Solheim Cup preview, golf’s subsequent made-for-TV match

Examine in each week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most well liked subjects within the sport, and be a part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we preview the Solheim Cup, focus on golf’s newly introduced made-for-TV match and share our picks for one of the best offers in golf. And when you’re searching for our writers’ ideas on final week’s Presidents Cup captain’s picks, you may learn up on that right here.

The nineteenth taking part in of the Solheim Cup will get underway Friday to Sunday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership in Gainesville, Va. Final yr, the U.S. and Europe tied for the primary time within the occasion’s historical past, permitting Europe to maintain the Cup for the third straight assembly. Who wins this yr, and why?

Josh Sens, senior author (@joshsens): Workforce USA. Partly because of home-crowd benefit, but additionally as a result of– with Lexi taking part in in what could be very doubtless her final, and Korda coming off an epic season, and the workforce having a pleasant steadiness of youthful fireplace and expertise–it simply seems like the way in which the spirits of the sport would need it scripted.

Sean Zak, senior author (@sean_zak): Wow, Josh Sens — huge spirits man! Put your tarot playing cards down and take a look at who’s taking part in nicely. As a lot as Charley Hull, Esther Hensleit and some Euros could also be flashing in the intervening time, one of the best participant is on Workforce USA, and so is the second-best participant in Lilia Vu. Andrea Lee performed nice in St. Andrews and Rose Zhang is on the cusp of one other nice run herself. To not point out the dawgs which might be Lauren Coughlin and Ally Ewing. Workforce USA goes to win, and I worry it might not be shut. 

Sens: Sorry. I promise to ditch the ‘shrooms earlier than our subsequent roundtable and stick strictly to shot knowledge. 

Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): I just like the Euros to proceed their dominance. The Individuals could have some stable type, however that hasn’t helped them a lot the previous couple of occasions round. When the lights shine the brightest in these workforce occasions, the Europeans all the time appear to return up clutch.

Final yr it was Spain’s Carlota Ciganda who stole the present, ending 4-0 and beating Nelly Korda 2 and 1 in singles play. Who can be a very powerful participant for both sides come subsequent week, and who would be the occasion’s MVP?

Sens: For extra feel-good functions, I’d prefer to say Lexi. However I’ve obtained a sneaky sense about captain’s decide Jennifer Kupcho, in a fiery bounce-back from her tough displaying in Spain. (The caveat is that information on this format will be misleading, as they’re largely depending on how each your associate and your opponents play. For good purpose, the MVP is commonly the lead level earner, who isn’t all the time the participant who carried out one of the best or meant probably the most to their workforce)

Zak: Most vital? Lilia Vu. She’s able to successful 5 matches, and is in adequate type to do it. She went 1-3 final yr, throughout the identical season the place she gained two majors. That’s not chopping it. MVP goes to be Nelly Korda, who will play 5 matches and be favored in each considered one of them. She’s on the appropriate path again to dominance after a bizarre summer time, and it could all click on this week. 

Melton: Gimme Leona Maguire from Workforce Europe. She’s had an uneven 2024 to date, however she’s been an absolute stud on this occasion the final two playings. I like her to proceed that development and enhance on her 7-2-1 Solheim Cup report. So far as the Individuals go, it’ll be robust for them to return away victorious except Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu play nicely.

Golf’s subsequent made-for-TV match will see Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler face off towards Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in December in Las Vegas. What do you consider this matchup? And can the PGA Tour vs. LIV angle assist with rankings?

Sens: It higher assist with the rankings as a result of, actually, is there another purpose for the match? That is designed to feed immediately off golf’s civil conflict, and –exterior of the majors, with a deal between the 2 excursions nowhere in sight—it’s as shut as the 2 circuits are going to get to giving folks what they need. It helps, after all, that you simply’ve obtained 4 mega-names with a number of subplots/tensions of their relationships. However greater than something, that is an extension of the continued battle within the males’s professional sport. Followers and media alike will assign all types of fabricated that means to it as nicely, utilizing the outcomes as some type of proof of which tour is extra worthy. Birdies will abound. Rankings can be excessive. And individuals who have already got some huge cash will make extra of it by entertaining the lots with an occasion stuffed with manufactured ‘that means’. An ideal confection for our occasions.

Zak: It truly is a compelling matchup, placing two of the Tour’s three finest towards two of LIV Golf’s finest. You’ve obtained Mr. Entertainer in Bryson, Mr. Jock in Brooks, Mr. Worldwide in Rory and Mr. Greatest-Since-Tiger in Scottie. It’s as compelling a product as you may area with out the names Woods, Mickelson and Spieth. I’m positive it will likely be marketed as a conflict of types, however I hope that isn’t the case. As a result of these guys don’t dislike one another. I hope it’s a proving floor for a lot of issues. In the end, it’s in all probability simply 12 or 18 holes of enjoyable match play. 

