The PGA of America have defended themselves in response to Stacy Lewis’ comments that more could have been done to promote the unique opportunity of back-to-back Solheim and Ryder Cup weeks.
The competitions normally run in alternate years but, with the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits being put back to 2021, we have the two matches taking place in the space of a fortnight. Next year the Solheim Cup will revert back to even-numbered years with Lewis and Suzann Pettersen again at the helm.
Lewis was outspoken when she commented that she had tried to bring the two cups together but that she had hit a bit of a brick wall in the run up to this week's matches in Spain.
“I thought this could have been marketed together as two weeks in Europe, two cups for play,” said Lewis. “I think it was a missed opportunity for the sport of golf. I wish that, you know, people could get the sponsorship things out of their head and let’s figure out how we can work together, because this may not ever happen again of the two Cups being in the same year,” explained the American.
“I tried. I tried really hard, actually. I probably spent more time on it than I should have. But whether it was timing or it was too late in the process, I don’t know. I mean, to really market it correctly, like, this probably had to happen two years ago. So it’s something that going forward, I think the game of golf needs to get on the same page and do better with.”
The PGA of America, who jointly run the Ryder Cup with the DP World Tour, reacted to Lewis’ comments pointing out the various ways that they have supported the Solheim Cup.
“We are enthusiastic supporters of the US Solheim Cup team and are promoting the Solheim Cup in a number of ways. For starters, we are creating digital assets and collaborating with our friends at the LPGA on our social media channels. For the first time, we produced a US Ryder Cup Team video in which the players and our captain expressed their support for the Solheim Cup Team,” read a statement to Golfweek.
“We are also supporting the Solheim Cup with editorial content on PGA.com and by engaging with Solheim Cup content across PGA of America channels. Finally, our CEO Seth Waugh will be onsite in Spain to cheer on the US Solheim Cup team for all of us. While scheduling and logistics challenges precluded some other joint activations, the PGA of America will help to raise awareness in a meaningful way through our digital and social media efforts.”
Via the US Ryder Cup Twitter account the team sent a good luck message to their Solheim counterparts on Thursday with individual messages from each player.
From one 🇺🇸 squad to another: LET'S GOOOOOOO!Can't wait to watch @SolheimCupUSA: you got this👊#GoUSA pic.twitter.com/XlfN6CAW97September 21, 2023
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