Solheim Cup History: Every Result From 1990 to the 20th Edition
Solheim Cup history began in 1990 at Lake Nona in Florida, where eight Americans beat eight Europeans 11.5 to 4.5 in a match half the size of today’s. Thirty six years later the 20th edition arrives at Bernardus Golf, the first ever staged in the Netherlands.
Below is every result, how the format grew, why the calendar moved twice, and the records that still stand going into the 2026 matches.
Jump to: At a glance | Every result | How it started | Format changes | The moving calendar | The eras | Records and moments | The 20th edition | FAQ
Solheim Cup History at a Glance
- First played: 1990, Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, Orlando, Florida
- Founders: Karsten and Louise Solheim of PING
- Editions played: 19. The 2026 matches are the 20th
- Series record: United States 11 wins, Europe 7, one tie
- Individual matches: 500 played. The United States leads 222 wins to 204, with 74 halved
- Holders: United States, 15.5 to 12.5 in Virginia in 2024
- Modern format: 12 a side, 28 points, 14.5 to win
- Prize money: none. Players are never paid to compete
- 2026 host: Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, 11 to 13 September
Every Solheim Cup Result, 1990 to 2026
| Year | Venue | Country | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Lake Nona | USA | United States | 11.5 to 4.5 |
| 1992 | Dalmahoy | Scotland | Europe | 11.5 to 6.5 |
| 1994 | The Greenbrier | USA | United States | 13 to 7 |
| 1996 | St Pierre | Wales | United States | 17 to 11 |
| 1998 | Muirfield Village | USA | United States | 16 to 12 |
| 2000 | Loch Lomond | Scotland | Europe | 14.5 to 11.5 |
| 2002 | Interlachen | USA | United States | 15.5 to 12.5 |
| 2003 | Barsebäck | Sweden | Europe | 17.5 to 10.5 |
| 2005 | Crooked Stick | USA | United States | 15.5 to 12.5 |
| 2007 | Halmstad | Sweden | United States | 16 to 12 |
| 2009 | Rich Harvest Farms | USA | United States | 16 to 12 |
| 2011 | Killeen Castle | Ireland | Europe | 15 to 13 |
| 2013 | Colorado Golf Club | USA | Europe | 18 to 10 |
| 2015 | St. Leon-Rot | Germany | United States | 14.5 to 13.5 |
| 2017 | Des Moines | USA | United States | 16.5 to 11.5 |
| 2019 | Gleneagles | Scotland | Europe | 14.5 to 13.5 |
| 2021 | Inverness Club | USA | Europe | 15 to 13 |
| 2023 | Finca Cortesín | Spain | Tied, Europe retained | 14 to 14 |
| 2024 | Robert Trent Jones | USA | United States | 15.5 to 12.5 |
| 2026 | Bernardus Golf | Netherlands | 20th edition | 11 to 13 September |
Home teams have won 13 of the 19 editions. No course has hosted twice, so Bernardus becomes the 20th different venue and the eighth different country on the list. Course detail sits on the venues page.
How the Solheim Cup Started
Karsten and Louise Solheim, the Norwegian American couple who founded PING, wanted women’s golf to have its own Ryder Cup. They put their name and their money behind it. The first match went ahead at Lake Nona in 1990 under captains Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Walker, playing for a Waterford Crystal trophy on a mahogany base.
It was not close. The United States won 11.5 to 4.5 from 16 points, and the pattern held. Europe took 1992 at Dalmahoy and lost the other four matches of that decade.
One player links the whole early era. Laura Davies played all of the first 12 editions and still tops every scoring list in Solheim Cup records.
The idea then grew a second tier. The PING Junior Solheim Cup was added in 2002 for amateur girls and is played in the same week. In 2026 it runs on the same course as the senior match for the first time.
How the Format Grew
| Years | Team size | Points available |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8 a side | 16 |
| 1992 | 10 a side | 18 |
| 1994 | 10 a side | 20 |
| 1996 and 1998 | 12 a side | 28 |
| 2000 | 12 a side | 26 |
| 2002 to 2026 | 12 a side | 28 |
The settled modern format is four foursomes and four fourballs on each of the first two days, then 12 singles on Sunday. A team needs 14.5 points to win the cup. The side that already holds it keeps it on 14.
Loch Lomond in 2000 is the one edition that breaks the pattern: eight foursomes, six fourballs and 12 singles for 26 points. It was never used again, and 2002 went back to 28.
Growth also changed the captain’s job. Only eight players start each team session, so four sit out every time. Bench management became a real tactical problem rather than an afterthought.
Why the Calendar Keeps Moving
The Solheim Cup has changed years twice, and the Ryder Cup caused both moves.
- 1990 to 2002: even years, alternating with the Ryder Cup.
- 2003 to 2023: odd years. The 2001 Ryder Cup was postponed by twelve months after the September 11 attacks, which pushed the men’s match into odd years and forced a reshuffle.
- 2024 onwards: back to even years, after the Covid postponement of the 2020 Ryder Cup moved it again.
That is why 2002 and 2003 ran back to back, and why 2023 and 2024 did too. The two shortest gaps in the event’s history share a cause, twenty years apart.
The Eras of Solheim Cup History
- American control, 1990 to 1998. Four wins from five. Europe’s only success was Dalmahoy in 1992.
- Europe at home, 2000 to 2009. Loch Lomond in 2000 and a 17.5 to 10.5 win at Barsebäck in 2003 proved Europe could win, but only on European soil.
