Sadly, the loudest Solheim Cup in history didn’t reverberate across the Atlantic. The event’s TV ratings in the U.S. were nothing short of a gut-punch to those who observed its success on the ground.
Josh Carpenter of the Sports Business Journal shared the startling numbers on X: 179,000 watched on Golf Channel Saturday and, despite an 8-8 score heading into singles, viewership dropped to 170,000 on Sunday, when Europe came out on top.
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To put that in perspective, consider that three years ago when the event was held in Spain, Sunday’s viewership numbers on Golf Channel were 277,000.
That’s a 39 percent drop in viewership.
In 2015, the last time the U.S. won on foreign soil, Golf Channel coverage averaged 227,000 viewers.
The Solheim Cup is billed as the crown jewel of the LPGA ― the marquee event that draws in casual golf fans and even casual sports fans who want to cheer on the Americans.
In Nelly Korda, the U.S. team boasted the No. 1 player in the world who dominated the first half of the season, including a nail-biting win at the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera.
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The Fried Egg called this year’s Solheim ratings a “three-alarm fire.”
What went wrong?
Bernardus Golf was an unknown venue going into the Solheim Cup. It proved to be a worthy host, delivering on drama and intrigue. But it’s not going to be a reason folks tune in. But then again, who in the U.S. had ever heard of Finca Cortesin in Spain?
These events tend to go to the highest bidder, and that’s not likely to change.
The shy Korda is a reluctant star who, to her credit, has opened up a bit more this year. Even though she won the first two majors of the season and absolutely dominated until about mid-June, Golf Channel’s LPGA viewership year-to-date is up only 4 percent.
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Still, it’s a slight upward trend for a tour that has seen a significant falloff in overall Golf Channel viewership over the last few years. In 2022, Golf Channel averaged 190,000 viewers for LPGA events. In 2025, that number was just 97,000.
A bright spot: When the LPGA follows PGA Tour coverage, there’s usually a bump of at least 20 percent in viewership, according to tour officials. The LPGA hopes to work with Golf Channel in 2027 to find more of those opportunities going forward.
“There’s a real opportunity from here, and we’re excited as we look head to Valhalla,” said J.D. Sterba, the LPGA’s vice president of communications, in a message to Golfweek. “We’d separate the performance of this one event from the health of the LPGA audience overall, which is trending up. Across the 2026 season, our viewership is growing – up year over year both on Golf Channel and across all networks. Our digital audience is growing too, with LPGA social impressions during Solheim Cup week up about 30 percent versus 2023.”
Nelly Korda and Auston Kim of Team United States smile on stage during the Opening Ceremony prior to the Solheim Cup 2026 at Bernardus Golf on September 10, 2026 in Cromvoirt, Netherlands.
It’s probably unfair to ask Korda to shoulder the tour alone. She needs a strong supporting cast. As popular American stars, who for years made up the nucleus of the U.S. team, retire, a list of little-known players have taken their place.
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Paula Creamer. Cristie Kerr. Morgan Pressel. Michelle Wie West. Lexi Thompson. Brittany Lincicome.
With those players now in line to become captains, Korda can’t fill that gap in star power on her own. Only two Americans on the whole 12-player roster this year had won in 2026: Korda and Lauren Coughlin, the next-highest-ranked U.S. player at No. 17.
The 2028 edition at Valhalla should be boosted by network coverage and an afternoon TV window. The Solheim Cup leaves out many of the world’s best players who hail from other parts of the world. But that doesn’t mean the Solheim Cup needs to be expanded or changed.
The best thing the LPGA can do is promote the Solheim Cup even more. Dig in. Use more resources in the run-up to shine a light on who’s playing, because it’s clear there’s a disconnect between American players and fans.
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The American team in 2028 and 2030 could look quite different, with names like Asterisk Talley, Farah O’Keefe, Megha Ganne and the Romero sisters (Kiara and Kaleiya) rising up the ranks.
But even those players will need significant months-long promotion from the LPGA to break through a crowded sports landscape.
After this wake-up call, the time to start planning that promotion is now.
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior writer for Golfweek covering the LPGA and all things women’s golf. Follow her on X/Twitter (@GolfweekNichols).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 2026 Solheim Cup’s disappointing TV ratings should be a wake-up call | Opinion
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