17 Aug 2015
Posted by Rory 
After a memorable Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014, Visit Scotland, backed by the Scottish Government, will lead a bid for the 2019 Solheim Cup to be hosted at the famous Perthshire venue.
From the annual Johnnie Walker Championship, which has been contested at Gleneagles since it was founded in 1999, to the thrilling 2014 Ryder Cup matches; Gleneagles has proved to be an excellent tournament host and should the Solheim Cup bid be successful, it will be the 1st time in almost 20 years that the match between the USA & Europe return to Scotland, with Loch Lomond being the last Scottish host back in 2000.
With springy moorland turf underfoot, the green hills to the South, and the peaks of the Trossachs and Ben Vorlich to the West, Gleneagles boasts a truly stunning setting and would be a great host for the 2019 Solheim Cup.
It’s been quite a couple of years for Scotland when it comes to hosting the world’s biggest sporting events. 2014 saw not only the Ryder Cup contested in Scotland, the Commonwealth Games were hosted in Glasgow that year too. Of course this year’s Open Championship made its return to The Home of Golf at St Andrews and with the Women’s British Open also being held in Scotland in 2015, at the famous Turnberry Resort, hosting the Solheim Cup is the next piece of the puzzle.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Last year Scotland showed what it can do on the world-stage when it not only held, but significantly enhanced, some of the biggest events in the world of sport.
“The 2014 Ryder Cup was a magnificent spectacle and will be remembered for many years to come, while the XX Commonwealth Games was another huge success story for our country. We want to do the same thing with The Solheim Cup in 2019.”
Bubba Watson tees off at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014 – Will the Solheim Cup be there in 2019?
While the Solheim Cup is not yet on the same scale as the Ryder Cup, strong crowds of around 30,000 fans per day would be expected to descend on the PGA Tour Centenary Course at the famous Gleneagles Resort, making for some spectacle as the world’s best female golfers square off over three days if intense matchplay golf.
Catriona Matthew, Scotland’s number one ranked female golfer, who’s played in no less than 7 Solheim Cups for Team Europe, said: “Golf in Scotland is a national past-time and the Scottish crowds would come out to support The Solheim Cup in droves. Equally, both players and media love coming to golf events in Scotland. It is the Home of Golf and there is always that something extra every time you tee it up in a competition here.”
This year’s Solheim Cup will be staged at St. Leon-Rot in Germany where Team Europe, including Your Golf Travel Ambassador Charley Hull, will be looking to retain their crown after beating the USA last time out in Colorado in 2013.
That year Charley became the youngest ever Solheim Cup player and her record of 2 wins from 3 matches, including a 5&4 demolition job of Paula Creamer in the Sunday Singles, signalled that a new star was rising in European Golf.
Charley made quite a splash as a 17 year old debutant at the 2013 Solheim Cup…
Charley has already qualified for this year’s team and aged just 19 and with a European Tour win, as well as the 2014 Order of Merit already under her belt, surely we’ll be cheering her on in 2019…hopefully at Gleneagles!
