Although the Solheim Cup matches between Team USA and Team Europe are months away, it’s guaranteed that the term “Rolex Rankings” and “Solheim Cup” will be mentioned in every women’s golf Tour event until the matches begin on August 18th in Des Moines, Iowa. The teams will not be finalized until August 6th, but each Team Captain wants players who are playing well now!
What you need to know to follow all the news [and impress your friends with your Solheim Cup expertise.]
Solheim Cup
Team Europe and Team USA each have 12 players. The Captain of Team Europe is Annika Sorenstam and the Captain of Team USA is Juli Inkster. The Teams play twosomes and singles matches against each other – all match play – over three days (August 18-20).
Members of Team USA must be born or naturalized citizens of the United States and be a member of the LPGA Tour.
Members of Team Europe must be born or naturalized citizens of a European country, United Kingdom country (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) or Ireland and be a member of the Ladies European Tour (the LET). Team USA won the 2015 Solheim Cup; so, Team USA should be expecting tough competition.
How the Teams are Selected
Each team uses three criteria for their team selection: (1) “Solheim Points Ranking” based on performances on their respective LPGA and LET Tours, (2) Rolex Rankings and (3) Captain’s Picks. But there are differences, and there will be discussions about the impact of those differences. Some observers give Team Europe the advantage with four Captain’s Picks.
Team Europe selects four players based on Rolex Rankings who have not otherwise qualified as the top four players based on the LET Solheim Points Rankings and four “Captain’s Picks.”
In contrast, Team USA selects two players based on Rolex Rankings who have not otherwise qualified as the top eight players based on the LPGA Solheim Points Rankings and only two “Captain’s Picks.”
The Rolex World Rankings differentially weight performances from nine different global tours over a two-year period ending August 6, 2017 – the conclusion of the Ricoh Women’s British Open in Scotland. The more recent tournaments have a greater mathematical weight and impact on a player’s Rolex Ranking. For more about the Rolex Rankings see their Frequently Asked Questions page. To follow the rankings of players from a particular country, see rolexrankings.com/en/rankings and click on the country to see the rankings of the players from that country.
The Heat is On!
Players will play more competitively now than ever because there are more LPGA and LET Solheim Cup Points and Rolex Ranking points at stake. A player who plays well can move up quickly in the rankings as the August deadline approaches.
Follow both Team USA and Team Europe on www.solheimcup.com.
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Watch for more articles on www.womensgolf.com as the Solheim Cup get closer. I love these team events that require outstanding match play skills. Check out these womensgolf.com articles about the 2015 Solheim Cup matches including my profile of the wonderful Louise Solheim.
I will be on site at the 2017 Solheim Cup matches in Des Moines, Iowa reporting for womensgolf.com. The Solheim Cup is clearly my favorite golf event!
