Category: Solheim Cup

Photos: Check out the American, European merch on sale at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain

From hats and shirts to ornate scarves and impressive jewelry, there’s something for everyone in Spain.

CASARES, Spain — Fans at the 2023 Solheim Cup have a handful of options and styles to choose from when they visit the large merchandise tent just inside the welcome gates at the luxurious Finca Cortesin.

If you want to rep your country or continent, there’s plenty of Team Europe and Team USA decorated shirts, hats and accessories. There’s also non team specific gear for sale, as well as some Spanish-inspired options like collapsible fans to battle the heat and ornate scarves that will surely class up any outfit.

But don’t worry, you don’t need to be on Spain’s southern coast to make a purchase as both Team Europe and Team USA are selling gear (links below). Check out the best merchandise for sale at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

BUY SOLHEIM CUP GEAR: Europe | USA

U.S. captain Stacy Lewis calls lack of connection between Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup a ‘massive missed opportunity’

“I thought this could have been marketed together as two weeks in Europe, two Cups for play.”

It’s Solheim Cup week, but it’s also the eve of the Ryder Cup. There’s been so much buzz about the lead-up to Rome, that it’s been difficult for the biggest event in women’s golf to enjoy the spotlight it deserves.

Many believed that back-to-back Cups in Europe would generate more interest in the women’s game with a dramatic fortnight of team golf.

But before Judy Rankin boarded a plane for Spain last week, the legendary commentator and LPGA player lamented that media outlets hadn’t done more to promote this unique time in the game, telling Golfweek, “all I have heard about basically is the Ryder Cup.”

During her Wednesday press conference, U.S. captain Stacy Lewis was asked about what little connection there’s been between the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. She called it a “massive missed opportunity” for golf.

Solheim Cup: Photos

“I thought this could have been marketed together as two weeks in Europe, two Cups for play,” said Lewis. “I think it was a missed opportunity for the sport of golf. I wish that, you know, people could get the sponsorship things out of their head and let’s figure out how we can work together, because this may not ever happen again of the two Cups being in the same year.”

The Solheim Cup has been contested in odd years since 2003. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing Ryder Cup officials to cancel in 2020, the biennial men’s event opted to stay with odd years after the 2021 contest at Whistling Straits.

The change gave the two Cups a chance to go back-to-back for the first time on European soil and gave golf organizations a unique opportunity to work together.

“I tried. I tried really hard, actually,” said Lewis. “I probably spent more time on it than I should have. But whether it was timing or it was too late in the process, I don’t know. I mean, to really market it correctly, like, this probably had to happen two years ago. So it’s something that going forward, I think the game of golf needs to get on the same page and do better with.”

What if, for example, last week Nelly Korda had been joined by Scottie Scheffler or Justin Thomas on NBC’s “Today” to promote the two Cups? Joint commercials promoting the two events and cross-promotion on social media platforms could’ve grown interest. The official Ryder Cup USA Twitter account has more than 300,000 followers compared to Solheim Cup Team USA’s 17,000. The gap is similar on Instagram.

Any kind of bump from the men’s game would be beneficial.

With the USGA hosting its men’s and women’s U.S. Opens in California this year, the organization once again held back-to-back media days to maximize coverage for both events. The USGA went so far as to charter a flight for the media, making it seamless to get from Los Angeles Country Club to Pebble Beach last May for championship previews.

The women’s preview day felt every bit as important as the men’s.

2023 Solheim Cup
The United States team pose for their team picture (front L-R) Megan Khang, Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis (captain), Danielle Kang Ally Ewing and (back row L-R) Lilia Vu, Allisen Corpuz, Rose Zhang, Jennifer Kupcho, Nelly Korda, Alison Lee, Angel Yin, Cheyenne Knight during the official photo-call prior to The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 19, 2023 in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

With the Solheim Cup moving to even years again in 2024, this kind of opportunity isn’t likely to come around again. Lewis really liked the potential that came with having the events in the same year.

But if 2023 is any indication, this likely would hurt the Solheim Cup in the long run, given the lack of connection between the events and how much Ryder Cup news largely overshadows.

With so much of the golf world already focused on storylines in Rome, imagine what Monday will look like once the Solheim Cup has finished. How many will still be talking about what happened at Finca Cortesin?

