The 2024 Solheim Cup, held from 13–15 September at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, provided exciting contests between the world’s best female golfers from the US and Europe. This year, Team USA was chasing to end the 7-year wait, as Europe had held on in the last three tournaments. It went along the standard lines: three days of foursomes, fourballs and singles.
As a campaigning message ahead of the race, Team USA made the phrase “unfinished business” the focus to be in contention to regain the title. Central characters such as Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda both told this story of wanting to win the championship after a series of close games in years past. Team Europe — captained by captain Suzann Pettersen — were defending champions, confident but suspicious of the American revival.
The competition was very close for two days. In the first session, Team USA got a leg up, but Europe regrouped in the fourballs. By Sunday, it was down to the singles matches to determine who would win, and both parties were in full flow. It would end up a 1512-1212 victory for the US, which had not won the Solheim Cup since 2017 and it came at a key moment when world number two Lilia Vu won the first set via a birdie.
And while this year’s tournament highlighted how the two continents competed ferociously, it also revealed the growing popularity of women’s golf.
