The 2013 Solheim Cup was the 13th edition of the Solheim Cup matches, held on August 16–18 at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado, southeast of Denver. The Solheim Cup is a biennial team competition between the top women professional golfers from the United States and from Europe. Similar to the Ryder Cup, it is a three-day match play event between teams of twelve players. Europe won the matches by a score of 18–10.
The U.S. team had won eight of the twelve previous Solheim Cups. Europe was the defending champion, having won in 2011 in Ireland, but had never won in the United States. The matches included a series of firsts for Team Europe: They retained the Cup for the first time since the competition began in 1990. This was the largest margin of victory for either team. They won in the United States for the first time ever. Sweden's Anna Nordqvist became the first player in Solheim Cup history, on either team, to make a hole-in-one. Sweden's Caroline Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history, on either team, to win five matches in a single competition.
Europe maintained a lead after each of the five sessions and dominated the last two sessions: Saturday afternoon fourball and Sunday singles by 11 to 4 points to retain the Cup and win in the United States for the first time.
Format The Solheim Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point. The format is as follows: Day 1 (Friday): Four foursome (alternate shot) matches in a morning session and four fourball (better ball) matches in an afternoon session. A total of eight players from each team participate. Day 2 (Saturday): Four foursome matches in a morning session and four fourball matches in an afternoon session. A total of eight players from each team participate. Day 3 (Sunday): 12 singles matches. All 12 players from each team participate.
With a total of 28 points, 14 points are required to win the Cup, and 14 points are required for the defending champion to retain the Cup. All matches are played to a maximum of 18 holes. If the score is even after 18 holes, each team earns one-half point.
Team qualification and selection
Eligibility criteria The United States and European teams have different eligibility criteria:
Team USA Members of the United States team had to be current members of the LPGA Tour and be born in the United States. This was the last Solheim Cup held under these rules; beginning with the 2015 edition, eligibility was expanded to include the following categories of LPGA Tour members: U.S. citizens by birth, regardless of their birthplace. Those who were naturalized as U.S. citizens before age 18. Those who became U.S. citizens by adoption before age 13.
Team Europe Members of the European team must: be current members of the Ladies European Tour in any category or membership; have played in six Ranking Events during the Qualifying Period as a member of the LET, unless selected as a Captain's pick (provided she is otherwise eligible); must be a "European national", defined by Solheim Cup rules as someone:
Either: (i) born in a European country; and (ii) holding a current passport of that European country; Or: (i) having been naturalised as a citizen of a European country; (ii) having held a current passport of that European country for the immediately preceding four (4) consecutive years; (iii) having resided in that European country for the immediately preceding four (4) consecutive years.
A European country is a nation situated in the continent of Europe and is recognised as an independent state by the United Nations.
Any player who holds dual nationality (of which one shall be the nationality of a European country) shall elect on joining the LET in each of 2012 and 2013 whether she wishes to be eligible for selection for the 2013 European Solheim Cup Team.
Team selection The United States and European teams were selected by different methods.
Team USA Team USA qualified by earning points for wins and for top-20 finishes on the LPGA Tour over a two-year period. Points were earned beginning with the 2011 LPGA Hana Bank Championship and concluding with the 2013 Women's British Open. Points were increased in 2013 and doubled in the four major championships. The eight players with the highest points were automatically selected for Team USA. Two additional players qualified based on their position in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings and two were selected as wildcards by the team captain from among all eligible players.
Team Europe Team Europe consisted of the top four players from the LET Solheim Cup standings, followed by the top four LET members on the Women's World Golf Rankings as of the conclusions 2013 Women's British Open who were not already qualified via the Solheim Cup standings, and four captain's selections. Qualifying points for Team Europe were awarded weekly to the top-10 finishers at official LET events.
Teams Meg Mallon was the captain of Team USA. She appointed Dottie Pepper and Laura Diaz as assistant captains. Team USANameAge1USA pointsrankPointsRolexrankingSolheimexperienceMeg MallonNon-playing captain501992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009-assistant captainLaura DiazNon-playing assistant captain382002, 2003, 2005, 2007Dottie PepperNon-playing assistant captain471990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000Stacy Lewis281977.022011Paula Creamer272559.5112005, 2007, 2009, 2011Cristie Kerr353502.5122002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011Angela Stanford354421.5162003, 2007, 2009, 2011Brittany Lincicome275269.0382007, 2009, 2011Lexi Thompson186261.026RookieJessica Korda207247.528RookieBrittany Lang278241.0332009, 2011Lizette Salas249222.019RookieMorgan Pressel2510218.5412007, 2009, 2011Gerina PillerCaptain's pick2812174.057RookieMichelle WieCaptain's pick2313160.5822009, 2011 1Age at the start of the 2013 Solheim Cup matches on August 16, 2013 (Pepper turned 48 during the matches). Rolex rankings as of the date of team selection on August 4, 2013.
