«
Staging The Solheim Cup in
Ireland also completes a

Grand Slam for Irish golf,
which has staged all of the world’s
great team competitions
»
Left: The USA’s Michelle Wie at the 2009
Solheim Cup
Below lower: The crowds enjoying the
scene at last year’s tournament in Rich
Harvest Farms in Illinois.
all the highs of a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride that has left players the 11 previous editions of The Solheim Cup, experienced the joy and
and spectators alike in an exhilarated state. heartbreak of competing in this rather special match. Europeans like
For the Irish, the task is to make the 2011 match at Killeen Castle – a Laura Davies and Annika Sorenstam have pitted their skills and minds
course designed by legendary American Jack Nicklaus on the ancestral against Meg Mallon, Beth Daniel and others and, now, a new
home of the Earls of Fingal, set amidst 600 acres of woodland – one generation will get to savour such emotions on the course that Jack
that will be remembered and recalled for years to come. built in the rich Irish countryside.
With blue chip global partners in the shape of AIB, PING and Although a baby in golfing terms, given that the course only opened
ROLEX, The Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle is sure to be a quality event. for play in 2009, Killeen Castle – and the resort that has been
As Alexandra Armas, Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour, developed around the golf course – has impacted quickly and hugely.
puts it, “we anticipate that the Irish public will contribute to taking The Nicklaus described his design at Killeen Castle as a vocation, and the
Solheim Cup to a higher level.” result is a stunning parkland course that will ask many and varied
Ah, it promises to be some homecoming for sure. The Solheim Cup questions of those women who succeed in making the Europe and
is a tournament which has captured the hearts and minds of golf’s top United States teams for the shindig in September 2011.
women professionals. From those first, fledgling steps in 1990, The September is an important month in the Irish sporting calendar.
Solheim Cup has grown into a special event. Meg Mallon, one of golf’s Traditionally, the All-Ireland football and hurling finals are played on the
greats, offers this description of what it means to the players. “It’s a first and third Sundays respectively each year . . . . and, now, The
wonderful experience. We play individual golf our entire lives, and then Solheim Cup in 2011 will become not just another exciting part of the
you get something like this every two years. We get the team experience, Irish sporting calendar in that month, but also one of the most
and you can’t describe it until you go through it.” prestigious international sporting events of the year. Mark it in your
The game’s top players from Europe and the United States have, in diary! The Solheim Cup is coming home.

PG30-31 solheim cup.indd 31 12/14/09 6:52:21 PM
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