The Costa del Sol has been the setting for a great event in which it has been celebrated that there are only 365 days left until the most important women's golf competition in the world arrives for the first time in Spain.

An extraordinary celebration, called “One Year To Go,” comprised of several events, has marked the start of the countdown to the Solheim Cup 2023 coming to Spain for the first time. There is only one year left until the world's most prestigious women's golf competition arrives at Finca Cortesín, specifically from September 22nd to 24th, 2023.

To highlight those 365 days that will be crossed off the calendar so that the teams from Europe and the USA can face each other on the Costa del Sol, the dock of the emblematic Puerto Banús in Marbella brought together 365 children from different golf schools in Andalusia in which, in unison, they made the "Longest Swing".

The young golfers took their places and, forming a huge multicolored wave, made an approach shot towards the sea with completely biodegradable balls.

Later, the captain of the European Solheim Cup team, Suzann Pettersen, arrived by helicopter and, with the magnificent tournament trophy in her hands, greeted each and every one of the children.

Exhibition match at Finca Cortesín

A few hours earlier, the focus was on the new first hole of Finca Cortesín, where an exhibition match took place in which Suzann Pettersen challenged model and actor Andrés Velencoso and D'Vicio guitarist Alberto González, "Missis", while the tournament ambassadors recreated the grand atmosphere that will be present at the Solheim Cup.

The European captain highlighted the design of the 1st hole, perfect for an event like the Solheim Cup and hoped it would be "a very noisy hole, with all the Spanish passion cheering on the European team.".

Vicente Rubio, general manager of Finca Cortesín, recalled how the LET “honored us by naming us the venue for the 2023 Solheim Cup, and since then, our team has been working to ensure its success. And in the next 12 months, we will continue along these lines of improvements to guarantee both the players and the fans a unique and unforgettable experience.”.

This moment concluded with a tribute to Raquel Carriedo, the first Spanish woman to compete in a Solheim Cup, who shared her memories of that historic experience in the 2000 edition with everyone present.

Triple countdown

The celebrations of this “One Year To Go” culminated in the extraordinary launch of three countdowns, one in each of the municipalities involved in the organization of the Solheim Cup 2023 (Benahavís, Casares and Marbella), to remind everyone of the time remaining until the celebration of this great event.

In Benahavís, the mayor, José Antonio Mena, was present, accompanied by Pablo Mansilla, president of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation.

“We have been fighting for a long time to bring this tournament to Spain and Andalusia, and now there is only one year left. Once again, Andalusia will be the world epicenter of golf and women's sport thanks to the Solheim Cup,” Mansilla declared.

“The golf industry is perhaps the most important in Benahavis and therefore, from the very beginning we have wanted to be part of the Solheim Cup, and this commitment will bring numerous benefits, both to our municipality and to the entire Costa del Sol,” Mena emphasized.

José Carrasco, the mayor of Casares, said he was “very proud to be able to offer our countless tourist resources and I am convinced that the Solheim Cup will mark a turning point for our municipality and for Andalusia.”,

And Manuel Cardeña, deputy mayor of Marbella and CEO of Acosol, emphasized that “the arrival of the Solheim Cup for the first time in Spain, and more specifically on the Costa del Sol, offers us a great opportunity to strengthen our position as a tourist destination and be the epicenter of world golf 365 days a year, something we must take advantage of.”.

Cardeña was accompanied by Arturo Bernal, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Andalusian Regional Government; Francisco Salado, President of the Malaga Provincial Council; and Margarita del Cid, Vice President of the Malaga Provincial Council, among other personalities such as Alan Solheim, representative of the firm that gives its name to the tournament, and people from the Ladies European Tour (LET), the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Sport & Business, the organizing company.

Specifically, Arturo Bernal was in charge of bringing to a close a marathon program of events that has focused on the arrival of the Solheim Cup in Spain in just twelve months.

“Hosting the Solheim Cup next year will allow Andalusia to once again demonstrate that we are the best destination in Europe for organizing and developing major sporting events in general, and golf events in particular,” he concluded.

SOURCE: Solheim Cup 2023 Organization