The 2024 Solheim Cup tees off on Friday, with US golf stars looking to topple three-time defending champs Europe in the team tournament's 19th iteration.
Alternating between European and US host courses each edition, teams compete in three days of match play, collecting one point for every win and a half-point for every tie. The US needs a total of 14.5 points to take this year's Cup outright, while Europe needs just 14 to retain it.
Team USA spans 12 of the sport's top-ranked and most decorated athletes, including Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Ally Ewing, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and the soon-to-retire Lexi Thompson.
US golfers on a mission to reclaim Solheim Cup dominance
Team Europe has held the Cup since 2019, but the margins have been razor thin. The 2023 event actually ended in a 14-14 tie, but as reigning champions, Europe retained the title in what the team considers their eighth victory over the US.
While the US holds the advantage over Europe in overall Solheim Cup wins, they haven't raised the trophy in seven years. And unlike other competitions with continuously swelling prize purses, only international bragging rights are on the line here.
Neither team has ever won four consecutive titles, and the US will aim to keep Europe from claiming that historic victory on home soil in Gainesville, Virginia, this weekend.
Star US golfer Nelly Korda sees Solheim Cup as "unfinished business"
All eyes are now on Team USA's Korda, who's coming off a banner 2024 after winning six different LPGA Tour events, including her second major.
"Whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it," the world No. 1 golfer told the BBC earlier this week. "You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates, and your country, and there's just nothing like it. We have got some unfinished business."
How to watch the 2024 Solheim Cup women's golf tournament
The Solheim Cup starts Friday, September 13th, at 7:05 AM, with live coverage across NBC, the Golf Channel, and Peacock.
Amy Yang won her first LPGA tour event on Sunday, taking home the title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
At 34 years old, Yang is the oldest major winner in the LPGA since 2018 when Angela Stanford won the Evian Championship at age 40.
"At one point I thought, 'Will I ever win a major championship before I retire?'" Yang said after securing the victory. "And I finally did it and it's just amazing. Golf is really just like a fight against myself. I think I proved myself that I can compete and I can do this."
The South Korea national ended the tournament with an even-par 72 to finish at seven-under 281. At one point, she was at 10 under and held a seven-shot lead that no challenger was able to overcome.
It was also Yang’s 75th major start, the most before a player’s first major win since Stanford won hers in her 76th major start.
"It's been incredible all this week — everyone was rooting for me," Yang said. "I want to go sign some autographs for them."
LPGA tour standouts Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson missed the cut at the US Women’s Open this past weekend as World No. 6 golfer Yuka Saso picked up her second title at the major.
After posting a first-round 80 — which included a 10 on a par-3 — Korda followed it up with a 70 on the second day. The back-to-back disappointments ended the chances for the World No. 1, who had been an overwhelming favorite going into the tournament.
"I knew it was going to be a tough day," Korda told reporters afterwards. "Try to give it my all, you know that’s what I try to do with every round. I had nothing to lose, and that was my mentality — just kind of go for it."
World No. 1 Nelly Korda missed the cut at the US Women’s Open Friday, on a day when Lexi Thompson made her final appearance in the competition after also failing to make it to the weekend.https://t.co/U2lCuas7Bk
— CNN Sports (@cnnsport) June 1, 2024
Joining Korda in missing the cut was longtime US front-runner Lexi Thompson. Thompson was competing in her 18th consecutive US Women’s Open, announcing beforehand that this would be her final season competing professionally.
"Minus the golf, it was amazing," Thompson said of her recent US Women's Open performance. "It wasn’t the golf that I wanted to play, obviously… to see all the fans out there, just to hear their chants, made me smile, every single shot even though I kept on bogeying."
"It’s meant the world to me," she added. "I’m so blessed and grateful for the family that I have… Going into the week I knew it was going to be a big week. To have my family and friends and the amount of fans that were out there this week, that’s what we want."
Fellow American Rose Zhang, ranked No. 6 in the world, was another big name on the cut list.