“Think what a big deal these two weeks are and the first week I won’t say has been ignored,” said Rankin, “but almost.”

“Somebody missed the proverbial boat, and whoever somebody is, I hope I never hear again ‘for the good of the game.’ ”

Solheim Cup rookie Rose Zhang primed for next step in blossoming career

This week in Spain is yet another opportunity for Zhang to make the challenging look effortless.

CASARES, Spain — At just 20 years old, Rose Zhang has accomplished more in her golf career than most players could ever dream of, let alone achieve.

At 16 she made the cut at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. The next year she beat defending champion Gabi Ruffels to win the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, and then claimed the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior the following year. She won the Mark H. McCormack Medal after spending three consecutive years atop the world amateur golf ranking (2020, 2021, 2022) and then became the first player to ever win the NCAA individual title twice, doing so in consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022. And don’t forget the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Just weeks after claiming the NCAA title she became the first player to win her LPGA debut since 1951, earning her LPGA card in one start. For Zhang, making history is like making par.

MORE: Zhang just getting started | Enters mixed event with Theegala

Zhang continues to set the bar even higher for herself each step she takes in her career, and this week is yet another opportunity for her to make the challenging look effortless. The 20-year-old will be one of five American rookies to tee it up at the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast after she automatically qualified due to her world ranking, and it’s an opportunity she isn’t taking lightly.

“It’s so hard to rank every single one of the accomplishments.  I feel like every experience that I’ve gained has been so unique in its own right.  This is definitely up there,” she said in a press conference on Wednesday. “Being able to play the Solheim Cup is truly a dream come true.  I’ve played two Junior Solheim Cups before, one in Des Moines and one in Gleneagles. But I watched and witnessed all these professional players represent Europe and the U.S. on that first tee, but that was the experience and adrenaline that I’ve seen before and to be a part of it now is really cool.”

SOLHEIM CUP: Photos

“Honestly (Rose) was on my radar for 2024, not for this one,” admitted U.S. captain Stacy Lewis, “but she took care of winning this year, so she was able to qualify. Rose was really a great, great addition for us.”

2023 Solheim Cup
Rose Zhang of Team USA plays a shot during practice prior to the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 20, 2023 in Casares, Spain. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Zhang left Stanford after a stellar two years in college golf and was still taking classes when she won her professional LPGA debut at the Mizuho Americas Open in June.

“So I am currently on a leave of absence (from Stanford). I decided not to torture myself in fall quarter,” she said with her signature smile. Zhang plans to return to her schoolwork in January during the winter quarter, where she’ll be furthering her Communication studies, as well as her blossoming career.

Imagine being the top rising star in the world of golf and still choosing to not only further your education, but to do so at a place as demanding as Stanford. It speaks to her character both on and off the course.

The Irvine, California, native is the ultimate team player. Her game is nearly flawless and she meshes with any group, making her a weapon for an American side that will need some firepower against arguably the best European team ever assembled (or so says European captain Suzann Petersen). Despite her ability and match-play prowess, Zhang isn’t sweating her role for the team.

“I think whatever my place, whatever I should do is for the team, regardless of how much I’m playing, I’m going to be fighting out there every single event or every single match that I participate in,” said the always humble Zhang. “So no hard feelings there.  I feel like I love being on the sidelines cheering for my teammates, if that’s what I’m going to do.  That’s basically what being part of a team is.”

It sounds too good to be true, right? With Zhang, it’s just simply who she is.

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Carlota Ciganda addresses controversial kiss after Spain won Women’s World Cup

Spanish and European media gave a round of applause after Ciganda spoke up for the Spanish national team.

CASARES, Spain — After Spain won the soccer Women’s World Cup in August, the country’s triumph and subsequent celebrations were marred by the actions of Luis Rubiales, a former player and official who was serving as the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation and as a vice president for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

Rubiales kissed a Spanish player, Jennifer Hermoso, on the lips during the award ceremony, causing a firestorm of controversy for the weeks to come. Hermoso has been adamant the kiss wasn’t consensual. Rubiales has since resigned his position and was in court earlier this week, where a judge gave him a restraining order. The former Spanish official cannot be within 200 meters (656 feet) of Hermoso and the court in Madrid is considering a criminal complaint for sexual assault and coercion.

