Want to watch the Solheim Cup in person this year? Tickets for Robert Trent Jones Golf Club are still available.
The Solheim Cup, one of the most anticipated events in all of golf, gets underway Friday morning at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. Twelve players from the United States will battle 12 players from Europe for a chance at history.
Some notable names on Team USA include Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang, while Charley Hull, Celine Boutier and Linn Grant will lead the Europeans.
Stacy Lewis is the American captain and Suzann Pettersen heads Team Europe.
Last year, the two sides tied and Europe retained the cup. Team USA hasn’t won a Solheim Cup since 2017.
If you’re interested in attending the Solheim Cup this year, here’s how you can buy tickets.
“She’s going to do whatever it takes to win, and I wish I had 12 of them.”
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Judy Rankin says Lexi Thompson is as patriotic as anybody that’s ever played. Stacy Lewis believes Thompson’s legacy in the game is the Solheim Cup. On the eve of what could be Thompson’s final appearance wearing the red, white and blue, there could be no better place to consider what the 29-year-old has meant to American golf.
“I think we all as players owe her a lot,” said Ireland’s Leona Maguire, who first played against Thompson at the 2009 Junior Solheim Cup. “She carried a lot of the weight for a long time of American hope for the tour, and she shouldered a lot of the media pressure and expectation.”
Thompson announced earlier this season at the U.S. Women’s Open that this would be her final full season on the LPGA. She hasn’t used the word retirement. While no one would be surprised to see her tee it up in select events in 2025, it’s difficult to believe that she’d play enough to merit a spot on the 2026 U.S. Solheim team.
“It’s a massive void,” said Lewis. “Whoever is the next captain, they need to get her on as an assistant, that’s all I can say. Lexi needs to be there in the team room.”
Thompson, who was one of three captain’s picks this year for Lewis, is making her seventh Solheim Cup appearance at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, with her first coming in 2013. She boasts an overall record of 9-7-7. Last year in Spain, Thompson played her way onto Lewis’ team despite playing some of the worst golf of her career. She turned it around in time for the competition, however, and Lewis sent her out in the first match.
Thompson went 3-1-0 for the week.
“She plays better golf here,” Lewis explained.
Lexi Thompson of Team United States signs autographs for fans prior to the Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on September 12, 2024 in Gainesville, Virginia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Coming into a Solheim Cup year, playing for Team USA is always Thompson’s No. 1 goal. While she was emotional last month at the Old Course at St. Andrews, where she likely played in her final AIG Women’s British Open and potentially her final major, Thompson hasn’t let herself go there so far this week.
“This is my favorite event that I’ve ever played in my career,” she said, “so enjoying the fans out there, signing the autographs, hearing the slow chants out there right now building up … just enjoying every step along the way.”
Winning, of course, would go a long way toward that enjoyment. Team USA hasn’t won this event since 2017. Thompson is one of only two players on Lewis’ team who know what it feels like to win a Solheim Cup. Alison Lee was also part of that stirring comeback in 2015 in Germany.
“That’s the one thing we have going against us,” said Lewis, “but at some point they’re going to win one, and at some point they’re going to get over the hump, just the odds of it.”
That’s one of the reasons Lewis brought assistant captains Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome into the fold this year, to add more confidence and experience to the team room.
Thompson’s career, at both the Solheim and beyond, has had more controversy and difficulty than most. There have been times, Rankin believes, when Thompson could’ve chosen an easier road for herself.
At last year’s cup, for example, Thompson shanked a shot on the 18th hole late on Friday, which ultimately helped shift the momentum toward Europe heading into the weekend. When asked about the miscue during a press conference, Thompson said curtly, “I don’t need to comment on that.”
The reaction created a stir amongst the media and on social media. Rankin believes that was the wrong approach.
“I just think there’s not a whole lot of reason to laugh at yourself in this game,” said Rankin. “And I think had she laughed at herself when she made some of these mistakes a few times, it would’ve been easier on her.”
Lexi Thompson of Team USA reacts before the Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on September 11, 2024 in Gainesville, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Few players on the modern tour have the kind of experience Thompson boasts, though she’s not yet 30. A winner on tour at age 16, even older players like Ally Ewing, who has been pegged the team’s “mama bear” this week, look up to the former phenom.
Thompson isn’t a big speechmaker. She leads with good energy and a strong work ethic. Lewis said she could pair the 11-time winner with anyone on the team and she’d be fine.
“She was testing a golf ball the other day that was going like 7 or 8 yards shorter with the wedge,” said Lewis. “She’s like, it’s OK, I’m just going to get my numbers, it’s good. Where anybody else would just be freaking out that a wedge is going that much shorter, she’s like, it’s fine. I’ll just get my numbers.
“She’s that kind of person. She’s going to do whatever it takes to win, and I wish I had 12 of them.”
Team USA has moved down to the far end of the range.
GAINESVILLE, Va. – There aren’t team rooms here at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. The two sides are enjoying the use of two sprawling cottages this week, which are situated next to the driving range.
Controversy is nothing knew to the Solheim Cup, however, and it seems that Team Europe’s digs, which are smaller than the USA’s, have caused a bit of a stir.
Jamie Weir from Sky Sports reported that the U.S. took issue with the fact that Europe had utilized some of the hitting bays in their cottage, which went against the rules written in the event’s contract. They also set up tables and chairs outside their cottage on the driving range, which also isn’t allowed.
Stacy Lewis, when speaking with the press on Wednesday, downplayed the issue though she called the closeness of the two houses “awkward.”
