Team Europe will be looking to secure a third consecutive win for the first time ever when they take on Team USA in the 2023 Solheim Cup.
The 2021 edition of the competition, women’s golf’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, was only the second time Team USA had ever lost on home soil, with Suzann Pettersen securing the winning point in Ohio to provide her team with a 15-13 overall victory.
This made Scottish golfer and team captain Catriona Matthew the first ever European captain to win back-to-back Solheim Cups, although it will actually be Pettersen making her first appearance as captain in 2023, after being selected to lead the team through the next two tournaments.
The Solheim Cup is usually held every two years, but will also feature in 2024’s sporting calendar in order to move the dates onto even years.
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How Solheim Cup works
The competition features the 12 best players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the 12 best players from the U.S Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (LPGA).
The way the best players are selected differs for each team, however.
Team Europe features the two players who have topped the European Tour’s Solheim Cup points in 2023, the next six highest-ranked players who are eligible, along with four captain’s picks chosen by Suzann Pettersen.
Team U.S. however picks the top seven players on the LPGA’s Solheim Cup points list, the next top two players from the Rolex Rankings, and three picks from captain Stacy Lewis.
The event itself takes place over three days.
The first two days both consist of a morning session of foursome matches (two golfers from each team pair up and play alternate shots using the same ball), and an afternoon session of four-ball matches (each member of a pair uses their own ball, with the lowest score used for the team’s overall score).
The third and final day consists of singles matches where one player from Team Europe competes against another player from Team USA. All twelve members from each team will compete in these matches.
There are 28 points at stake in total, with a point being awarded for winning a match, or half a point given to each team if there is a tie.
Where and when is the Solheim Cup?
The 2023 Solheim Cup is taking place at Finca Cortesin in Málaga, Spain, from 22-24 September.
The opening ceremony starts at 5pm on Thursday September 21.
Solheim Cup schedule
Friday, 22 September: Morning: Four foursomes matches. Afternoon: four fourballs matches. The first morning match begins at 8:10am local time (7:10am BST), while the first match in the afternoon begins at 1:40pm local time (12:40pm BST).
Pairings
Friday morning
8:10 a.m. local (7:10a.m. BST, 2:10 a.m. ET) — Lexi Thompson, Megan Khang (USA) vs. Linn Grant, Maja Stark
8:22 a.m. local (7:22 a.m. BST, 2:22 a.m. ET) — Danielle Kang, Andrea Lee (USA) vs. Celine Boutier, Georgia Hall
8:34 a.m. local (7:34 a.m. BST, 2:34 a.m. ET) — Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz (USA) vs. Leona Maguire, Anna Nordqvist
8:46 a.m. local (7:46 a.m. BST, 2:46 a.m. ET) — Ally Ewing, Cheyenne Knight (USA) vs. Charley Hull, Emily Pedersen
Saturday, 23 September: Morning: Four foursomes matches. Afternoon: four fourballs matches. The first morning match begins at 8:10am local time (7:10am BST), while the first match in the afternoon begins at 1:40pm local time (12:40pm BST).
Sunday, 24 Sept: 12 singles matches. The first singles match begins at 11:10am local time (10:10am BST).
How to watch the Solheim Cup?
You can watch the opening ceremony from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf, with live coverage of day one from 6.30am on Friday.
The full coverage list is below:
Thursday, September 21: Opening ceremony 7pm-8.30pm (Sky Sports Golf)
Day One: Friday, September 22: 6.30am-6.30pm (Sky Sports Golf and Main Event)
Day Two: Saturday, September 23: 6.30am-6.30pm (Sky Sports Golf and Main Event)
Final day: Sunday, September 24: 9am-6pm (Sky Sports Golf and Main Event)
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
The Teams
Team Europe:
Suzann Pettersen goes from player to captain this year, and the Norwegian will hope a strong European side will have what it takes to extend their winning streak.
Golfing legend Dame Laura Davies will again serve as vice-captain along with Caroline Martens and Anna Nordqvist, with the 59-year old boasting 87 tournament wins and four Solheim Cup victories amongst her accolades.
Team Europe have possibly the most in-form player going into the competition, with Céline Boutier having won her third LPGA tour title earlier in the season, while also adding a further two titles over the summer.
Vice-captain Anna Nordqvist will also be participating as a player, and is one of Europe’s most decorated golfers with three major wins.
British golfers Charley Hull and Georgia Hall are also strong players for Team Europe, with Hall having won a major, as well as finishing runner-up to Boutier in this year’s LPGA Drive On Championship.
Hull also finished second in two majors this season.
Captain: Suzann Pettersen (Nor)
Vice-captains: Laura Davies (Eng), Caroline Martens (Nor) and Anna Nordqvist (Swe – serving as playing vice-captain)
Automatic qualifiers: Celine Boutier (Fra), Maja Stark (Swe), Carlota Ciganda (Spa), Linn Grant (Swe), Georgia Hall (Eng), Charley Hull (Eng), Leona Maguire (Irl), Anna Nordqvist (Swe)
Captain’s picks: Gemma Dryburgh (Sco), Caroline Hedwall (Swe), Emily Pedersen (Den), Madelene Sagstrom (Swe)
Team USA:
Captain Stacy Lewis will become the youngest American captain ever in the Solheim Cup at 38 years-old, and has competed as a player in four separate tournaments.
Four of Team USA’s players are ranked in the top 20 compared to Europe’s five, but will be hoping young talent can help to carry them over the line.
Debutants for Lewis’ team this year include 2023 U.S. Open winner Allisen Corpuz, and 20 year-old Rose Zhang, who has only recently turned pro after a ridiculously dominant performance in the amateur game.
Veteran Lexi Thompson adds some experience, holding a major championship win to her name and having been part of two Team USA wins after making her Solheim debut at 18 in the 2013 edition of the tournament.
Captain: Stacy Lewis
Assistant captains: Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis and Angela Stanford
Automatic qualifiers: Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Danielle Kang, Andrea Lee, Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang
Captain’s picks: Ally Ewing, Cheyenne Knight, Angel Yin