to Twitter to apologize, writing in a series of three tweets: “Feel absolutely horrible about running off the green on 16. Got caught up in the moment and was so tired that I forgot what was happening. But that is no excuse for my behavior. Truly sorry. [Partner Jessica] Korda did indeed stay by the green to watch them finish out the hole.”
If Wie West was frustrated, it would be easy to understand why. She and Korda lost 2 and 1, and Team USA got skunked in the afternoon fourball session, losing all four matches to trail the Europeans by five points heading into Sunday singles. The Europeans eventually prevailed by a demoralizing score of 18-10.
How to watch the Solheim Cup on TV
Golf Channel will provide TV coverage of the 2023 Solheim Cup with lengthy telecasts all three days of the tournament. Check out the full TV schedule below.
Friday, September 22: 2 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, Peacock)
Saturday, September 23: 2 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, Peacock)
Sunday, September 24: 5-11 a.m. ET (Golf Channel, Peacock)
How to watch the Solheim Cup online, streaming
You can watch the 2023 Solheim Cup online with Peacock, which will provide live simulcasts of Golf Channel’s TV coverage all three days of the tournament.
SIGN UP FOR PEACOCK TO STREAM THE ENTIRE 2023 SOLHEIM CUP ONLINE
(GOLF.com may receive a commission when you sign up for Peacock through the link above.)
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