Lack of Collaboration Between Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup 'Really Silly,' Says U.S. Captain

Stacy Lewis tried to get the two events aligned but sponsorships and other details got in the way.

ANDALUCIA, Spain — Would golf be better if the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup collaborated?

U.S. Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis believes so and had been working on such a collaboration for some time before it became clear it was a much bigger undertaking than she imagined.

Lewis, who played in four Solheim Cups, thought the two events—this week's Solheim in Spain and next week's Ryder in Rome—could have been marketed together as an extravaganza of golf in Europe.

Lewis approached PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said and he was all for it, but as they explored the possibilities the reality of  sponsorships and politics made a significant collaboration impossible.

“I think it was a missed opportunity for the sport of golf,” Lewis said.

Now on the eve of the Solheim Cup people are starting to ask the question "if not now then when?"

What needs to occur to make cooperation a viable possibility?

“Seth was open to it, we had conversations and then it was more just as things started kind of trickling down that I was trying to get the announcement of the picks to happen together,” Lewis told Sports Illustrated of one her ideas to collaborate. “I think it was just it was a little bit too far along in the process, they already had plans made. I think if we had started a year and a half ago, maybe more ... it's just more trying to work through sponsorship details and things like that to get the right pieces moving.”

The PGA of America issued a statement on its support of the U.S. Solheim Cup team.

"We are enthusiastic supporters of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team and are promoting the Solheim Cup in a number of ways," the statement read. "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 U.S. Ryder Cup Team video in which the players and our Captain expressed their support for the Solheim Cup Team. 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 U.S. 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.”

Since the Solheim Cup is moving to even years starting next year, both events are no longer in the same year and for a potential collaboration they would need to move back into the same year.

Lewis is on the board of the LPGA and believes that should happen for the good of the game.

“I think we need to find a way to work together," Lewis says. "Do we have it on the same year or do we have them opposite? How can these two events help each other? I mean, it's really silly that we're not this year, to be honest.”