1990 Solheim Cup Results

This was the first time the Solheim Cup was played. After the American victory, the overall standings in the event's history was USA 1, Europe 0.

Final Score: USA 11.5, Europe 4.5

Dates Played: November 16-18, 1990

Location: Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida

Team Captains: Mickey Walker (EUR) and Kathy Whitworth (USA)

Team Rosters:

• Europe — Helen Alfredsson, Laura Davies, Marie Laure de Lorenzo, Trish Johnson, Liselotte Neumann, Alison Nicholas, Dale Reid, Pamela Wright
• USA — Pat Bradley, Beth Daniel, Cathy Gerring, Rosie Jones, Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, Dottie Pepper, Patty Sheehan

Match Notes: They played the first Solheim Cup ever in Florida, and hardly anyone outside of the teams noticed — there was scant media attention, and a modest number of fans at the golf course. It would have been difficult at the time to imagine the Solheim Cup growing from that humble beginning to the premier event it is today.

The competition was hotly contested from the outset, however, even if the first Solheim Cup was not very competitive. The American side won three of four matches on both Day 1 and Day 2, taking a 6-2 lead into the final day. Beth Daniel paced the USA with a 3-0-0 record, and every member of Team USA had a winning mark. For Team Europe, three golfers were blanked at 0-3-0, and only Laura Davies had a winning record.

The first captain's picks in tournament history? Nancy Lopez for Team USA, Laura and Marie-Laure de Lorenzi for Team Europe. Davies played the first stroke in Solheim Cup history, and Davies and teammate Alison Nicholas earned the first-ever point in this tournament with a foursomes victory over Lopez and Pat Bradley.

The first Solheim Cup used teams consisting of eight golfers each. All eight golfers per side played in each of the three sessions: four foursomes matches on the first day, four fourballs on Day 2, and eight singles matches on the third day.

1990 Solheim Cup Match Scores

Day One

Foursomes

• Laura Davies/Alison Nicholas (EUR) defeated Pat Bradley/Nancy Lopez (USA), 2&1
• Cathy Gerring/Dottie Pepper (USA) defeated Pamela Wright/Liselotte Neumann (EUR), 6&5
• Patty Sheehan/Rosie Jones (USA) defeated Dale Reid/Helen Alfredsson (EUR), 6&5
• Beth Daniel/Betsy King (USA) defeated Trish Johnson/Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (EUR), 5&4

Score after Day 1: USA 3, Europe 1

Day Two

Four-Ball

• Beth Daniel/Betsy King (USA) defeated Laura Davies/Alison Nicholas (EUR), 4&3
• Liselotte Neumann/Pamela Wright (EUR) defeated Cathy Gerring/Dottie (Pepper) Mochrie (USA), 4&2
• Patty Sheehan/Rosie Jones (USA) defeated Trish Johnson/Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (EUR), 2&1
• Pat Bradley/Nancy Lopez (USA) defeated Dale Reid/Helen Alfredsson (EUR), 2&1

Score for Day 2 session: USA 3, Europe 1
Cumulative score after two days: Second-day cumulative total: USA 6, Europe 2

Day Three

Singles

• Pat Bradley (USA) defeated Trish Johnson (EUR), 8&7
• Beth Daniel (USA) defeated Liselotte Neumann (EUR), 7&6
• Nancy Lopez (USA) defeated Alison Nicholas (EUR), 6&4
• Cathy Gerring (USA) defeated Helen Alfredsson (EUR), 4&3
• Dottie Pepper (USA) defeated Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (EUR), 4&2
• Laura Davies (EUR) defeated Rosie Jones (USA), 3&2
• Dale Reid (EUR) defeated Patty Sheehan (USA), 2&1
• Betsy King (USA) halved with Pamela Wright (EUR)

Score for Day 2 session: USA 5.5, Europe 2.5
Cumulative and final score: USA 11.5, Europe, 4.5

Player Records in the 1990 Solheim Cup

Players' records are listed as wins-losses-halves.

Team Europe
Helen Alfredsson, 0-3-0
Laura Davies, 2-1-0
Marie Laure de Lorenzo, 0-3-0
Trish Johnson, 0-3-0
Liselotte Neumann, 1-2-0
Alison Nicholas, 1-2-0
Dale Reid, 1-2-0
Pamela Wright, 1-1-1

Team USA
Pat Bradley, 2-1-0
Beth Daniel, 3-0-0
Cathy Gerring, 2-1-0
Rosie Jones, 2-1-0
Betsy King, 2-0-1
Nancy Lopez, 2-1-0
Dottie Pepper, 2-1-0
Patty Sheehan, 2-1-0

Next tournament:
1992 Solheim Cup

See also:

• Scores of every Solheim Cup match ever played