The 2019 Solheim Cup was the 16th edition of the Solheim Cup matches, held from 13 to 15 September at the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course in Scotland. The Solheim Cup is a biennial team competition between the top women professional golfers from Europe and the United States. It is a three-day match play event between teams of twelve players with a similar format to the Ryder Cup. Juli Inkster captained the U.S. team for the third time and Catriona Matthew captained the European team for the first time.[1]
After the first two days the competition was tied at 8-all. Europe won the singles 61⁄2–51⁄2 to win the Cup for the first time since 2013.
Format
The Solheim Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The format is as follows:[2]
Day 1 (Friday): Four foursome (alternate shot) matches in a morning session and four fourball (better ball) matches in an afternoon session. A total of eight players from each team participate in each session.
Day 2 (Saturday): Four foursome (alternate shot) matches in a morning session and four fourball (better ball) matches in an afternoon session. A total of eight players from each team participate in each session.
Day 3 (Sunday): 12 singles matches. All 12 players from each team participate.
With a total of 28 points, 141⁄2 points are required to win the Cup, and 14 points are required for the defending champion to retain the Cup.[2] All matches are played to a maximum of 18 holes. If the score is even after 18 holes, each team earns one-half point.[3]
Team qualification and selection
Eligibility criteria
The European and United States teams had different eligibility criteria:
have played in eight Ranking Events, excluding major championships not played in Europe, during the Qualifying Period as a member of the LET, unless selected as a Captain's pick (provided she is otherwise eligible);
must be a "European national". To be a "European national", the player must satisfy the criteria set out in the "Nationality Policy" issued by the International Golf Federation.[4]
Team USA
Members of the United States team must be current members of the LPGA Tour and meet one of these three citizenship criteria:
U.S. citizens by birth, regardless of their birthplace.
Those who were naturalized as U.S. citizens before age 18.
The European and United States teams were selected by different methods.
Team Europe
Team Europe consisted of the top three players from the LET Solheim Cup standings, followed by the top five LET members on the Women's World Golf Rankings who were not already qualified via the Solheim Cup standings, and four captain's selections. The 2019 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, held at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, ending on 11 August, was the final event of the qualification period, and the full team, including the captain's picks, was announced on 12 August.[6][7]
Team USA
Team USA consisted of the leading eight players from the LPGA Solheim Cup points rankings, the top two players in the Women's World Golf Rankings not already qualified via the points rankings and two chosen by the team captain. LPGA Solheim Cup points were earned for top-20 finishes on the LPGA Tour over a two-year period ending on August 25 with the 2019 Canadian Women's Open. Points were doubled in major championships, and top-20 finishes during the 2019 LPGA Tour season earned 50% more points than those in 2017 and 2018.[8]
^Suzann Pettersen, previously named an assistant captain, was chosen as one of the captain's picks. Melissa Reid was named as the final assistant captain.[9]
Bronte Law had not played in the required number of events to gain an automatic place.
Ages on first day of matches, 13 September; Rolex rankings at team selection on 12 August. Captain's picks shown in yellow.
^Stacy Lewis was originally selected as a captain's pick but withdrew with a back injury.[11]
Ages on first day of matches, 13 September; Rolex rankings at team selection on 26 August. Captain's picks shown in yellow.
Day one
Friday, 13 September 2019
Morning foursomes
Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda became the first sisters to be paired together in the Solheim Cup. They were 5 up after 7 holes, eventually winning 6&4 and scoring the first point. Of the remaining three matches, Europe won two and halved the other to take a 21⁄2 to 11⁄2 lead.
Both captains selected the four players who hadn't played in the morning session to play in the opening two afternoon matches. Because of a late finish by Hull and Muñoz in the morning session, Match 3 (Hull/Muñoz v N. Korda/Altomare) started after Match 4 (Ciganda/Law v J. Korda/Thompson). The table below reflects the official order.
Ally McDonald and Angel Yin were dormie 7 up in their match against Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall, and although the Swedish pair won the 12th hole, McDonald and Yin won 7&5, tying a Solheim Cup record for largest four-ball victory.[12] In the last two matches the European pairs led playing the final hole but both American pairs won the 18th to halve both matches.
Anna Nordqvist and Anne van Dam were 4 up after 6 holes against Morgan Pressel and Marina Alex but the Americans then won 7 of the next 9 holes, winning the match 2&1. Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda won their second foursomes match, this time winning 6&5, after winning their first match 6&4. Europe won the remaining two matches to leave the session tied.
Ally McDonald and Angel Yin were 3 up with 5 holes to play against Georgia Hall and Céline Boutier but the European pair won the last five holes to win the match, 2 up. The United States won two matches and halved the other, leaving the match tied with the 12 singles matches to be played.
In one of the greatest finishes in the history of match play golf, the Europeans won each of the last 3 games to regain the cup. Bronte Law holed a 15 footer on 16 to go 1-up with 2 to play against Ally McDonald, who missed a short putt on 17 to give Law the win and level it up. Less than a minute later, Suzann Pettersen held her nerve to hole the winning 7-footer on the 18th green of the last match out on the course for Europe's first Solheim Cup win since 2013.
