Mallorca, Spain: Syngenta’s commitment to both the women’s game and the development of turf professionals was underlined with its support of the volunteer greenkeeper team at this year’s Solheim Cup.

The 50 volunteer agronomists worked alongside the greenkeeping team at Finca Cortesin in southern Spain, the host venue, to prepare the course for the event in late September.

Hailing from Spain and across Continental Europe, the volunteers were guided by Ignacio Soto, Finca Cortesin’s Director of Agronomy, to ensure optimal playing conditions for the European and United States teams.

“Supporting the volunteer greenkeepers at the Solheim Cup 2023 underlined Syngenta’s commitment to both the women’s game and the development of turf professionals,” said Mark Birchmore, Global Head of Marketing, Turf & Landscape at Syngenta, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

“We continually seek ways to support our customers and stakeholders, showcase their abilities and talents, and invest in growing the game of golf,” added Birchmore.

Syngenta’s recent report ‘Golf & Social Media: Sustainability’ highlighted the need for golf to better communicate the art, science and sustainable solutions that go into creating excellent playing surfaces, and to shine a light on the key role of superintendents and greenkeepers as stewards of these environments.

During Solheim Cup week, Syngenta worked alongside turf volunteers to document their experiences through vlogs and social media content, helping to increase awareness of their role and efforts alongside those of Finca Cortesin’s agronomy team. These stories were shared by Syngenta Golf and Syngenta Turf channels. 

Away from the golf course, volunteers also benefitted from educational seminars to help increase their skills and knowledge.

This effort was part of Syngenta’s long-term commitment to the golf and turf industry, and follows many similar initiatives such as the US Women’s Open, where it supported the Women in Turf team.