So what does this have to do with golf? Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was asked about the incident during her press conference ahead of the 2023 Solheim Cup this week at Finca Cortesin and her answer drew a round of applause from Spanish and European media. The following quotes have been translated from Spanish to English.

“I think it was a shame what happened in the end, when Spain won the World Cup, I think we should celebrate the World Cup because in the end that is not going to happen many times,” said Ciganda. “I think that (Rubiales) was obviously wrong, he doesn’t have to act like that, especially in such a public event, when you are in front of everyone.”

“Obviously of course I support the players and when so many people agree, obviously things have happened that we may not know,” she continued. “But I think the important thing is to celebrate the World Cup, which is what everyone should be very proud of, the country we have and the great athletes there are.”

Ciganda, 33, said it’s “a dream come true” and “pleasure” to represent the European team in her home country as she makes her sixth Solheim Cup appearance this week.

“I just love playing for our team.  When it comes to Solheim, it reminds me of when I used to play with Spain, like the European Team Championships.  I think match play, it’s a lot of fun because you have a winner at the end of the day of the match,” said Ciganda, who boasts a 7-8-4 record in the biennial event against the United States. “So I just love playing match play, playing for the team, for your teammates, for the captain.  I think that’s more fun than playing for yourself.  I do love that about this week and the atmosphere that we have.  I mean, the European team is always one united team and I love that.”

Despite being the lone Spaniard on the 12-player European side, the Pamplona native and resident doesn’t feel any added pressure to perform this week.

“I think more than pressure it’s just going to be excitement, adrenaline, and just fun. I’m going to embrace it and I think it’s going to be great to have all the support from Spain, from my family, lots of members from my club,” said Ciganda. “So I’m just going to try to go out there and enjoy.  I know I’m going to feel nervous and I’m going to feel that adrenaline.  I know I can play great golf with that, so I’m just going to enjoy and embrace every moment.”

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Nine 2023 Solheim Cup players have a winning record (and six are European)

If you look at past records, the advantage at the 2023 Solheim Cup lies with the home side Europeans.

CASARES, Spain — Who are the favorites at the 2023 Solheim Cup?

The gambling experts in Las Vegas currently have the host Europeans as the favorites at -115, but it’s a close bet with the Americans at +100. A tie is currently +950.

The Rolex world ranking gives the U.S. side a slight advantage as all 12 Americans are ranked inside the top 50. Nine Euros are inside the top 50, with two outside the top 120.

If you ask United States captain Stacy Lewis, she’ll say Suzann Petersen and her European counterparts have to be favored. After all, Team Europe has claimed the last two Cups and will be playing on home soil.

“And that’s not to doubt my team. I just think Europe is really, really strong. They have got all the momentum in this event right now,” said Lewis last month when she made her captain’s picks for the biennial event that begins on Friday at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast. “That’s going to be our biggest thing is we are going overseas, and we don’t have the momentum on our side. And so we are going to go try to flip it.”

“We have a lot of new blood that has not experienced the last two years,” Lewis continued. “They don’t know what it’s been like, and I think that’s going to be to our advantage, as well.”

Sure, ignorance can be bliss, but the other side of that coin is a lack of high-pressure experience in a truly unique event. That could be an issue for the U.S., who fields a 12-player team this week that features five rookies.

Not only is Team Europe two-time defending champions, but of the 24 players competing, nine have winning records in the event, and six are European.

MEET THE TEAMS: USA | Europe

Best Solheim Cup captain’s picks of all time

Team Europe has made twice as many captain’s picks as the United States (and they usually deliver).

CASARES, Spain — Often debated by fans and the media, captain’s picks can make or break a national team.

Do you go for the hot hand or a player with past success in the event? What about the team room, how will a player fit in? Who can they be paired with? It’s an intriguing additional element to already exciting events.

The history of captain’s picks is different for each national team event. The Solheim Cup, for example, began in 1990 but it wasn’t until 1998 that both the Americans and Europeans used a team format of automatic qualifiers and captain’s picks to determine their 12-player rosters. Different styles have been used across the 13 matches since, but there’s been one constant: the Europeans use far more picks.

