The fifth and final major championship of the season is now in the rearview mirror so players must be feeling the pressure ease, right? Well, try telling that to those still fighting to lock up a spot on their respective Solheim Cup teams. Come Sunday, qualifying for Team Europe ends following the ISPS Handa World Invitational.
Americans have one additional week to earn the coveted points needed to secure their spot on Captain Stacy Lewis’ squad as the U.S. Team will be finalized upon completion of next week’s CPKC Women’s Open. But for the Europeans vying for a place on Captain Suzann Pettersen’s team, time is nearly up.
This week’s tournament in Northern Ireland represents the final playing opportunity to secure a place on the European Team. The top two players in the European Solheim Cup standings will earn a spot, in addition to the top six players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings who didn’t qualify via the point standings. Pettersen will then round out her team with four captain’s picks.
The path to the Solheim Cup winds through Northern Ireland for the ISPS Handa World Invitational. Played at two courses – Galgorm Castle Golf Club and a new addition this year, Castlerock – the two venues will host members of the DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour. The two venues couldn’t be more different as Castlerock is an old-world, links layout that was founded in 1901. It’s a beautiful yet challenging venue and has seen renovation work done over the last two years. On the other hand, Galgorm is a parkland course that has been a fixture since this tournament’s inception in 2021. Each player will complete one round at each venue over the first two days and then the final two rounds will be contested at Galgorm following the 36-hole cut.
This year’s field is headlined by two of Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, two players who battled over the weekend at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June at Baltusrol Golf Club. Georgia Hall will also make a return to Galgorm where she finished third last season.
The ISPS Handa World Invitational is the fourth consecutive event on the LPGA Tour schedule to be played in Europe following stops in France, Scotland and England. It’s all a part of the #LPGAEuroSwing and a whirlwind summer schedule that will see the Tour play 10 consecutive weeks around the globe. The ISPS Handa World Invitational marks the seventh event in that stretch which has included not just the pressure-packed finale to the major season but also the final qualifying opportunities for players hoping to play in the 2023 Solheim Cup.
Just a dozen events remain on the schedule with the Solheim Cup looming. And conversations about who will win Rolex Player of the Year, the Vare Trophy and Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year are rapidly approaching.
While the majors are finished, the pressure is just picking up.
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