Bruchsal, Germany: European Solheim Cup team captain Carin Koch has seen first-hand that her team has the power for this year’s tournament after leading them on a specially arranged John Deere ride and drive event.
Asian Golf Industry Federation Executive Member John Deere is the official machinery supplier to the 2015 Solheim Cup.
Koch and members of the team put the latest generation of agricultural tractors and Gator utility vehicles through their paces at the company’s test track facility in Bruchsal, Germany.
“We had a lot of fun! These are totally different to the vehicles we would normally use. We appreciated the opportunity and were impressed by how easy it was to drive the various machines,” Koch was quoted as saying by Golf Business News.
The 10 team members – who are more used to seeing and operating equipment on golf courses such as John Deere Gators and players’ golf buggies – clearly enjoyed their first experience of driving powerful agricultural tractors ranging from 215 to 370 hp, and several shared the occasion on social media channels.
The Solheim Cup is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match play competition for women that features the best European golfers from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the best US-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
Held every two years, the event has grown into the most prestigious international women’s professional golf team event
The 2015 Solheim Cup will take place from September 18-20 at St Leon-Rot Golf Club in Germany.
The European team enters the competition holding the Cup and will need 14 points to retain it, with the US team needing 14½ points to regain the trophy. The US holds an overall 8-5 lead in the series, which began in 1990, and is undefeated (6-0) on American soil.