The 2024 Solheim Cup capitalizes on record ticket sales, coverage, and brand partners

The GIST: The Solheim Cup began in Gainesville, Virginia, yesterday, capping off months of hard work by the LPGA to level up the biennial tournament. While the last stateside event drew a record 130K fans in 2021, the LPGA has garnered more ticket interest, corporate partners, and TV coverage than ever before, positioning the tourney to break some records. Who doesn’t love tee?

The tournament: Established in 1990, the Solheim Cup — similar to the men’s Ryder Cup — pits 12 top golfers from the LPGA and the Ladies’ European Tour (LET) against each other across three days of competition. The current title belongs to Team Europe, which is chasing a fourth straight championship after its triumph in Spain last year.

The tickets: The LPGA expects this year’s Cup will surpass 2021’s attendance and ticket revenue, largely thanks to its SeatGeek partnership. This allowed the LPGA to list tickets on the platform a year before and offered unprecedented ticketing data access, meaning the tour could adjust prices in real time to maximize revenue, which is projected to be around 4x higher than any previous LPGA event.

The coverage: Due to the time difference, the Cup airs almost exclusively on the Golf Channel when it takes place in Europe, but this year’s coverage will span NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock. A record six hours of weekend play will air on linear cable, up from 3.5 hours in 2021. Weekend plans confirmed.

The partnerships: More fan interest in the Cup means more brand involvement, too. The event renewed with Rolex, Ping, and Hilton, while also adding Virginia Tourism and Skyscanner this year. The addition of new partners has led to a 200% revenue increase, per Front Office Sports.

• Experiences company Legends — which signed on with the LPGA last April — is also handling the on-site merchandise experience at its first LPGA event. It will offer leading U.S. and European golf brands, with popular labels like Barstool Sports, Lululemon, and New Era also available.

Lingering questions: The Solheim Cup’s success is a culmination of factors — golf’s profile is rising as more women pick up clubs and shows like Full Swing buoy international tourneys. However, the event only happens every two years, leaving us to wonder how the LPGA can turn this hype into a year-round phenomenon — especially when its sponsors already bank up to 400% ROI. Looking for another gimme.