By Dr. Tony Parker, World Golf Hall of Fame Historian

The biennial Solheim Cup team competition will travel to St. Leon-Rot, Baden-Württemberg, Germany this week – the first time the women’s event will take place in Germany.

The American team is captained by World Golf Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster, while the European team is led by Carin Koch. Each team consists of 12 top women professional golfers. This year marks the 14th meeting between the two women’s professional tours.

So what is the Solheim Cup, and how did it come to be?

The competition between Europe and the United States came about in 1990 when the Ladies European Tour approached the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour about creating a Ryder Cup-style tournament for women’s golf.

Thanks to the support and sponsorship of Hall of Fame member and PING founder Karsten Solheim, the competition was played for the first time that year in Orlando, Florida at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. Solheim, a driving force behind women’s golf, signed PING up as a sponsor, and the competition became known as the Solheim Cup.

The first match in Solheim Cup history pitted Hall of Fame members Pat Bradley and Nancy Lopez on the USA team against 2015 Hall of Fame Inductee Dame Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas for Europe. While Davies and Nicholas won the match 2 and 1, it wasn’t enough to secure a Solheim Cup victory. The USA team, which included five Hall of Fame members, captured the first Solheim Cup victory.

To date, the USA has won the Solheim Cup eight times to Europe’s five. However, two European Hall of Fame members hold the record for the most matches won. Annika Sorenstam and Davies each have 22 wins, and Davies leads with most points won with 25.

Embarking on its 25th year, it’s safe to say the Solheim Cup has achieved global recognition and is regarded as one of the most prestigious events in golf.

The United States Team Win The Solheim Cup