The 19th edition of the Solheim Cup is set to begin on September 13 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va., with Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen serving as the U.S. and European captains, respectively. Take a look back at all 18 previous editions of the Solheim Cup, one of the biggest events in all of women’s competitive golf.
1990 – Lake Nona Golf and Country Club (Orlando, Florida)
The first edition of the Solheim Cup was contested at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla., in 1990. The U.S. won the inaugural event 11.5 to 4.5, and their seven-point margin of victory is still the largest in U.S. Solheim Cup history. Kathy Whitworth was the first captain for the Americans, while Mickey Walker led Team Europe. The event was the brainchild of Louise and Karsten Solheim, the latter of whom founded PING.
1992 – Dalmahoy East Course (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Determined to even the score after losing in the first-ever Solheim Cup, the Europeans routed the U.S. in 1992, winning 11.5 to 6.5 in Scotland. Europe won seven of the 10 singles matches on day three en route to their first Solheim Cup victory. Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Walker once again served as captains, but Alice Miller stepped in for Whitworth during the event as the 88-time LPGA Tour winner had to leave the competition to tend to a family emergency.
1994 – The Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia)
The U.S. triumphed again on home soil at The Greenbrier, reclaiming the Solheim Cup after defeating Europe 13 to 7 in West Virginia. Mickey Walker returned for a third time as the European captain, while the U.S. was led by JoAnne Carner, often referred to as “Big Mama.” The two sides were tied 5-5 heading into the singles matches, but like Europe did in 1992, the Americans dominated the final day of play, bringing home eight points with eight match victories to take back the Solheim Cup.
1996 – St. Pierre Golf and Country Club (Chepstow, Wales)
Both teams were expanded to 12 players in the 1996 Solheim Cup and the first two days of play consisted of morning foursomes and afternoon four-ball sessions for the very first time. Led by Judy Rankin, the Americans won their third Solheim Cup in four years in Wales, a victory that saw the U.S. come back from a two-point deficit by capturing 10 points in the singles matches to trounce the Blue and Yellow 17 to 11 on European soil for the first time.
1998 – Muirfield Village Golf Club (Dublin, Ohio)
Judy Rankin once again led the U.S. to victory as the Americans retained the Solheim Cup for a third straight playing in Ohio after defeating Europe 16 to 12 at Muirfield Village. The U.S. had a five-point lead heading into the final day of play and only needed to earn 5.5 points in order to retain the Cup, a goal they met after Meg Mallon conceded her match on 18 to halve with Sophie Gustafson. Rankin was the first person to captain a winning Solheim Cup in back-to-back playings of the event.
2000 – Loch Lomond Golf Club (Luss, Scotland)
After three straight losses, Europe finally put another tally on the board after winning the Solheim Cup in 2000. Dale Reid captained the Europeans to a three-point victory at Loch Lomond in Scotland, one that saw them claim 9.5 points in the foursomes and four-ball sessions. They held off a late charge from the Americans in the singles matches, a squad that was headed up by Captain Pat Bradley, to claim the Solheim Cup for just the second time since the event’s inception in 1990.
2002 – Interlachen Country Club (Edina, Minnesota)
The U.S. continued their undefeated streak on home soil, winning the 2002 Solheim Cup 15.5 to 12.5 after trailing Europe by two points following the first two days of play. The Americans dominated the singles matches on Sunday, collecting 8.5 points after seven victories and three ties and overcoming that two-point deficit to earn their fifth Solheim Cup under Captain Patty Sheehan. This year marked Dale Reid’s second and final time serving as the captain for Team Europe.
2003 – Barseback Golf and Country Club (Loddekopinge, Skane, Sweden)
Europe won on home soil once again in 2003, defeating the U.S. Team 17.5 to 10.5 at Barseback Golf and Country Club in Sweden. Catrin Nilsmark captained the Blue and Yellow squad in her home country, ultimately leading the team to its resounding third victory in the Solheim Cup. The Europeans had just a three-point advantage heading into the final day of play, and when Catriona Matthew outlasted Rosie Jones 3 and 1 to earn the clinching point early in just the sixth match of the day and some of the final few matches were ultimately conceded, the Europeans recorded their largest margin of victory in Solheim Cup history up to that point with a seven-point win.
2005 – Crooked Stick Golf Club (Carmel, Indiana)
The U.S. captaincy was passed to Nancy Lopez in 2005, but Europe stuck with Catrin Nilsmark after her victory in Sweden. It was again the singles matches that ultimately determined the outcome of the ninth Solheim Cup, as the two sides were tied with eight points each after the first two days of foursomes and four-ball matches. The U.S. team won the first five singles matches on day three to move five points ahead of the Europeans, and they eventually closed out the match after Meg Mallon beat Karen Stupples 3 and 1 at Crooked Stick Golf Club.
