Solheim Cup brings global attention and $60M boost to Northern Virginia

This weekend, Gainesville, Virginia is the center of the professional golf world.

The Solheim Cup tees off Friday morning at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County.

The competition features the 12 best U.S. Women’s Golfers against the 12 best Europeans.

It’s the first time Northern Virginia has hosted this event.  Robert Trent Jones last hosted a men’s team event in 2005, but never a women’s competition.

Women’s golf has surged in popularity in the last few years, according to the National Golf Foundation.

Maybree Mirt is 7, lives in Charles County, Maryland, and just started playing golf.

She had a moment of pure joy Wednesday.

She saw world number 1 Nelly Korda with her own eyes.

"Because Nelly’s here and I’ve heard her on TV a lot," Mirt said, "Really, really exciting."

It’s a big economic boost as well.  Prince William County tourism officials expect 150,000 spectators across the practice rounds and tournament days. 

They expect a $60 million injection across Northern Virginia counties since Gainesville is a little smaller and fans need to stay at hotels across the area.

"This is absolutely a share the wealth kind of event, right? We’ve seen visitors staying in Loudoun, Warrenton, Fairfax and then making their way over — pushing into Tysons a bit as well, the entire Northern Virginia is seeing an impact from this event," said Joey Pierce, a Prince William County Tourism official.

Shelly Fortier came from Florida and is staying near Chantilly: "This was on our bucket list. This is awesome."

Danita Knox came with an LPGA group from Georgia and is staying in Fair Oaks.

"With it being in the US, I absolutely had to make it," Knox said.

The tournament happens during even years, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they played in 2021, and 2023, and now one year later, in 2024 to get it back on schedule.

European fans who spoke with Fox 5 said they were excited to fly across the Atlantic to see D.C. and attend the tournament.

Fee and Jill Stapley-Harding went to the last Solheim Cup in Spain and felt the need to come again.

"And I said,  'what do you want to do? And she said, 'I want to go to the USA to see the Solheim Cup," Fee Stapley Harding said.

This was their second straight Solheim Cup.

On Wednesday, FOX 5 spoke with a group of European fans who were attending their seventh consecutive Cup.