2021 Solheim Cup Breaks Attendance Record
Golf fans flocked to Toledo and The Inverness Club to watch the top women golfers compete for the Solheim Cup, and their attendance set a new record.
Over 130,000 fans entered the gates over a 7 day period to witness practice rounds, a celebrity pro-am and live competition between the United States and Europe. The numbers were outstanding given the fact that most European fans could not make the trek due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Toledo born Stacy Lewis, an assistant captain for this year's cup, was quoted as saying, "The City of Toledo killed it", in regards to the support.
The historic Inverness Club set a beautiful stage for the week and here are just a few highlights with more to come off the 2021 event, including:
- It’s only the second time in history that Team Europe has won the Cup on American soil – the only other time was in 2013 at Colorado Golf Club. Instead of a veteran being the hero as was the case with Suzann Pettersen in 2019 in Scotland, it was a rookie that led the way for the blue and yellow this year. It was also a rookie that drained the final putt, sealing the deal and returning the Cup to European hands.
- Overall, approximately 9M people consumed LPGA content (across linear, streaming, social and web) during the 2021 Solheim Cup. The Solheim Cup aired and streamed in almost 700M homes worldwide and in 239 countries/territories. This is the best distribution for any tournament in LPGA history.
- 130,000 people attended the Solheim Cup and visited the welcoming city of Toledo.
- For the first time in Solheim Cup history, the Opening Ceremony was not held at the host course. It was held in downtown Toledo as a part of the ProMedica Fan Fest which drew over 29,000 fans for both days of festivities.
- There was a total of 196 credentialed media covering the event, with 52 foreign press either on site or accessing virtually.
The region is hopeful that the overwhelming support for the Solheim Cup will translate into future events.