Melton: I’m definitely intrigued by the occasion, and having a LIV-PGA Tour angle ought to do an awesome job including hype to the match. Will that be sufficient to generate some much-needed excessive rankings? I’m doubtful.

Does the PGA Tour vs. LIV tie trace that the edges could be coming nearer collectively on a deal? Or a minimum of studying find out how to co-exist? How precious may mini treaties like this be for the way forward for professional golf?

Sens: Does anybody, even the principle actors themselves, have any concept how far or shut they’re from the deal? With so many shifting components and events to appease, I get the sense even these immediately concerned aren’t positive what a remaining deal would appear like. Meantime, a match like this does appear to be a seek for methods to profitably coexist. Purists won’t see it as an awesome signal for professional golf, however when you take a look at the sport purely as an leisure product, it strikes me as a savvy approach to go.

Zak: Let’s name this a mini-treaty then. I feel it’s precious within the sense that rankings can be improved from the final match: a skins sport that includes Rory vs. Lexi Thompson vs. Max Homa vs. Rose Zhang. I feel it’s precious to place LIV Golfers on the identical taking part in area as Tour stars within the month of December (after they may usually be absent from public eye). I feel it’s precious to do all of it in a non-major championship setting, too. Will it carry any “nos” from the boardroom nearer to “yesses”? I don’t actually suppose so. 

Melton: I’m a bit exhausted analyzing each little factor in golf within the context of the Tour vs. LIV battle. The reality is nobody is aware of what’s coming subsequent aside from a choose few on the ins of the negotiations. I’m not placing an excessive amount of inventory on this occasion being a harbinger of issues to return.

Talking of LIV Golf, it launched its dates and venues for the primary 4 tournaments of 2025, and whereas all of them can be performed internationally, in addition they all can be performed throughout the identical weeks as among the PGA Tour’s largest occasions — the WM Phoenix Open, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship. Why would LIV Golf schedule these to compete immediately with the Tour? Does it matter?

Sens: On the face of it, you may learn it as a flex by LIV, particularly going up towards the hard-partying Phoenix Open, which might be the closest the Tour provides to the atmospherics of a LIV occasion. However I don’t suppose it’s value assigning an excessive amount of that means to any of it, aside from to underscore that LIV is soldiering on, propelled by an limitless finances, and that these dates on these venues match nicely sufficient. As a critical competitor for the Tour’s important viewers, it doesn’t appear far more than a lot spit into the wind.

Zak: LIV can’t compete with the Tour for eyeballs, however I suppose it could attempt to put a dent within the rankings the Tour is most happy with? It may possibly additionally stage one of the best occasions it could and produce social clips of gamers ingesting beers out of footwear throughout weeks the place the PGA Tour is cool, calm and relaxed at Riviera. It gained’t matter, in the end, to area tournaments throughout these weeks as a result of the worldwide time zones the place LIV can be taking part in means they gained’t really compete immediately. And on the finish of the day, there’s about 10- to fifteen golfers at LIV who followers actually need to watch. And there are a minimum of twice to 3 occasions that on the PGA Tour. 

Melton: Reality be informed, it doesn’t actually matter when LIV schedules their occasions because it pertains to Tour occasions. Whereas Tour rankings could be down, they nonetheless dwarf the variety of eyeballs drawn by LIV. I’m positive there’s some deeper that means to this scheduling resolution, however in the end it doesn’t change the truth that LIV doesn’t transfer the needle. 

Final week, we launched our first-ever record of America’s finest golf programs you may play for $100 or much less. What’s one of the best course beneath this standards — whether or not it’s on this record or not — that you simply ever performed?

Sens: Since I simply made this case on our website on Friday, I’m going to have to stay with George Wright, simply exterior Boston. A fantastic Donald Ross-designed muni beneath the care of a miracle-worker superintendent who has made absolutely the most of a minimal upkeep finances. It’s an awesome stroll and an entertaining problem in a inexperienced house that will get you far-off from the city bustle, although it’s lower than 8 miles from downtown.

Zak: It’s tough to think about a greater golf course for $35 than The Aiken Golf Membership, in Aiken, S.C. It’s so easy and so good. Drivable par-4s, lengthy par-3s, pinestraw, tight lies, agency greens, tall pines and elevation modifications. And all a 35-minute drive from Augusta, Ga. Should you’re bringing the golf equipment on a Masters journey in early April, you higher not miss this one. 

Melton: Zak is spot on in his evaluation of Aiken. I performed it for the primary time this spring and completely cherished it. So far as one of the best offers up in my neck of the woods, it’s exhausting to beat the $75 inexperienced price for residents of NY at Bethpage Black. With the ability to tee it up on a significant championship and future Ryder Cup host for lower than $100 is an unbelievable discount.