Liselotte Neumann was the captain of Team Europe. She appointed Carin Koch and Annika Sörenstam as assistant captains. Sörenstam previously served as one of two assistant captains in the 2011 Solheim Cup.
Team EuropeNameAge1CountryLET pointsrankPointsRolexrankingSolheimexperienceLiselotte NeumannNon-playing captain471990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000Carin KochNon-playing assistant captain422000, 2002, 2003, 2005Annika SörenstamNon-playing assistant captain421994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011-assistant captainSuzann Pettersen321197.0032002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011Catriona Matthew432150.7581998, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011Carlota Ciganda233138.0630RookieCaroline Masson244125.5058RookieBeatriz Recari262539.0020RookieAnna Nordqvist26793.24222009, 2011Karine Icher34608.90242002Azahara Muñoz254715.50272011Caroline HedwallCaptain's pick24693.24292011Jodi Ewart ShadoffCaptain's pick251356.6645RookieGiulia SergasCaptain's pick33889.3862RookieCharley HullCaptain's pick171174.09147Rookie 1Age at the start of the 2013 Solheim Cup matches on August 16, 2013. Rolex rankings as of the date of team selection on August 4, 2013.
Course
Opened in 2007, the championship course of the Colorado Golf Club previously hosted the Senior PGA Championship in 2010, won by Tom Lehman. From the back tees, the course length exceeds ; its average elevation is over above sea level.
Day one Friday, August 16, 2013
Morning foursomes Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall went 1 up in their match against Stacy Lewis and Lizette Salas on the 6th hole. They would retain this lead and won the first point for Europe by a 4&2 margin. Match 2 was a much tighter affair in which Suzann Pettersen and Beatriz Recari claimed a 2&1 victory over the Texan pairing of Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford. Morgan Pressel and Jessica Korda dominated their match against Catriona Matthew and Jodi Ewart Shadoff and secured the United States' first point with a 3&2 victory. Azahara Muñoz and Karine Icher were never behind in their match against Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer and won their match by a 2&1 margin.
Results Nordqvist/Hedwall 4 & 2Lewis/SalasPettersen/Recari 2 & 1Lang/StanfordMatthew/Ewart Shadoff 3 & 2Pressel/KordaMuñoz/Icher 2 & 1Kerr/Creamer 3 Session 1 3 Overall 1
Afternoon fourball Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson were never behind in their match against Angela Stanford and Gerina Piller and won by 2&1. Though behind early on, Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Lang went 1 up on the 9th hole and retained that lead to win their match against Anna Nordqvist and Giulia Sergas by 4&3. Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie dominated their match against Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull and won by a 2&1 margin.
The top match between Suzann Pettersen and Carlota Ciganda and Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson was the closest and contained a lot of controversy. While all-square on the 15th hole Ciganda hit into a water hazard but rather than put the ball back two club lengths from the hazard she was allowed to go back 40 yards due to an incorrect ruling. The controversy delayed the match for nearly 30 minutes. Ciganda hit her approach to the green and holed a 15-foot par putt. On the 16th Europe would go 1 up and would retain that lead to win the match.
Results Pettersen/Ciganda 1 upLewis/ThompsonHedwall/Masson 2 & 1Stanford/PillerNordqvist/Sergas 4 & 3Lincicome/LangMatthew/Hull 2 & 1Kerr/Wie 2 Session 2 5 Overall 3
Day two Saturday, August 17, 2013
Morning foursomes Anna Nordqvist holed her tee shot at the 187 yard, par 3, 17th hole to win the first match of the day. It was the first hole-in-one in Solheim Cup history. At one point Stacy Lewis and Paula Cremer were 4 up against Azahara Muñoz and Karine Icher through 10 holes before the Europeans made the match all-square on the 14th. The match was again all-square on the 18th which was won by the United States to ensure a 1-hole victory. Brittany Lincicome and Lizette Salas were 2 up with two holes to play and lost them both to Catriona Matthew and Caroline Masson, resulting in a halved match. Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang fought back against Suzann Pettersen and Beatriz Recari to go 1 up on the 12th hole. They would close out the match by a 2&1 margin. This was the only session that the United States would win.
Results Nordqvist/Hedwall 2 & 1Pressel/KordaMuñoz/Icher 1 upLewis/CreamerMatthew/MassonhalvedLincicome/SalasPettersen/Recari 2 & 1Wie/Lang 1 Session 2 6 Overall 5
Afternoon fourball There was further controversy on Friday's fourballs matches. With the match all-square through 6 holes against Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Charley Hull, Paula Creamer faced a bogey putt on the 7th hole, which had the same line as her partner Lexi Thompson's putt for par. When drawing back one her putter, one of the European caddies conceded the putt. It transpired that assistant captain Annika Sörenstam had advised him to do so. This resulted in a 30-minute delay to assess if there should be a penalty but none was given and Thompson holed out for par. The English pairing would regain a 1 shot lead on the 17th and finish 2 up on the 18th.