How does the Solheim Cup work? Team event’s format explored

The 18th edition of the Solheim Cup will be held at the Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain. The prestigious women's biennial event will see Team United States take on the defending champion Team European from September 22 onwards.

Unlike other LET or LPGA stroke-play tournaments, the biennial tournament is a match-play event. In the foursome, four-ball, and single matches, each hole will be head-to-head and will award points per hole as halves, won or lost.

Both teams will have 12 players each and the matches will take place over the course of three days and will have a total of 28 points at stakes to earn. One point is rewarded for a win, while half a point will be rewarded for a tie, and no points in case of a loss.

Both captains will select 8 out of their 12 players on days one and two. The selected ones will play in pairs in the morning foursome matches and afternoon fourball matches.

In the Solheim Cup match-play, any of the three events will see players take on each other in each hole one by one. Whoever takes the least strokes to a hole will go "1 Up" (the numeral depends on the margin of strokes). However, it is pertinent to note that the matches don't often complete all 18 holes.

At the end of the tournament, the team with the most aggregate points will be deemed as winner and will have the trophy in their cabinet until the next edition of the tournament.

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Understanding different match formats and playing rules at the Solheim Cup

As mentioned earlier, there will be three types of matches at the upcoming biennial event — the foursome, the fourballs, and the singles.

In the foursome events, which will happen on the mornings of days one and two, the matches will be in an alternate shot format. The teams will field a pair of two players who will take turns on each hole.

To explain better, if the European team (say Player 1 and Player 2) fields two players each, then Player 1 will take the tee shot and Player 2 will take the next shot from where the ball has landed. While the first player will hit the odd-numbered shots, the second player will hit even-numbered shots.

The match will continue until the teams have completed all the holes. Whichever team takes the least number to hole in the ball will win.

In the Fourball matches, which will happen in the afternoons of days one and two, teams consisting of two players each will have separate balls with them, i.e. four balls. The best score from any player from the teams will be counted and whoever has the lowest score will win.

Finally, the singles matches, which will happen on day three, will see players take on each other one-on-one. The players are decided by a random draw through the names submitted by the captains of each team.

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Points needed to win the Solheim Cup

Both teams need to fight for more than 14 points to win the tournament outright. However, for the European team, they need just 14 points to defend their title.

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Day 1 and 2 format of the Solheim Cup

The first and second days of the biennial event will see eight matches and offer eight points on each day.

In the morning, there will be four foursome matches which will be followed by four fourballs matches.

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Day 3 format of Solheim Cup

The third and final day of the biennial event will have 12 singles matches. The captains will submit the order of the 12 players (anonymously) a day prior.