Spain was today awarded hosting rights to the 2023 Solheim Cup, the biennial women’s golf team tournament contested by Europe and USA.

It will be the first time that Spain has staged the tournament. 

The 2023 Solheim Cup, the 18th edition, will take place on the championship course at Finca Cortesin, Andalucia in the Costa del Sol region, with the exact tournament dates to be announced at a later date. 

Deporte & Business, the Spanish sports marketing firm, and the Ladies European Tour will be responsible for organising the event. 

PING, the American sports equipment manufacturing company and Rolex, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, both long-time partners of the Solheim Cup, have signed up as sponsors for 2023.

Alexandra Armas, LET chief executive, said: “Spain is a passionate golfing nation with knowledgeable fans and a history of developing generations of talented golfers while Andalucia’s strong cultural heritage will make for a unique experience for players, guests and supporters alike.

“The tournament will not only enhance the country’s reputation as an elite golfing nation but the Costa del Sol as a must-visit destination, which will help to inspire the next generation of children to take up the game.”

England put in a rival bid for the 2023 tournament, however, Britain’s greatest female golfer Dame Laura Davies told reporters last year the LET board favoured Spain’s bid given only three previous Solheim Cups had been staged outside the British Isles.

The decision means Spain, which previously hosted the men’s equivalent tournament Ryder Cup in 1997, becomes only the sixth European country to host the Solheim Cup, following on from Scotland, Germany, Ireland, Wales and Sweden. 

Scotland hosted the last edition in 2019 where Team Europe won, while the 2021 tournament will be held in the US city of Toledo, Ohio on 4 to 6 September. 

In July, the LET announced it would not shift the Solheim Cup’s planned September timeslot next year despite the men’s Ryder Cup rescheduling its tournament to the same month.

The Ryder Cup, usually held biennially on even years, postponed its 2020 tournament by 12 months due to a desire among organisers to have fans at the event, which was not possible this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament will now take place from 24 to 26 September, 2021.

Sportcal