Solheim Cup 2023 - History, Format, and Composition

The Solheim Cup is the Ryder Cup?s sister tournament and follows the same format and structure. The International Cup is played among female golfers, and it is returning in 2023 with its 12th edition. The three-day event will begin on September 22 and conclude on September 24. The contest is being held at Finca Cortesin in Casares, Andalusia, Spain.

Introduction to the Solheim Cup

• Origin and Naming

The Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. The tournament is named after the Norwegian-American Karsten Solheim, who is known for founding the golf club manufacturing company PING and was also a driving force behind the Cup?s establishment.

• Inaugural Year and Schedule Changes

The inaugural Cup was held in 1990 at Lake Nona, Florida. Until 2002, the event was only played in even years. After the September 11 attacks in Europe and schedule alterations in 2001, the Solheim Cup was switched to odd-numbered years beginning in 2003.

2001 was not the only year when the schedule was shuffled. Things got riled up again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Solheim Cup will return in 2023.

• ???Historical Winners

The United States teams have won the Solheim Cup 10 times, and Europe has won the Cup 7 times. In 2021, Europe won in Ohio and is the current defending champion for the 2023 edition.

Format of the Solheim Cup

• Tournament Duration

The Solheim Cup is a three-day tournament. Since 2002, there have been 28 matches?eight foursomes and eight four-balls played on days 1 and 2, and 12 singles on the final day.

Every match is worth a single point, and for every tied hole, the team gets half a point. After all matches are complete, the team with the most points wins the Cup. In cases of tied scores, the deafening team retains the cup.

• Match Types and Scoring

The format of the Solheim Cup is as follows:

1. Day 1 (Friday): Four foursomes matches in a morning session and four fourball matches in an afternoon session. A total of eight players from each team participated in each session, and not all the players competed on the first day.


2. Day 2 (Saturday): Four foursomes matches in a morning session and four fourball matches in an afternoon session. A total of eight players from each team participated in each session, just like the first day.


3. Day 3 (Sunday): 12 singles matches where all 12 players from each team participate.

• ???Tie-Breaking Rules

After the completion of three days, in order to win, a team has to have the majority of the 28 points. In case there is a tie and, after three days, both teams put 14 each on the leaderboard, the team that won the previous year retains the cup.

• ???Team Composition

Other than the 12 playing players, there are four other golfers on the team who are not playing. Out of four non-playing members, one is a captain, and three are vice-captains.

The team captains are selected on the basis of their Solheim Cup experience and their ability to lead a team. Captains and vice captains are usually recently retired professional golfers.

Team Qualification and Selection

• U.S. Team Selection

1. Points System

Team USA selects the top seven players from the LPGA Solheim Cup points rankings, and then the next two players in the team are the top two players in the Women's World Golf Rankings. The remaining three are chosen by the team captain. LPGA Solheim Cup points are earned for top-20 finishes on the LPGA Tour over a two-year period.

1. Eligibility Criteria

Members of the United States team must be current members of the LPGA Tour and meet one of these three citizenship criteria:

1. U.S. citizens by birth, regardless of their birthplace


2. Those who were naturalized as U.S. citizens before age 18


3. Those who became U.S. citizens by adoption before age 13

• European Team Selection

1. Points System (Pre-2005)

For the European team, seven players were selected on a points system based on the results of the Ladies European Tour. This criteria allowed top European players who competed mainly on the LPGA Tour to be selected to ensure that the European team was competitive.

1. Points System (since 2007)

Since 2007, only the top five players from the LET qualify, and another four are selected on the basis of the Women's World Golf Rankings.

1. Eligibility Criteria

Members of the European team must:

1. be current members of the Ladies European Tour in any category or membership;


2. have played in eight Ranking Events during the Qualifying Period as a member of the LET, unless the relevant player has been selected by the appointed captain for the 2023 European Team;


3. be a ?European national?. In order to be a ?European national?, the player must satisfy the criteria set out in the ?Nationality Policy? issued by the International Golf Federation.

2023 Solheim Cup teams