“The inside of their cottage doesn’t have a lot of room for tables, so their tables have to be outside, said Lewis. “It was just our players were warming up, and they’re there eating breakfast and talking. We were just trying to get everybody some space so they didn’t have to listen to them eating breakfast. That’s all.
“There’s no bad beef. It’s just trying to, instead of having to listen to breakfast conversations.”
Team USA has moved down to the far end of the range.
“Us coming on the U.S. soil, the U.S. gets to pick their team room before we do,” said Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist. “I don’t know if they’re happy with their choice, but we’re obviously very happy to be right there on the range.”
U.S. assistant captain Angela Stanford called it a non-story.
“I said to the girls this makes me feel good,” said Stanford. “Because if this is the best thing they’re coming up with, we’re doing great.
“Every time we play, they search for something to get them fired up, to get them unified.”
The 2024 Solheim Cup players gathered at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday evening, 2024 Solheim Cup players gathered at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., for the event’s opening gala.
While Team Europe wore matching cream-colored outfits, Team USA showed off their individual style in an array of dark dresses.
The 19th Solheim Cup will be contested at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Sept. 13-15 in Gainesville, Virginia. The Americans haven’t won the contest since 2017 but lead the overall series 10-7-1.
Only two players on Stacy Lewis’ 12-player squad know what it feels like to win a Solheim Cup.
Only two players on Stacy Lewis’ 12-player squad know what it feels like to win a Solheim Cup.
The last time the U.S. prevailed was seven years ago in Iowa, captained by Juli Inkster. Lexi Thompson was on that 2017 team and Alison Lee, back for the first time since 2015, was part of the greatest comeback in Solheim Cup history in Germany.
The U.S. leads the overall series at 10-7-1, with the Cup’s first tie coming last year in Spain.
This year’s contest takes place Sept. 13-15 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.
“I wanted (the players) to be able to thank those people that protect us.”
GAINESVILLE, Va. — Rose Zhang wasn’t even born when the Twin Towers fell 23 years ago. Most of the players, and even the captains, on this year’s Solheim Cup team were too young to remember much about the events of Sept. 11, 2001, or what it meant to the nation. The average age of Team USA is 27.
But on Wednesday, in the shadow of Washington, D.C., U.S. captain Stacy Lewis did her best to honor those whose lives were lost and all the brave men and women who have served.
“Everything I’ve done this week has been because of 9/11 this week,” said Lewis as she met with the press at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. “We get to do this because of the first responders, because of the military, and I wanted these players to know that, and I wanted them to be able to thank those people that protect us.”
Lewis, whose brother-in-law is a former Navy SEAL, organized a trip to the Pentagon on Monday, where a number of three- and four-star generals asked to stop by to speak to the team. One general even walked a practice round with the U.S. team on Tuesday.
Team USA’s uniforms were inspired by the six branches of the military. The team bags are loaded with history, including script of the Constitution.
A Team USA flag and eagle golf bag logo for the 2024 Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, there was a moment of silence on the first tee at 8:46 a.m. to commemorate when the first plane crashed into the North Tower. Throughout the morning tee times, players Zoomed with a military base in Germany, taking questions from American kids with an interest in golf.
There’s a USO military outpost on the grounds at RTJ. ServePro also sponsored a First Responders Celebrity 9-Hole Challenge on Wednesday, where members of the fire, police and Emergency Medical Services were paired with celebrities in a nine-hole scramble. In addition, there was a driving contest for kids from the USO.
First responders receive complimentary grounds tickets during practice days and 50 percent off two grounds tickets during competition days.
“It’s super emotional, I think, for me and for everyone on the team,” said 26-year-old Andrea Lee, “to be able to represent the U.S. this week and honor them. It’s definitely a special week, and we’re definitely thinking about them today.”
On Friday, the first session of the 2024 Solheim Cup gets underway at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. Some of the biggest names will represent the United States and European teams this week including world No. 1 Nelly Korda (Team USA), Lilia Vu (Team USA), Rose Zhang (Team USA), Charley Hull (Team Europe), Celine Boutier (Team Europe) and Linn Grant (Team Europe).
LPGA legend Stacy Lewis will captain the U.S. side while Suzann Petterson will lead the Europeans.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club has hosted a PGA Tour event (2015 Quicken Loans National) and the Presidents Cup on four occasions.
The Solheim Cup, one of the best events in golf, kicks off Friday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.
The United States and European teams will practice all week until the opening ceremony on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET. On Friday and Saturday, the teams will face off in morning Foursomes (alternate shot) and afternoon Fourball (best ball) before Sunday Singles.
Brush up on your Solheim Cup history ahead of the 2024 matches.
Over 18 competitions spread across the last 34 years, the best women’s golfers from the United States and Europe have dazzled fans at some of the world’s best golf courses at the Solheim Cup.
While the U.S. may hold the all-time mark in the biennial bash at 10-7-1, the Europeans are the current class of the competition as they haven’t lost the Cup since 2017.
The 2024 Solheim Cup is back, just a year after the most recent competition. Normally a biennial event, the Solheim Cup went back-to-back years in order to return to an even-year schedule.
The U.S. leads the overall standings 10-7-1, with the first tie coming in 2023, but Europe retained the Cup having won it in 2021, as well.
The 2023 captains, Catriona Matthew for Europe and Stacy Lewis for the U.S., return to their roles in 2024 with the shorter-than-normal turnaround.
Course: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,903
Series
The United States holds a 10-7-1 advantage. The two sides tied in 2023 which allowed Europe to retain the Cup. The U.S. has not won the Cup since 2017.
