TOLEDO, Ohio — The best women's golfers from the United States and Europe are set to renew their rivalry at the Solheim Cup, which starts Sept. 4 at Inverness Club in Toledo.
The three-day competition is held in odd-numbered years, alternating between sites in the U.S. and Europe. Here is everything you need to know to prepare for the competition and the week's worth of events around the Glass City.
TICKETS
Daily grounds passes for practice rounds are $45, and $75 for competition rounds. A weekly grounds ticket is $175 and grants access for all practice and competition rounds.
The Meijer Pavilion will offer fans a 300-degree view with the ability to see the green at Holes 4, 11 and 14; the tee at 15; and all of Holes 5 and 12. A weekly pass is $385.
The pavilion has open air seating, climate control, upgraded food and beverages and live music Tuesday through Friday. Tickets also include grounds access.
Juniors (17 and younger) can receive a free grounds ticket to a practice round when accompanied by an adult. Junior competition tickets are $20 for a daily ticket and $50 for a weekly pass.
Junior Meijer pavilion tickets are $100.
Click here to purchase tickets.
PARKING
The Stranahan Theater in south Toledo will serve as the general parking area for the tournament. Shuttle buses will transport fans to and from Inverness each day.
Weekly passes are $50 and a daily pass is $10. Daily passes will not be sold online and must be paid in cash on-site.
Weekly passes can be purchased here.
Buses will run all day starting Tuesday with the first day of practice rounds. Stranahan Theater is located at 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd.
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OPENING CEREMONIES
ProMedica is presenting the Opening Ceremonies Fan Fest Sept. 3 and 4 with an all-day slate of events in downtown Toledo. Musical acts will take the stage at Promenade Park.
Day 1
2 p.m.: Gates open with local bands and activities in the general admission stages
5 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies will commence on the main stage and be livestreamed throughout the event footprint
6 p.m.: More local bands and activities in the general admission stages
8:30 p.m.: Main stage, Gwen Stefani performs and the show will be livestreamed throughout the event footprint
10 p.m.: Fireworks display
Day 2
5 p.m.: Gates open
5 p.m.: Enjoy Toledo’s favorite food trucks and specialty bars, exclusive to the Solheim Fan Fest experience
6:15 p.m.: Promenade Park stage, singer-songwriter Eric Sowers
8:30 p.m.: Promenade Park stage, Chris Young performs
To purchase tickets and find more information about the concerts, click here.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT
Each team consists of 12 players with a portion automatically qualifying in one of two ways:
- Team USA: The top seven players on the Solheim Cup points list at the end of the qualifying period, based on points accumulated from all rankings events during the period.
- The top two players on the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of the qualifying period who are not already qualified under the above criteria.
- Team Europe: The top two players on the Ladies European Tour points list
- The top four ranked players from the World Golf Rankings who are not already qualified under the above criteria.
The captain of each team will select players to round out their rosters. This year's captains are Pat Hurst (U.S.) and Catriona Matthew (Europe). Hurst will make three selections and Matthew will make six.
The AIG Women's Open, Aug. 19-22, is the final tournament in this year's qualifying period, and the automatic qualifiers will be known at the conclusion. The current points standings can be found below:
The tournament will be played Sept. 4-6 in match play format. There are 28 total points on the line and the team with the most points wins.
In the event of a tie, the defending champion - Europe in this case - wins the Cup.
The first two days will feature eight teams of two golfers facing each other. Each match is worth one point. If a match is tied after 18 holes, each team receives one-half point.
All players will be placed into a one-on-one match on the third and final day, again with each match worth one point and ties resulting in half-points.
The competition format:
Day 1 - four foursome matches, four fourball matches
Day 2 - four foursome matches, four fourball matches
Day 3 - 12 singles matches
In foursome matches, also known as alternate shot, teams use one ball per hole with teammates alternating shots until the hole is completed.
In fourball, also known as best ball, all golfers play their own ball and the best score between them is used for that hole.
The U.S. leads the all-time series 10 to 6. Europe won in 2019 with a score of 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.