The beautiful Torre Leonera Park in the Malaga town of Benahavís has served as the setting for the presentation of the Club Ambassador Program, an initiative associated with the Solheim Cup 2023 that has brought together 40 ambassadors of this international team competition that will bring together Europe and the United States on Spanish soil for the first time in the history of the tournament from September 18 to 24, 2023 at Finca Cortesín (Costa del Sol, Andalusia).

This program aims to bring the Solheim Cup closer to golfers from all over the world and will allow participating clubs and entities to enjoy a number of advantages associated with its promotion (such as, for example, having a travel package under special conditions for the 2021 Solheim Cup that will be held this year in the United States).

To this end, the figure of ambassador for the Solheim Cup 2023 has been created, which will identify those players and club members especially gifted in inspiring, mobilizing and transmitting, all qualities essential to spreading the importance and pride of hosting the Solheim Cup in 2023.

After securing the unanimous support of the Spanish and Andalusian institutions (all of them represented in the Torre Leonera Park), thanks to this initiative the Solheim Cup 2023 strengthens its ties with the community of golf fans, a fact that was confirmed in the ceremony of handing over credentials to the ambassadors, which was presided over by the mayor of Benahavís, José Antonio Mena, and in which Ángeles Muñoz, mayor of Marbella, José Carrasco, mayor of Casares, and Pablo Mansilla, president of the RFGA, also participated.

Forty ambassadors from ten different countries attended the event, the first representatives of a group that already has members in Spain (led by Ana Belén Sánchez, a player who competed in the 2003 Solheim Cup) and across the Atlantic (such as the Andalusian professional Belén Mozo, currently based in Colombia, and Azucena Maldonado, president of the Latina Golfers Association of Los Angeles, USA). Their enthusiasm and motivation were evident during the ceremony. José Antonio Mena, mayor of Benahavís and host of the event, emphasized in his speech the importance of the 2023 Solheim Cup for Benahavís and the Costa del Sol, as well as highlighting the fundamental role the ambassadors will play in ensuring that the Costa del Sol, Andalusia, Spain, and the entire world experience golf from now until the 2023 edition.

“The event taking place in just over two years is of fundamental importance to the Costa del Sol, so the appeal made with the launch of this program is extremely important. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Montse, María, Rocío, Lola, and all your colleagues. You, the ambassadors, have been responsible, over these years, for promoting this event and its setting, the Costa del Sol and Andalusia, at a time when these efforts are more necessary than ever to showcase the best of southern Spain,” José Antonio Mena emphasized.

For his part, Pablo Mansilla, president of the RFAG, wanted to emphasize the importance of enthusiasm as the driving force behind an international event of this nature and the essential role of the female golf federation members in structuring an initiative of this magnitude.

“The Solheim Cup isn't just important for tourism, which it is, but also for sport. It will be the first time we've had a Solheim Cup here in Spain, something incredibly important for sport in Malaga, for sport on the Costa del Sol, for Andalusian sport, and for Spanish sport… and especially for women's sport. And you have to spread the word about the Solheim Cup everywhere (Andalusia, Costa del Sol, Marbella, Benahavís, Casares), because the Solheim Cup has to be felt everywhere, and you have to make a lot of noise. Like it's done at the Solheim Cup: with the utmost respect, but so that everyone knows we're here, that golf is a fantastic sport, the number one sport in terms of female players in Andalusia, and that we need to be many more,” said Pablo Mansilla.

The 2023 Solheim Cup, an event of exceptional public interest whose official venue is Finca Cortesín, is sponsored by PING, Costa del Sol, and Rolex as global partners; and by Andalucía, Acosol, the Marbella City Council, and the Benahavís City Council as official partners. Solán de Cabras, Eversheds Sutherland, and the Casares City Council are official suppliers. Marca and Radio Marca are official media outlets. The LET, LPGA, RFEG, RFGA, and Deporte & Business collaborate in its organization.

SOURCE: Solheim Cup 2023 Organization