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The 19th edition of the Solheim Cup will take place from September 13-15 as the United States hosts Europe at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.
Europe are aiming to retain the trophy for a record fourth time in women’s golf’s premier team competition.
BBC Sport will provide live radio commentary on 5 Live across all three days and daily highlights on BBC Two.
There will also be live text commentary, video highlights, reaction and analysis on the BBC Sport website and mobile app.
What is the Solheim Cup?
The Solheim Cup is held every two years and is played over three days between two teams of 12 women from the United States and Europe.
It is named after Norwegian-American golf club maker Karsten Solheim and his wife Louise, who have sponsored the event since its first edition in 1990 and have also played a significant role in supporting the women’s game over the past 50 years.
The United States have won the trophy 10 times, Europe has won seven and there has been one draw – the dramatic 14-14 draw last September at Finca Cortesin in Spain, which allowed Europe to retain the Cup, having won the previous two in Ohio and Scotland.
Why is the Solheim Cup being played this year?
The biennial competition returned to even-numbered years for the first time since 2002 to avoid conflict with the Ryder Cup.
The men’s equivalent competition has been postponed to odd-numbered years after being postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two events took place in successive weeks in Europe in 2023, with the Solheim Cup preceding the Ryder Cup, which was held in Rome.
Who will be the captain of the United States and Europe?
Both captains from last year’s competition in Spain will reprise their roles, with Suzann Pettersen leading the European team and Stacy Lewis beginning her second stint as captain for the United States.
Anna Nordqvist, Dame Laura Davies and Caroline Martens remain vice-captains for Europe, with Mel Reid also part of Pettersen’s backroom staff after taking on a similar role for Catriona Matthew in 2019 at Gleneagles.
Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome will make their debuts as assistant captains for the United States, with Morgan Pressel and Angela Stanford rounding out Lewis’ squad.
Who plays in the Solheim Cup?
In Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, the United States boasts the two best players in the world, and with the competition on home soil just outside Washington DC, they have become the bookmakers’ favourites.
Korda, who triumphed at the Chevron Championship in April, has six LPGA Tour victories this year and earned an automatic spot on the 12-player team alongside Vu, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, Andrea Lee, Rose Zhang and Alison Lee.
Lewis will also be able to count on Lexi Thompson, who is making her seventh and final appearance in the competition before retiring full-time at the end of the year.
Jennifer Kupcho and Sarah Schmelzel are also among the American wildcards.
England’s Charley Hull and Ireland’s Leona Maguire were among the eight automatic qualifiers for the European team.
They are joined by Frenchwoman Céline Boutier, Spanishwoman Carlota Ciganda, German Esther Henseleit and the Swedish trio Maja Stark, Linn Grant and Madelene Sagstrom.
Alongside Henseleit, Swiss golfer Albane Valenzuela is making her European debut, having also called upon the experience of England’s Georgia Hall, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Denmark’s Emily Pedersen.
What is the format and scoring system of the Solheim Cup?
There will be 28 matches over three days in foursomes, fourballs and singles. Each match is worth one point, with half a point awarded to both teams in the event of a draw.
The team that first reaches 14½ points wins the Solheim Cup. Europe will again retain the trophy if the match ends in a 14-14 draw.
Quartets – there are four matches, played in pairs. Each pair uses one ball and hits alternate shots, with the lowest score on each hole winning.
Four balls – there are four matches, played by two. All four players use their own ball. The ball with the lowest score on each side of each hole is taken.
On the final day, the 24 players from both teams compete in 12 events. simple matches.
What will the weather be like?
Temperatures will peak at 28 degrees Celsius over the three days of competition on the highly touted par-72 course located on the shores of Lake Manassas.
However, while training days are expected to remain dry, showers could develop later in the week, particularly on Sunday during the singles matches.
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club has previously hosted four Presidents Cups on American soil from 1994 to 2005, as well as a PGA Tour event – the 2015 Quicken Loans National – hosted by Tiger Woods and won by Troy Merritt.
How to watch the Solheim Cup on the BBC
Thursday September 12
7:30pm-8:30pm BST: BBC Radio 5 Live Solheim Cup presentation schedule
Friday September 13th
11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, with updates on BBC Radio 5 Live
5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: Live radio commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: Live radio commentary on 5 Live
00:05-01:05: BBC Two Highlights
Saturday September 14
11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, with updates on BBC Radio 5 Live
5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: Live radio commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: Live radio commentary on 5 Live
00:30-01:30: BBC Two Highlights
Sunday September 15
1:00 p.m. – end of game: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Live radio commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
6:30 p.m.-end of the game: Live radio commentary on 5 Live
9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: BBC Four Highlights
23:55-00:55: BBC Two Highlights
