2026 Walker Cup primer: Teams, format, how to watch

The Solheim Cup is a women's golf competition held biennially between teams representing the United States and Europe. Each team has 12 players, and the competition spans three days, featuring fourball, foursomes, and singles matches. The better ball and alternate shot formats are used, with matches won by accumulating points per hole rather than total strokes.

The Solheim Cup originated in 1990, initially as the Ryder Cup's women's equivalent, but held in even-numbered years due to the Ryder Cup's schedule. However, after the 2001 Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup switched to odd-numbered years, and the 2023 edition marked a return to even-numbered years following a pandemic-induced schedule shift.

The U.S. team, led by Stacy Lewis, and the European team, led by Suzann Pettersen, have historically been the competitors in the Solheim Cup. The U.S. currently holds a slight edge in the series, with a record of 10-7-1, while Europe has claimed the title in 2019, 2021, and 2023.