Why Is It Called the Solheim Cup?

Published 09/06/2021, 5:11 PM EDT

The Solheim Cup is a professional women’s golf tournament similar to the men’s Ryder Cup. In this event, golfers from Europe and the United States compete against each other for three days. This tournament was first held in 1990, and just like Ryder Cup, they play this event every alternate year.

Meanwhile, the United States has the most Solheim Cup victories in history with 10 while Europe has six (before 2021). Moreover, 12 golfers from both teams compete against each other to get their hands on the trophy. But why is the cup called The Solheim Cup? Let us find out.

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Why is it called Solheim Cup?

They have named Solheim Cup in honor of Karsten and Louise Solheim. These two are the founders of Karsten manufacturing corporation, which makes Ping golf equipment. As said earlier, this event was first held in 1990. The Solheims’ company, Ping, was already involved in women’s golf in the 1980s as the title sponsor of three different LPGA events.

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Meanwhile, in early 1990, the LET and LPGA discussed launching an event similar to Ryder Cup for women. But they couldn’t do it on their own, as they needed a sponsor to help with everything. And given Ping’s involvement in women’s golf, the Tour approached Karsten Solheim.

Moreover, Karsten Solheim agreed to sponsor the event and insisted on a 10-tournament (20 years) commitment. And hence the tournament was named after Solheim in gratitude for his agreement and contribution to women’s golf.

However, sadly, Karsten Solheim died in 2000, but Solheim Cup got bigger and bigger with each year. Moreover, the initial commitment also expired, but Ping still remains deeply involved in the Solheim Cup.

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Meanwhile, the format for the event is similar to that of the Ryder Cup. There are eight foursomes and eight four-ball events in total on days one and two. Furthermore, there are 12 single-stroke play events on the final day, after which they decide the winner based on the points won.

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Amey Kulkarni is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in mass media. Before joining EssentiallySports he used to write articles on Golf and Cricket on his personal blog cricgolf.

Why Is It Called the Solheim Cup?

Why is it called Solheim Cup?

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