Since 1998 the Europeans have made 56 captain’s picks compared to the 27 made by the U.S. The Americans made only two captain’s picks from 1998-2021, where they took three. This year’s matches at Finca Cortesin in Spain, Sept. 22-24, mark the first U.S. team to use six captain’s picks, whereas their European counterparts began making six captain’s picks in 2021.

That got us thinking, who have been some of the better selections over the years, and how crucial a role have they played?

Lost and found: Danielle Kang now has two sets of clubs at 2023 Solheim Cup after travel issues

Kang’s original set arrived in time for Wednesday’s practice round in Spain.

CASARES, Spain — Danielle Kang went from having zero sets of golf clubs to two sets at the 2023 Solheim Cup.

After two days of practice at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast, the 30-year-old still didn’t have her golf clubs, but on Tuesday she addressed how her putter made the trip because she packs it separately in a rifle case so that it doesn’t get bent.

On Wednesday morning, U.S. captain Stacy Lewis shared on social media that not one, but two sets of clubs had arrived for Kang, who is set to make her fourth appearance for the Americans this week.

MORE: Get to know Team USA at the Solheim Cup

Kang plays Titleist clubs, but the folks at Ping who are on-site put together a set for her on Tuesday so she could play during the morning practice round. Titleist shipped a second set that was scheduled to arrive late Tuesday night.

Regarding the use of a rifle case for storing and traveling with her putter, Kang said she took an idea to famed club designer Scotty Cameron and then watched excitedly as it came to life. Together they made three different molds to safely hold the club.

“My putter is a different model, so we don’t have the bending machine for it,” Kang said on Tuesday in Spain. “It bends a lot during travel, so I put it in a separate case to travel with because I don’t have the means to get my putter checked every week. And, yes, the clubs do get bent on the plane and, yes, they matter, to all the people wondering.”

Kang, for the record, ranks second on tour in putts per green in regulation. Cameron stamped “DK Special” on the bottom of their one-of-a-kind creation.

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Contributing: Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols

Check out official Solheim Cup team photos and where fans can buy what players will be wearing

Check out the official Solheim Cup team photos and where fans can buy what players will be wearing this week.

The 2023 Solheim Cup teams came together on Tuesday afternoon for official photos in the courtyard entrance of the five-star Hotel Cortesin.

Team USA is outfitted for the first time in Dunning apparel, an American brand. Captain Stacy Lewis delegated most of the uniform decisions to assistant captain Morgan Pressel. With temperatures forecasted in the low- to mid-80s all week in Spain, it will likely be the warmest Cup to date on European soil.

“Dunning is truly the only brand in golf that utilizes cool mesh yarns in all of our polos and actually all of our bottoms as well,” said Mike Elliott, CEO of Dunning Golf. “So it not only does it provide maximum performance, but cooling to the body, so it truly is more comfortable.”

Team Europe, meanwhile, will be outfitted once again in Ping apparel. With this marking the first time the Cup is being contested on Spanish soil, players will wear a “Euro Stripe” print, made from a combination of red and yellow, from the Spanish flag, and European blue.

Fans can purchase the official team uniform for Suzann Pettersen’s squad here.

Team USA fans can buy Solheim team gear here.

Here’s a look at the official 2023 Solheim Cup team photos:

Here’s the story behind the ducks on the bottom of Team USA’s bags at the Solheim Cup

Team USA is honoring legends this week in Spain.

From the start of her captaincy, Stacy Lewis wanted to make sure her team had a deep understanding and appreciation of the past. The hope, of course, is that the passion so many have felt for this event for decades lives on in the next generation.

“I had Meg (Mallon) and Juli (Inkster) and that age of players – they brought that to me,” said Lewis when she was named captain. “I saw their passion for the event, and that’s what I want to convey to them, and in myself and the assistants that I do bring in, they’re going to have a passion for this event, and that’s one of the biggest things I want to do.”

To that end, there’s a yellow duck on the bottom of each player’s bag and an “88” on the back of their hats.

The “88” is in memory of Kathy Whitworth, whose 88 LPGA titles is a record that might not ever be broken. Whitworth, who died last year on Christmas Eve, captained Team USA to victory at the inaugural Solheim Cup in 1990.

