Sport and entertainment stars from beyond golf will take on Bernardus ahead of the Solheim Cup, with the line-up for the All-Star Challenge now confirmed.
The Solheim Cup All-Star Challenge will take place at Bernardus Golf on Thursday 10 September at 2pm, bringing together sporting and entertainment personalities for an afternoon of conversation and competition ahead of the main event. It’s designed as an early taste of the atmosphere before the Solheim Cup itself gets under way on Friday.
How the afternoon will run
The event opens with a Q&A on the first tee, hosted by BBC Sport broadcaster Andrew Cotter and featuring Dutch darts player Gian van Veen, European golf legend Suzann Pettersen and Dutch golf star Anne van Dam. Van Dam, a former Solheim Cup player, is Team Europe Vice Captain and Captain of the European PING Junior side this year. Between them, the three will talk through what it takes to perform at the highest level, including the pressure and preparation involved in competing in front of a crowd.
From there, the full line-up will hit opening shots off the first tee in front of spectators, before playing a three-hole challenge across Bernardus’ 1st, 6th and 18th holes. The afternoon finishes on the 18th, where prizes will be presented to the winning participants.
Who’s playing
The confirmed field spans several sports. Van Veen, known as The Giant, is currently ranked world number three in the Professional Darts Corporation. He’s joined by former England goalkeeper Carly Telford, who won 28 caps for her country, alongside former England cricket captain Heather Knight OBE and former England and British and Irish Lions rugby international Anthony Watson.
Knight led England to World Cup victory in 2017 and became the first player, male or female, to score a century in all three cricket formats. Watson earned 56 caps for England across two Rugby World Cups.
Pettersen brings a Solheim Cup captain’s perspective to the field, with two major championships and nine Solheim Cup appearances behind her, including the winning putt at the 2019 edition that closed out her competitive career. Completing the line-up is DJ Spoony, the broadcaster and founding member of the Dreem Teem, who adds an entertainment presence to the day both on the tee and around the course.
Tickets on sale – Solheim Cup Tickets
Keep up to date with all the news from the Solheim Cup
