Record crowds of more than 90,000 turned out to watch the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles – making it the highest attended women’s golf event ever held in the UK.
The thrilling event, which was won by in dramatic fashion by Europe, captained by Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, attracted record crowds through the week, with over 20,000 turning out on Saturday, despite the cold temperature, high winds and heavy rain.
The opening ceremony was attended by 6,000 fans, while more than 5,000 juniors watched the action live over the three days. A total of 13,487 spectators were recorded as having taken part in golf zone activities in the tented village.
Paul Bush, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “We set out four years ago to deliver an event that would take the Solheim Cup to the next level, and there can be no question that we have achieved that. Not only have we seen record crowds for a women’s golf event in the UK, we have set a new benchmark for accessibility and inclusion as well as the quality and scale of infrastructure.”
He added: “Anyone who witnessed the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles can be left in no doubt that it was a major event and one which proves that Scotland delivers on the international stage. We have provided an outstanding platform for the continued growth of women’s golf and women’s sport. Our thanks go to the many partners and stakeholders who have helped deliver this world-class event, specifically IMG who have done an incredible job in delivering our ambitions for the Solheim Cup.”
Ross Hallett, Executive Tournament Director, IMG: “We are very proud of our role in delivering this world-class event that we believe was the best Solheim Cup to date, in-keeping with the remit we were set by Visit Scotland. This amazing journey started for IMG more than four years ago, and to see all that work play out to such a thrilling climax to a global audience was very satisfying. Our 50-strong global IMG events team is extremely proud to have played such a key role in this historic event and we thank VisitScotland for this amazing opportunity.”