2023 Solheim Cup: Facts, Golf Course, Schedule

The 2023 Solheim Cup will be the 18th time the competition is played. It is a biennial, team, match play tournament between teams of professional women golfers, one for the United States and one for Europe.

When Is the 2023 Solheim Cup?

The dates for the 2023 Solheim Cup are September 22-24. The defending champion is Europe. See the 2021 Solheim Cup for details. That means Team Europe, as the defending champion, will need 14 points to keep the Cup; Team USA will need 14.5 points to win the Cup.

Where Is the Solheim Cup in 2023?

The site of the 2023 Solheim Cup is Finca Cortesin, a resort facility in Malaga, Andalusia, Spain. The resort's championship course, where the Solheim Cup will be played, has previously hosted such high-profile events as the Volvo World Match Play Championship.

It will be the first time the Solheim Cup is played in Spain. European countries that previously have hosted the tournament are Scotland, Wales, Sweden, Ireland and Germany.

The Team Captains

The captain for Team USA is Stacy Lewis, and for Team Europe the captain is Suzann Pettersen. Pettersen was a player on Team Europe nine times, first in 2002 and last in 2019. In fact, she sank the winning putt for Europe in the 2019 Solheim Cup, then retired from competitive golf. Pettersen's career record in Solheim Cup play was 18 wins, 12 losses and six ties.

Lewis will be, at age 38 in 2023, the youngest captain in Solheim Cup history. Lewis has been a player on four USA Solheim Cup teams, with an overall record of 5-10-1. It is conceivable that Lewis, still a regular in LPGA Tour competition, could be in contention for a playing spot, too, in 2023. If she earns a spot on the team as a player, Lewis has said, she will be a player-captain.

View the list of all Solheim Cup team captains.

Team Selection

Both teams, Europe and USA, will include 12 golfers. For Team Europe, all golfers must have Ladies European Tour membership. Team Europe will be comprised of the top two golfers on the LET Solheim Cup Points list; the top six golfers in the world rankings; plus four captain's picks. For Team USA, all golfers must be LPGA Tour members. Team USA will be comprised of the top seven players on the U.S. Solheim Cup points list; the next top two golfers from the world rankings; plus three captain's picks.

Competition Format

See The Solheim Cup Format Explained for full details, but the basic format is this:
  • Day 1: One session of four foursomes matches, and another session of four fourball matches, 8 points total at stake.
  • Day 2: One session of four foursomes matches, and another session of four fourball matches, 8 points total at stake.
  • Day 3: 12 singles (one vs. one) matches, 12 points at stake.
The tournament runs on a Friday-Sunday schedule. The United States and Europe teams are comprised of 12 golfers each.

Previous and next:
2021 Solheim Cup - 2024 Solheim Cup

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