- The breakthrough, 2011 to 2013. Killeen Castle, then Colorado Golf Club. Europe’s first win in America, and still the biggest margin the event has seen.
- American answer, 2015 to 2017. One point in Germany, then a comfortable win in Iowa. St. Leon-Rot is still the last United States win away from home.
- Europe’s long run, 2019 to 2023. Gleneagles, Inverness and the tie at Finca Cortesín. Three editions without defeat.
- The reset, 2024. The United States won 15.5 to 12.5 in Virginia. Ten of those 12 Americans had never won a Solheim Cup before.
Records and Moments in Solheim Cup History
| Record | Holder |
|---|---|
| Most points | Laura Davies, 25 for Europe |
| Most appearances and matches | Laura Davies, 12 teams and 46 matches |
| Most points, United States | Cristie Kerr, 21 |
| Longest unbeaten run | Paula Creamer, 10 matches, 2005 to 2009 |
| Biggest winning margin | Europe 18 to 10, Colorado, 2013 |
| Biggest final day comeback | United States from 10 to 6 down, 2015 |
| Holes in one | Two: Anna Nordqvist 2013, Emily Kristine Pedersen 2023 |
| Youngest player | Charley Hull, 17 years 149 days, 2013 |
| Oldest player | Juli Inkster, 51 years 91 days, 2011 |
| Youngest captain | Catrin Nilsmark, 36, in 2003 |
Two results gave the rivalry its edge. Dalmahoy in 1992 proved Europe could win at all. Colorado in 2013 proved Europe could win in America.
Then came 2015. A row over a putt Alison Lee picked up believing it had been conceded left players in tears and handed Europe a 10 to 6 lead. The United States then won eight of the 12 singles and halved a ninth, taking the session 8.5 to 3.5 and the cup by a point. Suzann Pettersen apologised the next day.
The one result nobody had seen before arrived in 2023, when Finca Cortesín finished 14 to 14 and Europe kept the trophy as holders. Every Solheim Cup captain since 1990 is listed here, and the trophy itself has its own story.
What the 20th Edition Adds to Solheim Cup History
Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt is the first Dutch host and the tenth European staging. The United States has won only three of its nine previous visits to Europe, in 1996, 2007 and 2015, and it arrives as holder, so 14 points is enough to keep the cup.
Both captains are already in the record book. Anna Nordqvist, who made the first hole in one in the event’s history, leads Team Europe. Angela Stanford, who beat Pettersen in the 2015 singles, leads Team USA.
After Bernardus the match crosses back to the United States. Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky stages the 21st edition from 8 to 10 September 2028 and will become only the fourth course to host both a Solheim Cup and a Ryder Cup, after The Greenbrier, Muirfield Village and Gleneagles. IMG is the delivery partner for the European editions through to 2038.
Solheim Cup History FAQ
When did the Solheim Cup start?
In 1990, at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida. The United States won 11.5 to 4.5 under captain Kathy Whitworth. Karsten and Louise Solheim, the founders of PING, created it as a women’s answer to the Ryder Cup.
Who has won the most Solheim Cups?
The United States, with 11 wins to Europe’s 7. The 2023 match at Finca Cortesin was tied 14 to 14 and Europe retained the trophy as holders. The 2026 matches at Bernardus Golf are the 20th edition.
How has the Solheim Cup format changed since 1990?
It has almost doubled. The 1990 match had 8 players a side and 16 points. Teams grew to 10 in 1992 and 12 in 1996, and the modern match offers 28 points: four foursomes and four fourballs on each of the first two days, then 12 singles on Sunday.
Why did the Solheim Cup switch from odd to even years?
Both switches followed the Ryder Cup. The 2001 Ryder Cup was postponed a year after the September 11 attacks, pushing it into odd years, so the Solheim Cup moved to odd years from 2003. Covid postponements moved the men’s match again, and the Solheim Cup returned to even years in 2024.
When did Europe first win the Solheim Cup?
In 1992 at Dalmahoy in Scotland, by 11.5 to 6.5. Europe’s first win on American soil came 21 years later at Colorado Golf Club in 2013, an 18 to 10 result that is still the largest margin in the event.
Who has scored the most points in Solheim Cup history?
Laura Davies, with 25 points from 46 matches across the first 12 editions. She passed Annika Sorenstam’s 24 at Killeen Castle in 2011. Cristie Kerr leads the United States with 21 points.
Do Solheim Cup players get prize money?
No. There has never been a purse. Like the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup pays no prize money to either team, so players compete only for the trophy and their side. Teams do receive travel, accommodation and uniforms for the week.
Where is the Solheim Cup after 2026?
Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky hosts the 21st Solheim Cup from 8 to 10 September 2028. It will be the fourth course to stage both a Solheim Cup and a Ryder Cup, joining The Greenbrier, Muirfield Village and Gleneagles.
Solheim Cup History in Short
Solheim Cup history runs from a 16 point match between eight player teams in Florida to a 28 point event that expects around 80,000 spectators on a Dutch heathland course. The United States still leads 11 to 7 with one tie, but Europe has won four of the last eight and drew a fifth, and no longer needs home soil to do it. The 20th edition, at Bernardus Golf from 11 to 13 September 2026, is the next line in the record.
See every venue and result, every captain, the all time records, the trophy itself, the 2026 rosters or the 2026 schedule and tee times.
Last updated: 6 September 2026