There can’t be many brands that would financially underwrite a brand new sporting event without insisting on calling it after themselves, but that’s what Ping did with the Solheim Cup.
As the biennial contest between the best women’s golfers from the United States and Europe reignites this weekend, it’s a story of monetary sacrifice – both in covering the competition’s early losses and leaving millions in sponsorship value on the table.
It hasn’t been without its upsides for Ping and its founder, but in an era of FedEx Cups and DP World Tours it’s a rare example of clean branding and principles coming before profit.
Who was Karsten Solheim?
Like the Ryder Cup, its men’s equivalent, the Solheim Cup is named after one of the most important figures in its creation: Karsten Solheim.
The Norwegian-born US resident founded golf manufacturer Ping in the 1950s after taking up the game in middle age and becoming frustrated with his putting, which he put down to imperfect design.
Within a decade he went from making prototypes out of lolly sticks and sugar cubes in his garage to producing a revolutionary putter used in PGA Tour wins.
It became the best-selling club in the history of the game and other manufacturers soon copied his design, which moved the join between shaft and blade from the heel to the centre to create a much more forgiving putter.
The Solheims and women’s golf
Ping’s success made Solheim hugely wealthy and he was generous in using his fortune to develop golf, donating millions for courses to be built in Arizona and Oklahoma.
He and his wife Louise were early supporters of women’s golf and trailblazers when it came to sponsoring events, backing multiple tournaments on the LPGA Tour even though they were loss-making.
“My dad’s feeling was ladies’ golf did not get the attention it should for the level of their play,” his son John Solheim told BBC Sport. “He wanted to make sure that it did and he worked hard to do that.”
So in the late 1980s when the LPGA accepted an invitation from its European counterpart the Women’s Professional Golfers’ Association (now the LET) to create their own version of the Ryder Cup, the Americans knew just who to approach.
Ping is still the main sponsor of the Solheim Cup, which might have been called the Ping Cup
How the Solheim Cup got its name
The LPGA’s then-commissioner Bill Blue arranged a meeting with the Solheims in early 1990 and asked them if they would underwrite the first two editions of the competition.
Karsten, Louise and John conferred and made a counter-offer: to bankroll the first 10, locking them in for 20 years. The LPGA was only too happy to agree.
Three different names were considered: the Karsten Cup, the Ping Cup and the Solheim Cup. The latter was agreed upon, despite the obvious benefits of using the company name.
Louise Solheim is even said to have insisted that the event shouldn’t be used as a showcase for Ping products lest it distract from the competition itself.
Ping sponsorship of the Solheim Cup
The first Solheim Cup took place just nine months after that meeting, in November 1990 at Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida, where the US thrashed Europe 11.5-4.5.
Thirty-four years later, Ping remains the main sponsor of the contest, although it has since been joined by other global brands such as Hilton and Rolex.
Not until the third meeting between the teams in 1994 did broadcast networks televise it. Solheim Sr bought up all of the advertising slots to ensure it would go ahead.
Like the Ryder Cup, it has only grown in popularity since. Europe’s defence of the trophy in Spain last year was the most-watched edition ever, according to Sky Sports.
Karsten Solheim’s son John (left) and wife Louise (right) were also key to launching and naming the Solheim Cup
The Solheims’ legacy
Karsten Solheim passed away in February 2000, aged 88, and Louise in 2017. Their son John is now president of the business and their grandson – also John – is CEO.
Of course, Ping has benefited from its strong links to women’s golf, although their motivation for creating an event that will attract millions of eyeballs over the coming days went far beyond that.
“They really didn’t see a difference; they saw both men and women as professional golfers,” Ping historian Rob Griffin told MyGolfSpy. “It was good business to support both.”
Even in 1994, Europe’s captain Mickey Walker felt that the matches had “taken our sport to another level”. She added: “Women’s golf around the world is stronger today because of Karsten and Louise Solheim.”