2023 Solheim Cup
The 88 on the back of the Team USA hats at the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Casares, Spain. (Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Solheim Cup: Photos

The yellow duck is in memory of LPGA founder Shirley Spork, who died last April. The Solheim Cup didn’t begin until 40 years after Spork helped found the tour, but she was an ardent fan, even making the trip to Scotland in 2019 at age 92.

Spork often looked for ducks when she played to her take her mind off competition. The strategy helped keep her relaxed.

Though Spork never played for Team USA, she had her own goosebump moments at places like the Old Course and Turnberry.

“That was my Solheim because at every exhibition on the first tee, they raised the American flag and played the national anthem,” said Spork back in 2019. “That was really special for me.”

Spork asked fans at the end of each session to throw shillings onto the 18th green for junior golf. It was always about growing the game for Spork.

“This event, gosh, it’s everything for our tour,” said Lewis. “It’s everything for women’s golf.”

Lexi Thompson dishes on Solheim Cup leadership role, puts 2023 struggles in the past

“Might not have been the year that I wanted, but this is this week I’m not focusing on the past,” said Thompson.

CASARES, Spain — When United States Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis made her picks for this week’s event at Finca Cortesin she didn’t shy away from addressing automatic qualifier Lexi Thompson’s struggles this season.

“There are definitely some concerns about her game, a hundred percent,” said Lewis last month. “Talking to her, though, she’s been handling all of this remarkably well. I’ve said it before, but you see her off the golf course and you would never know that she’s struggling like she is right now.”

By Thompson’s lofty standards, struggling is an understatement. Over 11 starts this season on the LPGA the 28-year-old has missed eight cuts, with three finishes of T-31, T-47 and most recently T-19 at the Kroger Queen City Championship earlier this month, where she was coming off a streak of five missed cuts. Thompson qualified for her sixth Solheim Cup, this time off her world ranking, and will be the most-tenured player for Team USA this week at the beautiful Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast. After making her debut as an 18-year-old in 2013, Thompson has earned a 6-6-7 record (1-1-3 in singles).

“She is not going to quit and she is not going to give up on the golf course, and sometimes I think that’s the most important thing in Solheim Cups and team events,” added Lewis.

“Might not have been the year that I wanted, but this is this week I’m not focusing on the past,” said Thompson during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “I’m here with my team this week and going to represent my best.”

“It’s like Justin Thomas said, any shot, any moment can change your game,” chimed in Danielle Kang, who has her own personal struggles this week.  “Can’t rely on an entire player’s career on just how she’s been playing lately, right?”

MORE SOLHEIM: Photos | Meet Team USA | Check out Finca Cortesin

Kang will make her fourth appearance for the Red, White and Blue this week, an honor she cherishes every two years when the event is hosted. Thompson agreed and noted how her No. 1 goal is to make the team. Lewis is going to rely on their passion and leadership this week as the American team rolls out five rookies to make their debut.

“I didn’t even know we had that many rookies,” admitted Kang. “Throughout the entire year for two years everyone plays their own game and competes against each other, competes against the field, but rookies or veterans or not, I think our team is really strong and they have been playing really great golf.”

Lilia Vu won two majors this season at the Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open. Allisen Corpuz claimed the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open. Andrea Lee won last year, Cheyenne Knight is a two-time winner on tour, and 20-year-old Rose Zhang won her professional debut earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a rookie or a third time on Solheim Cup,” said Kang, “they all act like their own leaders and they know how to approach their own games, and I think it’s very inspiring to see, no matter who it may be.”

“I believe that we’re all leaders in our own way,” echoed Thompson. “We come into this week and we bring a strength of ours to the whole team and the captains and assistant captains. It’s not somebody overpowering the other. It’s all about just coming together as a team.”

Modest and supportive of her teammates she may be, Thompson will be heavily relied upon this week in Spain. The stroke play form hasn’t been there this year, but the Solheim Cup poses a different question compared to weekly LPGA stops and it’s one she’s answered correctly in the past. The 11-time winner has been undefeated in two different Solheim Cups (while playing at least four matches) with a 2-0-2 showing in both 2015 and 2017.

As an amateur for Team USA, Thompson was undefeated for three consecutive years: 3-0-1 at the 2010 Curtis Cup and 3-0-0 at both the 2009 Junior Solheim Cup and 2008 Junior Ryder Cup.

This week she has another chance to do what she does best: score points for Team USA.

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