IMG Named The Delivery Partner For The European Edition Of The Solheim Cup
A joint venture between the Ladies European Golf Venture Ltd and the Ladies European Tour (LET JV) named IMG as the delivery partner for the European edition of the Solheim Cup with an initial commitment through the end of 2038.
The LET JV formed in 2020 and has been seeking an experienced partner to assist in their strategic planning and deliver future Solheim Cup matches. The partnership also more closely aligns the European and US editions of the Solheim Cup, allowing for further growth opportunities for the event.
The partnership, which is scheduled to begin in 2026, will include all the various aspects of delivering a minimum of four European-held Solheim Cups, a team competition that takes place between Europe and the United States every two years.
Per the agreement, IMG’s role will include identifying and securing both the various European host countries and their venues. Additionally, the global leader in sports, events, and media is in charge of marketing and communications, operational aspects, and their delivery, as well as legacy initiatives and all communication activities.
The LET and the Ladies European Golf Venture Ltd appointed IMG last year. They created the joint venture focused on the strategic planning and delivery of future Solheim Cups hosted by Europe.
“We are delighted to be given this opportunity by the LET JV. We are great believers in the power of women’s sport and we are excited to draw on our 50 years of experience in women’s golf to continue building upon the Solheim Cup’s legacy,” stated Ross Hallett, SVP and Head of Golf, EMEA at IMG. “We thank both the LET and LPGA for placing this valuable event in our hands and we are excited about shortly launching our search for future host venues and partners to align with our vision.”
On this side of the pond, the Ladies Professional Golf Association will continue to deliver future Solheim Cups in the US.
In 2019 IMG worked with VisitScotland to deliver the 2019 Solheim Cup to over 90,000 spectators at Gleneagles in Scotland.
“In our opinion, no other commercial organisation understands the global landscape of women’s golf better than IMG,” stated LET chief executive Alexandra Armas. “We were incredibly impressed with IMG’s leadership and organisational efforts, together with our partners VisitScotland, on the 2019 Solheim Cup — everything from the initial planning to the final delivery was carefully planned and executed and the final presentation was undoubtably our strongest to date.
“We feel sure that in forming this partnership, with an aligned vision and mission, we are securing the future and growth of the Solheim Cup and ensuring that it will continue to be one of the most important events on the international sport calendar.”
IMG already has a rich history of women’s golf events. To date, they manage or support two LPGA majors along with eight LPGA Tour events, two of which are sanctioned by the LET.
News of the deal comes just days before the rescheduled edition of the Solheim Cup, which takes place tomorrow, September 4th through 6th, at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
