Leona Maguire makes history this weekend becoming the first Irish golfer to take part in the Solheim Cup.

We do have a history with the event having staged it at Killeen Castle in Couty Meath in 2011.

It came only five years after the K Club hosted the Ryder Cup but it was a traumatic period of the financial crisis and was a brave move to have the confidence to stage it.

Maguire and her sister Lisa played that same year in the Junior Solheim Cup and were being touted as future stars, a prediction that has now come to pass.

Here is an evocative review of what it was like back then and a nice teaser on what might unfold over the coming days.

This year’s tournament will be the 17th renewal and Europe travel to the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio in possession of the trophy and the bragging rights.

Because of it being a public holiday in the US the tournament will run from Saturday to Monday and taking place in prime time for European audiences on Sky Sports.

Team USA is strong with four players in the World’s Top 15, as opposed to none for Ireland.

Major and Olympic winner Nelly Korda leads the way for them alongside her sister Jessica and Lexi Thompson.

Team Europe’s hopes may rest on the performances of Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Anna Nordquist and Maguire. Another to watch will be France’s Celine Boutier who won all four of her matches when making her debut two years ago.

The format is the same as for the Ryder Cup with foursomes and fourballs on Saturday and Sunday followed by the gladiatorial 12 singles matches on the final day.

Europe won by a single point in 2019, one of the three times they have taken the spoils since Killeen Castle.

It promises to be a top-class three days of sport and another strong marker for how Women’s sport has moved into the mainstream.

Rolex, Ping and Marathon Petroleum are the global partners for the event which will come back to Europe in 2023 in Spain and then switch to even years from 2024 onwards.

You can follow the Team Europe Twitter stream @SolheimCupEuro

“A powerful and influential network of information and collaboration”

 

Download our latest membership brochure here.

Sport for Business Partners