For Saso, however, the week was a banner one. At just 22 years old, the Philippine-born Japan national is a two-time major champion, winning both titles at the US Women’s Open. She’s the youngest two-time champion in the event's history.
"I definitely had a little doubt if I can win again," she told reporters following the victory. "It just makes it special because after a long wait — I wasn't expecting to win the US Women's Open. Every time, last time, too, I wasn't expecting it, and this time, too, I wasn't expecting it."
World No. 1 Nelly Korda got off to a career-worst start at the US Women’s Open on Thursday, shooting a 10-over 80.
A mere three holes into the tournament, the LPGA star carded a 10 on a par-3, watching as her ball rolled into the water three consecutive times.
"Making a 10 on a par-3 will definitely not do you any good at a US Open," Korda told reporters afterwards. "Just a bad day in the office."
With 15 holes to go, Korda said her hope was to keep her score below 80. Instead, she finished with three birdies and six bogeys on the remaining holes. The round marked her second-straight round of 80 in the US Women’s Open after she shot 80 in the final round at Pebble Beach last summer.
Korda finished the day 12 shots out of the lead, despite entering the tournament as a favorite. She’s won six of her last seven tournaments, including an LPGA record-tying five wins in a row.
"I just didn't really want to shoot 80," Korda said. "And I just kept making bogeys. My last two rounds in the US Women’s Open have not been good."
And the oft unbeatable Korda had no answers on Thursday. With a projected cut line of +4, she has a lot of ground to make up on Friday should she want to advance to the weekend.
"I’m human. I’m going to have bad days. I played some really solid golf up to this point," she added. "Today was just a bad day. That’s all I can say."
Pro golfer Lexi Thompson is retiring, she announced on Tuesday. This will be her final season on the LPGA Tour.
The 29-year-old has been playing professionally for the past 15 years. The two-time Olympian and six-time Solheim Cup competitor said that she’d been contemplating retirement for a few months, coming to the conclusion that it was time to step away.
"While it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time," Thompson posted to Instagram. "At the end of 2024, I will be stepping away from a full professional golf schedule. I'm excited to enjoy the remainder of the year as there are still goals I want to accomplish.
"I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my life. Time with family, friends, and my trusted companion Leo. I will always look for ways to contribute to the sport and inspire the next generation of golfers. And of course, I look forward to a little time for myself."
Thompson is set to play at the US Women’s Open in Pennsylvania starting Thursday. Speaking from Lancaster Country Club, Thompson told reporters that she’s currently taking it "day by day."
"I'm not going to say yes or no on how many events I'll play or if I do," she said. "I'm just going to take it day by day and see how I feel, especially going into next year, but I'm very content with this being my last full-time schedule year."
Thompson also cited mental health as a factor in her decision to retire.
"I think we all have our struggles, especially out here," she said. "Unfortunately in golf you lose more than you win, so it's an ongoing battle to continue to put yourself out there in front of the cameras and continuing to work hard and maybe not seeing the results you want and getting criticized for it. So it's hard.
"I will say, yes, I've struggled with it — I don't think there's somebody out here that hasn't. It's just a matter of how well you hide it, which is very sad."
This will be Thompson’s 18th-straight year participating in US Women’s Open. At just 12 years old, she was the youngest golfer to qualify for the 2007 tournament, later making her first cut at the major in 2009 at 14.
Thompson turned pro in 2010 and went on to win 11 LPGA tournaments, capturing her first title in 2011 at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
The retirement came as a surprise to many, including decorated LPGA standout Nelly Korda.
"She's had such an amazing career," Korda said Tuesday. "I've gotten to be on the team with her a couple times representing our country. I think she does an amazing job for the Tour. She spends so much time going to each pro-am party. She really dedicated her time to growing the game.
"It's sad to see that she's obviously leaving and not going to be out here with us anymore, but she's had an amazing career, and I wish her the best in this new chapter of her life."
Nelly Korda continued her unprecedented LPGA run on Sunday, winning her sixth tournament in the last seven starts.
