The Solheim Cup has arrived at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, and Europe will be desperate to reclaim the trophy after suffering defeat to the United States in Virginia in 2024. Team USA ended Europe’s winning streak in the Solheim Cup with a 15.5-12.5 victory at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
Each pair and match-up will be the result of in-depth research and analysis from European captain Anna Nordqvist, USA captain Angela Stanford and their vice-captains.
Nothing is left to chance, and each session’s format has a significant bearing on which players are sent out in which session. Does their scoring power suit a fourball pairing, or does their accuracy make them perfect for foursomes?
We take a look at the Solheim Cup format and break down what you’ll see on each day of action in the Netherlands.
What is the format for the Solheim Cup?
There are 12 players on each side for Team Europe and Team USA, and there are 28 points up for grabs across three days.
The format is match play, and if you win a match, you win one point, and if you halve a match, you earn half a point.
On day one (September 11) and day two (September 12) of the Solheim Cup, there will be two sessions. They will be divided into morning sessions of foursomes matches and afternoon sessions of fourball matches.
In fourballs, each player in each pair hits their own ball. To put it simply, the best score on each hole wins, and if there is a tie for the best score on a hole, it is halved.
Essentially, the pair in each match that wins the most holes wins the match.
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Foursomes is sometimes called alternate shot. One player in each pair tees off, and their partner then hits the next shot, and so on.
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The pairs alternate tee shots too, so one player tees off on the odd-numbered holes and the other tees off on the even-numbered holes.
On the third and final day of the Solheim Cup (September 13), the European team and the United States will face off across 12 singles matches – 12 matches using the match play format too.
The American Solheim Cup team are defending the trophy on foreign soil, and they will be looking to get to 14.5 to win the cup for the 12th time.
If the team score is 14-14 at the end of the week, the United States will retain the cup as the defending champion.
How often is the Solheim Cup played?
The Solheim Cup began in 1990 and was played in even-numbered years until 2002. It was played at Barseback Golf and Country Club in Sweden in 2003 and continued in odd-numbered years until 2023.
The previous Solheim Cup held at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club was back in 2024, with Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands continuing the trend this year. To avoid clashes with the Ryder Cup, the tournament has shifted back to even-numbered years. The 2028 edition will be held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
Each tournament features stars from the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.
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