Off the First Tee: The Evolution of the Solheim Cup

Now, listen, I know you love your golf-

Yes

... and, and you've covered plenty of Ryder Cups.

Yes.

The Solheim Cup has a fascinating-

Yes

... history, doesn't it?

And, and I was just thinking about this.

Just, I was just thinking about the timeline here, because the Ryder Cup wa- was nothing until the 1980s.

So at the end of the '70s, the Americans were, were fed up.

It was an exhibition because it was obvious...

It was then Britain and Ireland, and they went, "Listen, you're gonna have to get Europe in to make this competitive." And if you have a look at the timeline of the 1980s, this is completely in keeping with the, with the Solheim Cup.

1985 in the Ryder Cup, very famous win at the Belfry.

First win in, in ages.

And then 1987, Muirfield Village, they win away, which is a Jack Nicklaus designed course.

That's a massive event.

Absolutely huge.

And you then get into a real, a, a real dog battle in terms of the Ryder Cup of who wins, of, of Europe winning sometimes in, in, in America.

They won in '87, I think they won in '95 again.

Um, and, and a, you know, a certain amount of controversy as well.

I went to the one in '99 at Brookline where the American women ran all over the green, all over, uh, José María Olazábal's putt.

Mm.

Uh, the Belfry and, you know, the, the, the, the, the, uh, obviously 1999, 1991, the War on the Shore.

My point being the Ryder Cup is getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.

So it's not surprising in the 1980s that leading women golfers of Europe and of America go, "Well, hang on a second." Because everybody loves the Ryder Cup and everybody understands match play.