2013 Solheim Cup - After the Flags come down!

It was an exciting Solheim Cup in Parker Colorado, watching 24 of the world's best female professional golfers! The European team had never won on U.S. soil, and the U.S.A. team wanted to get the cup back!

The European team had 6 rookies, one of those rookies was 17 year old Charley Hull a member of the LET (Ladies European Tour).  She played her singles match with no fear against Paula Creamer taking her down 5&4. The U.S.A. team had rookie Solheim cupper, Lexi Thompson at age 18 play an incredible singles match taking down her opponent Caroline Masson 4&3. 

Great golf was played by both teams over the 3 day contest, Team Europe seemed to be making more putts. The lead that Team Europe had built proved to be too great to overcome on Sunday. Team Europe wins the cup and makes history doing so by winning on U.S. soil.

When European Team Captain, Liselotte Neumann was interviewed after winning the cup she was thrilled with her teams performance and she said she hopes this will lead to bigger purses on the Ladies European Tour in the future. To give you an idea of prize money difference between the LET and the LPGA, next weeks LPGA event the CN Canadian Women's Open has a purse of $2 million bucks, as for the LET, their next tournament- Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open- presented by Event Scotland has a Euro Prizefund of 220,00 Eur which is about $293,000 US, and a contracted Prizefund of 180,000 Eur or about $240,000 US. I'm not entirely sure of what contracted versus Euro Prizefund means, but regardless it is a huge difference between $2 million. 

Here are links to the LET 2013 money list and the LPGA for comparison.
http://www.letscoring.com/orderofmerit/2013

http://www.lpga.com/stats/stats-detail.aspx?q=official%20money

Many European players are now playing on the LPGA tour full time and doing very well, it makes sense to play in the US given the difference in paydays. I do hope in the future the LET players Prizefunds increase. Maybe the day will also come when the LPGA plays for the same prize money as the PGA. It's hard to believe #29 on the LPGA money list is at $300,155 versus #29 on the PGA tour at $1,923,250 (nearly $2 million calms!!).