If you’re traveling to Spain for the Ryder Cup, you might as well be decked out in your team’s colors.
CASARES, Spain — There’s just something special about team golf, and that’s been evident this week in Spain for the 2023 Solheim Cup.
Players and captains relish the opportunity to represent their country (or continent) on a global stage, and every other year fans flock to join in on the fun. The best players from the United States take on the best from Europe in some must-see matches that highlight the best of golf, and there’s always a handful of spectators that stand out among the crowds with wild outfits and costumes.
Check out the best photos of both American and European fans at the 2023 Solheim Cup.
A drivable par-4 1st hole sets a unique tone for what fans should expect to see this week in Spain.
CASARES, Spain — When’s the last time you saw a drivable par 4 on the first hole of a golf course?
Fans who tune in to the 2023 Solheim Cup this week at Finca Cortesin on Spain’s southern coast will be treated to the rarity as the opening hole will provide a risk-reward option for players right from the jump.
A lot of the pre-match discussion this week from both players and captains has been about the unique test that this year’s host course will provide. The course at Finca Cortesin offers wide fairways and will bless the good shots and penalize the poor ones. Not only that, the heat and hills will make the 18th matches between the United States and Europe an equal parts physical and mental test for players and their caddies.
Here’s what the stars of the week had to say about this year’s host course as the Solheim Cup is held in Spain for the first time in its nearly two-decade history.
CASARES, Spain — We’re just a day away from the upcoming matches and a bit of Solheim Cup history has already been made this year.
The Europeans are primed to win a third consecutive Solheim Cup as the 2023 matches head to Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Spain, but a stout American lineup stands in the way.
Leading the United States will be 38-year-old Stacy Lewis, who set the mark as the youngest U.S. captain. Patty Sheehan had the previous record of 45 years old in 2002. The youngest-ever captain? That’d be Europe’s 2003 leader, Catrin Nilsmark, at 36 years, 13 days.
Dating back to the inaugural event in 1990, the Solheim Cup has been contested 17 times around the world. From Colorado to Germany, Florida to Scotland, a total of 444 matches have been played, and the U.S. holds a slight advantage. The Americans have won 196 matches to Europe’s 181 wins, with 67 matches tied. That means the two sides are separated by just 15 points all-time: U.S.: 229½ points; Europe: 214½.
Team
Overall
Singles
Foursomes
Fourballs
U.S. wins
196
97
49
50
Europe wins
181
71
59
51
Ties
67
28
17
22
Total
444
196
125
123
The U.S. has dominated singles (97-71-28), but has a losing record in both foursomes (49-59-27) and fourball (50-51-22).
If you’re a fan of fun facts and figures, take a deeper look at the history of the Solheim Cup.
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.
“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.
“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.
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.’ ”
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.
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.”
“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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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?
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.
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.
