Solheim Cup is a record breaker

The Solheim Cup has become the UK’s best attended women’s golf event – more than a week before the first players tee off.

Almost 80,000 tickets have already been sold for the sevenday event, which is being held at Gleneagles.

When the competition was held in Germany four years ago, the attendance was just short of the same figure. A spokeswoman for the Solheim Cup said the final figure for Perthshire could be even higher as tickets are still available.

“Demand for tickets has been extremely high and we are almost at 80,000 confirmed for the week, which already makes the 2019 Solheim Cup the highest attended women’s golf event ever held in the UK.

“We would encourage anyone still looking to attend to buy tickets in advance via the website to avoid disappointment.”

Gleneagles bid to host the 2019 Solheim Cup following the success of the Ryder Cup in 2014, which drew more than 240,000 spectators over the week. Organisers are building on the same model to ensure the women’s event is a success.

The first tee and 18th green stand complexes will be roughly the same size, and the spectator village is almost identical.

Paul Bush, director of events for VisitScotland, previously told The Courier: “The numbers we have so far, for a women’s golf event and for women’s sport in Scotland, are pretty impressive. Women’s sport is on the up with the football World Cup, the netball World Cup and we think that come September there will be a real focus. In terms of sponsorship this has been as good as we’ve ever had in a Scottish context.”

The event is also taking on a more family-friendly feel, with a soft play area, a golf activity zone as well as food and drink available in the spectator village.

The Solheim Cup runs from September 9 to 15.