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Spetember 10, 2026 | Edition #351 |
👋 {{readername | Hey, golf fans}},
Before we start with the Solheim Cup preview, here’s a bit of history. Ping founder Karsten and Louise Solheim’s son, John A. Solheim, was instrumental in bringing the biennial tournament to light with the LPGA and the LET. The trophy, though, is named after his parents. As the biennial event tees off on Friday, we’ll look at the field, the course, and more in today’s edition.
Let’s tee it up…
The Solheim Cup is where the concept of order has long been abandoned. Four of the past six cups have been decided by two points. Or less. And it might get very close again as the Netherlands gears up to host the Solheim Cup for the first time.
Format & Teams: Similar to the Ryder Cup, the matches are played between Team USA and Team Europe, with each team consisting of 12 members. Starting Friday, the first two days will feature foursomes (morning) and fourballs (afternoon) before 12 head-to-head singles matches on Sunday.
Team USA members have an average world ranking of 38, while Team Europe has 54.
European players have played 27 matches, compared with 24 for the Americans.
Europe has three wins in the last four editions, but the USA has won 11 of the past 19 Solheim Cups.
So, experience will matter, and so will teamwork. And the Europeans might already be a step ahead of their rivals in this one (remember the raucous pool party from Finca Cortesin?).
Course: Bernardus Golf measures 6,578 yards and plays to a par of 72 this week. Water is in play on nine holes, and the course is littered with 74 bunkers. But it has yielded low scores, with the 2021 Dutch Open (KLM Open) champion Kristoffer Broberg going as low as 23-under.
Neither team has a clear advantage, but if Team USA members recover well from health setbacks—Angel Yin and Rose Zhang, we are looking at you—it would be hard to stop them.
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Losing hope: LIV Adelaide is less than 200 days away, but if you try booking a ticket, you’ll have to join a waitlist. No, tickets haven’t sold out. Rather, there is no certainty whether the tournament will be held or not. The South Australian government pumped $45M for redeveloping the North Adelaide Golf Course to host LIV and faced huge protests for razing 600 trees in the process. The course has since landed the Australian Open, which is something, but it leaves a nagging question: what’s next for LIV Adelaide?
Loyalty: Lee Westwood has found a home in LIV Golf. He was heckled during a tournament, prompting Bubba Watson to come out and confront the spectator, as you can see here. The league has also filed for bankruptcy. But Westwood, 53, is happy where he is and said LIV is a “breath of fresh air.” The veteran acknowledged it can be very, very bad for a lot of people, and some mistakes were made. But he has made his peace with it.
Mission: 32-year-old Denver-based entrepreneur Daniel Belk has some lofty goals: he plans to play the top 100 public courses in America in a single year—here is the list. Belk started the project in April, and it’s going to cost… a lot. Here is how much and why he is doing all of this—in Belk’s own words.
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The driver’s release point is crucial, as it dictates how much power you are channeling through the ball, which, in turn, affects driving distance. PGA Master Golf Professional Joseph C. Plecker demonstrated a Smash Station drill that will help you understand the mechanics of it.
Place a flat impact bag on the ground. Make sure it lines up with the center of your lead shoulder. Grip an alignment rod in your trail hand.
Take a full, dynamic backswing. On the downswing, push away from the bag through your front foot. Let your lead side rise and clear so your trail arm can fully extend and “smash” the bag flat at impact.
A loud, crisp “pop” means the clubface and shaft are arriving together. A thud or spinny sound means you’re leading with the tip or dragging the handle. Watch Joe demonstrate the drill here.
Adjust until you consistently get that clean pop, which trains the correct driver release point. Now, try the drill with your driver.
Catch up on the stories you might have missed.
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