England Golf is urging the federal government for monetary backing to help a bid to deliver the Solheim Cup to England for the primary time in 2030.
The ladies’s group contest – performed each two years between Europe and america – has been held in Scotland thrice, and in each Eire and Wales, however by no means in England.
A proposal has been made to host the 2030 version at The Grove in Hertfordshire, a earlier venue for a World Golf Championship occasion and the British Masters, though there may be at present a shortfall of round £20m within the £30m required for organisers to help the appliance.
Stakeholders put an “all-encompassing” bid for treasury backing in spring however noticed the Solheim Cup not included within the checklist of sporting occasions to obtain authorities funding, resulting in a contemporary push in current months to attempt to get the monetary help required.
The Worldwide Administration Group (IMG) – which holds the rights for the 2030 contest – desires a decision on whether or not the appliance shall be potential within the coming weeks, leaving England Golf calling on the federal government to underwrite its bid to host a historic occasion.
“It’s sporting events like this that continue to inspire and drive participation,” England Golf’s chief govt Jeremy Tomlinson informed Sky Sports activities. “I do believe if it [a Solheim Cup in England] doesn’t happen, it would be a miss.”
The federal government made a dedication to “delivering international events and seeking new opportunities to inspire the next generation of talent” in its election manifesto, with the current 2025 Girls’s Rugby World Cup among the many high-profile competitions being dropped at the UK.
“I think we do need to really test the government with regards to the words when they say that they want to truly back women in sport,” Tomlinson added. “I don’t see too much investment over the next few years.
“The World Cup for rugby – that was sensible. We have got the cricket, they’ll be investing within the Tour de France, and there is possibly a soccer World Cup bid from a ladies’s perspective, however actually nothing across the 2029-2030 timeframe.
“We believe we have a bid that the golfing stakeholders will be able to do the majority of the heavy lifting – it does feel like a no-brainer. With regards to where the venue is, we know we could get incredible crowds there.
“It will be nice if the federal government may provide you with this cash. We do consider it is superb worth in comparison with so many different bids which can be put in entrance of them. We may safe an unimaginable sporting occasion and a beautiful golf occasion.”
The associated fee to stage a Solheim Cup is lower than a tenth of the cash required for a Ryder Cup, the equal occasion within the males’s recreation, with each occasions bringing big financial profit to a bunch area and serving to to create additional curiosity within the sport.
“I think you only have to look on the back of what just happened in the Ryder Cup in New York,” Tomlinson defined. “It’s an incredible sporting showcase and that’s really what we’re trying to promote with golf.
“The truth that it is not this stuffy previous sport that it is generally and traditionally has been referred to – it’s an energized sport that could be very inclusive. Whether or not you are into the sport or not into the sport, it could actually get your blood going and you may actually the help going.
“We want to inspire girls and anybody, women of any age. These events are special and they truly do inspire people to want to pick up the game, or even if they’re playing the game already, inspire them to want to become as good as they can be.”
On potential help for the Solheim Cup bid, a Division of Media, Tradition and Sport spokesperson informed Sky Sports activities: “The UK has a world-leading reputation for hosting major sporting events and we want that to continue. Staging events on home soil captures imaginations, encourages participation and boosts local economies.
“Now we have a robust pipeline of occasions over the approaching years from the Girls’s T20 World Cup in 2026 by way of to supporting a bid to host the FIFA Girls’s World Cup in 2035.
“Support for future bids will be based on a range of criteria including how far they help create social and economic benefits for the UK.”
The subsequent Solheim Cup shall be held at Bernardus Golf within the Netherlands from September 11-13, 2026, whereas the 2028 contest shall be held at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky. Workforce USA are defending champions after their 2024 victory over Europe.