Why US Ratings Tell The Wrong Story About The Solheim Cup

There is a striking difference between being inside the ropes at a Solheim Cup and watching the narrative unfold from across the Atlantic once the dust settles.

Standing on the 1st tee at Bernardus Golf a few weeks ago, surrounded by a deafening crowd that rivals anything you’ll experience at a Ryder Cup, you couldn't help but feel that women's team golf was reaching whole new heights.

The energy was electric, the quality of play under intense pressure was outstanding, and Europe’s dramatic 15-13 triumph felt like a pivotal milestone for the sport on this side of the pond.

Then the American data dropped, and the narrative instantly shifted to doom and gloom. According to figures circulating stateside, Golf Channel’s Sunday broadcast averaged just 170,000 US viewers, a sharp 39% drop compared to 2023, when the Solheim Cup was last held at Finca Cortesin in Europe. Media outlet Fried Egg Golf sounded the alarm, calling the ratings a “three-alarm fire” for the LPGA.

While the Sky Sports viewing figures aren't in yet, having been on the ground for the entire event in the Netherlands, my response to the stateside sceptics is simple. You are looking at the wrong numbers.

To evaluate the health of an international spectacle based purely on traditional US cable television ratings in 2026 is outdated. The US broadcast window for a European event meant live action was airing in the early hours of the morning across American time zones. Add in the massive shift toward digital clips, app streaming, and social media consumption, where LPGA impressions were actually up 30% on 2023, and the idea that interest is evaporating is wide of the mark.

More importantly, the American media reaction highlights a classic case of viewing a global event through a narrow domestic lens. What those figures actually reveal isn't a flaw in the Solheim Cup format, but a specific challenge within the American sports market.

Writing for Golfweek, Beth Ann Nichols hit the nail on the head when she highlighted the generational handover quietly troubling the US team. The household names who anchored American fan interest for two decades - Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie West, Lexi Thompson - have stepped aside.

As Nichols rightly pointed out, while World No.1 Nelly Korda is an immense talent, she can’t carry the promotional weight of an entire 12-woman team alone, especially when competing for airtime against college football and the NFL on a Sunday morning.

In Europe, however, the picture couldn't be more different. Here, the Solheim Cup isn't just surviving, it’s booming. It doesn't rely on a single American superstar to sell tickets or drive conversation. European fans tune in for the event itself, for the partisan energy, the team dynamics, and the sheer drama of match play golf.

Anyone who walked the course at Bernardus knows the appetite for this contest in Europe is at an all-time high. The 1st tee stadium build was bigger, the crowds turned out in huge, loud numbers, and the general buzz around the venue was electric from Thursday through to Sunday evening, despite the wet weather at times.

The Solheim Cup isn't broken. It delivered one of the most compelling weekends of tournament golf all year. If US television networks struggle to package live action airing at breakfast time on the East Coast for an American audience, that is a scheduling and broadcast strategy issue, not a product problem.

As we look ahead to Valhalla in 2028, the US media will undoubtedly enjoy their prime-time afternoon slots and familiar domestic storylines. But let’s not mistake a localised dip in television numbers for a decline in the tournament itself. From where I was standing in the Netherlands, the Solheim Cup has never looked healthier.