The 25-year-old Florida native took home the title at the Mizuho Americas Open, becoming the first LPGA player to record six wins in a single season since 2013 — and that’s with three majors and a little over half the season left to play.
"Oh, my gosh, six," Korda said after the win. "I can't even really gather myself right now with that, the head-to-head that Hannah and I had pretty much all day. Wasn't my best stuff out there today, but fought really hard on the back nine."
Korda is just the fourth player on tour to win six times before June 1st, joining LPGA Hall of Famers Babe Zaharias (1951), Louise Suggs (1953), and Lorena Ochoa (2008).
Should her victory run continue, Korda could break the current record for single-season wins, currently set at 13 by Mickey Wright in 1963.
Korda ended Sunday's tournament one shot ahead of Hannah Green, finishing the 18th with a par putt to win it all.
"I mean, to lose to Nelly kind of like is — it's sad, but then it's also Nelly Korda," Green said of her second-place finish. "You know, like she's obviously so dominant right now. To feel like second behind her is quite nice. Unfortunately the bogey on the last has a little bit of a sour taste."
Next up is the US Women’s Open, a tournament that Korda has yet to win in her career.
"Obviously it's on the top of my priority list," she said. "I just know there is never any good when you put more pressure on yourself. Just going to stay in my bubble that week and take it a shot at a time."
Earlier this year, Korda became the fastest player to collect $2 million in prize money over a single season. This latest win earned her an additional $450,000, bringing her season total up to $2,943,708.
The U.S. Women’s Open already has the largest purse in women’s golf, and it just got bigger.
Under a new partnership with Ally Financial, the U.S. Women’s Open will now dole out $12 million in prize money, up from $10 million in 2022 and 2023. Ally is now the presenting sponsor of the U.S. Women’s Open, and the official retail banking partner of the USGA and both the men’s and women’s Opens.
“Partnering with Ally allows us to not only continue elevating the U.S. Women’s Open, but to also further our commitment to the future of the game via our U.S. National Development Program,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said.
It becomes another title sponsorship for Ally, with the bank also sponsoring a PGA Tour Champions event at Warwick Hills in Michigan.
Additionally, Ally signed Lilia Vu to its team of athletes on a sponsorship deal. Vu won two major championships last year and ended as LPGA Player of the Year.
“I’m proud to be partnering with Ally as they align with the USGA and continue their mission to change the game for women’s sports and elevate the U.S. Women’s Open,” Vu said. “Their commitment to advancing equity in women’s sports is unprecedented, and I look forward to working with their team and my fellow brand ambassadors to create change while encouraging others to do the same.”
In a statement, Stephanie Marciano, who is the head of sports marketing at Ally, cited golf’s “meteoric rise” and diverse fanbase as among the reasons for the partnership.
It also helps Ally reach its goal of achieving parity in sponsorships between women’s and men’s sports.
The championship is coming off of a massive year at its Pebble Beach tournament, with the U.S. Women’s Open boasting its highest attendance since 2015, highest broadcast viewership since 2014 and setting the record for the most-streamed women’s golf event in NBC Sports history.
“The USGA is best-in-class and presented us a powerful opportunity to positively impact both the women’s and men’s game, as well as engage a new group of sports fans across the country,” Marciano said. “We couldn’t be more excited to team up and deliver on that promise together.”
A tennis player once again topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid female athletes, with Iga Swiatek taking over the top spot.
She becomes just the fourth athlete to top the list after Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova. Both Williams and Osaka had maintained a hold on the list in recent years, with Osaka taking the top spot in 2022. But Williams has retired and Osaka sat out the 2023 season to have her first child, leaving the top spot for Swiatek.
The 22-year-old Polish tennis player brought in an estimated $23.9 million in 2023, which included $9.9 million in on-court earnings after winning the women’s singles title at the French Open. She also added four new endorsement deals.
Twelve of the 20 highest-paid women athletes play tennis, as well as nine of the top 10. Eileen Gu, who came in second on the list, is the only non-tennis player to feature inside the top 10. She made $22.1 million in 2023, with the majority of her earnings coming from endorsements.