2007 – Halmstad Golf Club (Halmstad, Sweden)
Led by Betsy King, the U.S. Team won its second Solheim Cup on foreign soil in Halmstad, Sweden. The Americans led or were tied with the Europeans in the first three sessions, but they trailed by one point after the conclusion of the Saturday afternoon four-ball matches. Sunday saw the Americans recover and capture 8.5 points in the singles session, a performance that lifted them to a 16-12 victory over Europe, their first time winning in European territory since 1996.
2009 – Rich Harvest Farms (Sugar Grove, Illinois)
After the conclusion of the foursomes and four-ball sessions, the Americans and Europeans were tied 8-8 at Rich Harvest Farms heading into Sunday’s singles matches. On the final day of play, the U.S., led by Captain Beth Daniel, ultimately triumphed over Europe, earning eight points in singles to remain undefeated on American turf. It was the second time in Solheim Cup history that the Americans had earned the Cup in three straight playings of the event.
2011 – Killeen Castle (Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland)
The tide began to turn in Europe’s favor when they claimed their first Solheim Cup victory since 2003 on home soil in Ireland. Both teams were tied 8-8 after the first two days of foursomes and four-ball matches, and Sunday saw an unexpected concession by Cristie Kerr to Karen Stupples due to injury, giving Europe an early point in their bid for the 2011 Solheim Cup. Europe would go on to capture six more singles points to pull out the 15-13 victory over the Americans, a win that saw Dame Laura Davies become the leading all-time points earner in Solheim Cup history.
2013 – Colorado Golf Club (Parker, Colorado)
The European Team kept it rolling two years later at Colorado Golf Club, trouncing the Americans in the second day’s four-ball session 4-0 to lead by five points entering Sunday singles. Team Europe then polished off their first-ever Solheim Cup retention after claiming 7.5 points in the Sunday singles matches. Caroline Hedwall could have been deemed MVP of that week, as the Swede became the first player in the history of the biennial team competition to earn five points in a single Solheim Cup.
2015 – Golf Club St. Leon-Rot (Sankt Leon-Rot, Germany)
Captained by seven-time major champion Juli Inkster, the Americans came back from a four-point deficit after the first two days of play by earning 8.5 points in the 12 singles matches on Sunday in Germany to win their first Solheim Cup since 2009. It was Angela Stanford’s 2 and 1 victory over Suzann Pettersen that ultimately clinched the Cup for the U.S. Team, giving the Americans their ninth Solheim Cup victory in 14 total playings of the event.
2017 – Des Moines Golf and Country Club (West Des Moines, Iowa)
With Juli Inkster again at the helm, the U.S. avenged their loss at Colorado Golf Club with another Solheim Cup victory on home soil in 2017, this time emerging victories in West Des Moines, Iowa at Des Moines Golf and Country Club. The Americans led the Europeans by five points entering Sunday singles and handily defeated the Blue and Yellow by five points, 16.5 to 11.5. Inkster joined Judy Rankin as the only other person from either side to captain two winning Solheim Cup teams.
2019 – Gleneagles, PGA Centenary Course (Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland)
While Team Europe emerged victorious at Gleneagles, it was ultimately Suzann Pettersen who authored one of the greatest moments in Solheim Cup history in Scotland. After being chosen as a captain’s pick after being on maternity leave, the 16th Solheim Cup came down to a birdie putt from Pettersen on the last hole at the Centenary Course, one that would lift her to victory over Marina Alex and secure the Cup for the Europeans. Pettersen drained the seven-footer and let out a raucous roar, winning the Solheim Cup in what would be her final moment as a professional golfer. Pettersen announced shortly after that the 2019 Solheim Cup would be her last competitive golf event, a mic-drop, walk-off moment that will never be forgotten.
2021 – Inverness Club (Toledo, Ohio)
Catriona Matthew became the first European Solheim Cup captain to win back-to-back Cups when her 2021 team defeated the Americans 15 to 13 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. It was rookie Matilda Castren who earned the clinching point for the Blue and Yellow in the Sunday singles matches, but Leona Maguire was the breakout superstar for the Europeans, going 4-0-1 to earn 4.5 points for her team on U.S. soil. It was just the second time ever that Europe had earned back-to-back Solheim Cups and won the event on American turf.
2023 – Finca Cortesin (Andalucia, Spain)
The 18th playing of the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain saw the event end in a 14-14 tie for the first time in history under the leadership of U.S. Captain Stacy Lewis and European Captain Suzann Pettersen, ultimately leaving the Cup in Europe’s control. Fittingly, it was Spaniard Carlota Ciganda who earned the final point Europe needed to retain the Solheim Cup for a third straight playing, defeating Nelly Korda 2 and 1 after making a birdie on the 17th hole of the penultimate match in her home country. It was the first time in history that Team Europe had collected three straight Solheim Cups.
