While the matches don't begin in earnest until Friday, Thursday's festivities were an opportunity to celebrate the biggest team event in women's golf.
Team United States was dressed in red suits and Team Europe in contrasting navy blue suits as a burgeoning competitive atmosphere built, but for this occasion, the overarching theme was camaraderie and an appreciation for how far this event — and women's golf — have come since 1990.
U.S. captain Angela Stanford was 13 years old during the first Solheim Cup. During her opening remarks, she touched on how the matches and the sport have grown simultaneously.
“You know what I find extra special? " Stanford said. "The women on this stage, and the young people who will watch us this week, don’t know a world without the Solheim Cup.”
For perspective, the Solheim Cup began 16 years before the women's world rankings were introduced in 2006. And at the time, the eventual first world No. 1 — Annika Sorenstam — was still two years away from turning pro.
When Karsten and Louise Solheim created the matches, they envisioned it as the women's answer for the men's Ryder Cup, but Solheim has moved out of the shadows of her nearly 100-year-old brother Ryder, especially as women's golf is experiencing a major boom.
This week in the Netherlands, another close matchup is expected. The last four Solheim Cups have been decided by a combined 6 points, with Europe winning by 1 point in 2019 and 2 points in 2021. The teams tied for the first time in history in 2023 before the U.S. won by 3 points in 2024.
The U.S. is looking for its first win on European soil since 2015, when Juli Inkster led the U.S. team to a 1-point victory in Germany. Both Stanford and European captain Anna Nordqvist played in those matches.
But while England's Charley Hull said it is arguably more challenging to play a Solheim Cup in front of a home crowd, the energy for Team Europe was undeniable as Nordqvist began her Thursday remarks in Dutch, paying tribute to the host country.
Both captains acknowledged the other during the ceremony, but playful jabs and the impending competition didn't overshadow the genuine respect, nor the momentous occasion that is making it to a 20th anniversary.
The unique aspect of these matches is an individual sport becomes a team event. These players are representing something bigger than themselves; they're representing their countries and their continent.
“Because this week we are not 12 individuals," Nordqvist told her team. "We are one team.”