Coco Gauff, who won the 2023 US Open, placed third on the list with an estimated $21.7 million in earnings.
Even despite her break, Osaka still sits at fifth on the list having brought in $15 million in endorsements. She’s set to make her return to competitive tennis in the new year, which will include an appearance at the Australian Open.
Combined, the top 20 earners made roughly $226 million in 2023. It’s a drop from the $258 million made in 2022, but the retirement of Williams, who made $41.3 million last year, played a large part in the decrease. Still, the median for the top 20 earners increased from last year to $8.5 million (up from $7.3 million), and eight athletes surpassed $10 million. That number matches last year’s total – which set a record – and is double the number from 2021.
Other athletes inside the top 20 include golfer Nelly Korda, U.S. women’s national soccer players Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, gymnast Simone Biles and WNBA star Candace Parker.
The 2023 edition of the LPGA Tour Championship just teed off, but the season-ending tournament already is making waves into 2024.
Next year’s first-place winner will receive a record $4 million, up from $2 million. The total purse will increase from $11 million, up from $7 million and tied with the U.S. Open as the largest purses in tour history.
On Wednesday, CME Group announced a two-year extension of their partnership with the LPGA, which included the increased purse size. In addition to $4 million for the winner, $1 million will go to the runner-up.
CME Group has sponsored the final major of the season since 2011. And the extension of the partnership signifies the “growth and strength of the LPGA,” according to LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan.
“CME Group has been pushing the LPGA forward at every step of our evolution since 2011, and with this extension they are once again helping take the LPGA, women’s golf and women’s sports to unprecedented heights,” she said in a statement.
Those looking to follow this year’s tournament can watch it on Peacock from Thursday through Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. ET. NBC and Peacock will present the final round beginning at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
Alex Morgan is getting into golf.
The U.S. women’s national team and San Diego Wave star announced Friday that she is joining The Golf League as an investor in the Los Angeles team, alongside retired LPGA great Michelle Wie West, tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.
“It’s official, my husband and I are married to the game,” she wrote on social media. “I’m thrilled to announce my involvement as an investor with @WeAreLAGC, the inaugural team of @TGL!”
It’s official, my husband and I are married to the game😎
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) September 29, 2023
I’m thrilled to announce our involvement as investors with @WeAreLAGC , the inaugural team of @TGL! pic.twitter.com/fw8Bfa5tTs
TGL is a new league set to begin play in January 2024, founded by golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Some of the top players in the world will compete in three-on-three team competitions using golf simulator technology.
Initially, four teams were announced: Boston, New York, Atlanta and LA. Two more are expected to join the league, which has partnered with the PGA Tour.
“We’re providing a form of the game that looks more like other sports,” Mike McCarley — CEO of Tmrw Sports, the company behind TGL — told Fast Company. “This is going to be an NBA courtside experience, whether you’re there in person or watching on television.”
It’s unknown if or when pros from the LPGA will become involved in the new league. But other investors in the league, including Serena Williams’ husband and fellow TGL investor Alexis Ohanian, are committed to making that happen.
“My first question was, when can we get the LPGA involved? And it’s not just because my daughter is into golf,” Ohanian said. “It would be nice to help elevate the women’s game.”
Ohanian first connected with Morgan when he started tuning into the NWSL, and he later joined Angel City FC as an investor. Now, he’s helped the soccer star become part of TGL.
“Golf has become a family hobby,” Morgan told Fast Company. “So, [investing in LAGC] was a no brainer. It’s something I wanted to be a part of.”
From there, Morgan reached out to Wie West, who was on board almost immediately.
“It’s great to have the same mission: democratizing the dream, breaking down the stigmas of golf, and really showcasing how fun it is,” Wie West said. “We really want to use TGL, to use technology, to help bring this sport to people and communities that would have not otherwise been exposed to it.”
She’s also committed to bringing women golfers into the sport.
“I’ve had many conversations with LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie [Marcoux Samaan],” she said. “Getting women involved is something that’s very important to me. We’re gonna make it happen. When? I hope soon.”