The Ladies European Tour is delighted to announce the appointment of Golf Course St. Leon-Rot in Germany as the venue for The 2015 Solheim Cup.

Golf Course St. Leon-Rot is located near Heidelberg and only an hour’s drive away from Frankfurt. The club has hosted many leading professional and amateur events including the Deutsche Bank SAP Open with triple champion Tiger Woods, as well as one of Europe’s leading youth tournaments, the Allianz German Boys & Girls Open.

In addition to boasting 36 holes of championship golf, the venue has built some of the most spectacular practice facilities in the world with the aim of developing the most talented junior golfers in Germany.

The Ladies European Tour is delighted to welcome Allianz as the event’s insurance partner and SAP as global technology partner of the 2015 Solheim Cup as the final two Global Partners for the event who will join PING and Rolex to complete a strong family of global brands in 2015. Allianz and SAP are both German brands with international business which have been instrumental in bringing the event to Germany in 2015 and will work with the Ladies European Tour, Deutsche Golf Federation and Golf Club St. Leon-Rot to ensure the event is a great success both domestically and internationally.

Alexandra Armas, Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour, said: “We are delighted to be taking The 2015 Solheim Cup to Germany and to Golf Club St. Leon-Rot who have such a strong international reputation for both hosting major international tournaments but also for developing the most talented juniors in Germany. The Ladies European Tour looks forward to working with all parties involved in the project to make the event a great success including the Deutsche Golf Federation and welcoming global brands Allianz and SAP to the family of international partners which is a great endorsement of the profile of the event.”

“The Solheim family is thrilled with the selection of the Golf Club St. Leon-Rot as the site for the 2015 Solheim Cup,” said John A. Solheim, Chairman and CEO of PING. “It is a wonderful golf facility that will provide a difficult test for the professionals and juniors. I know the team at the club will provide everyone with an exceptional experience. It is very special to welcome two new partners in Allianz and SAP for the event. Their worldwide reputations certainly add a great deal to the Solheim Cup.

Dietmar Hopp, President of the Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, commented: “Our vision is to see the golfers we support taking their place at the top of the world game, demonstrating just what can be achieved. For this, young golfers need sporting role models to inspire them and drive them on in their everyday training, examples from whom they can take a lead. At the Solheim Cup our athletes will get to see the world's best professional women golfers live, providing them with a unique and valuable experience for their career.”

German player Sandra Gal, a member of the victorious 2011 European Solheim Cup Team, stated: "I can't wait for Germany to host the 2015 Solheim Cup. It will be a fantastic experience for our golf in Germany and its upcoming talents to witness the excitement of such a prestigious event like the Solheim Cup. I am sure my home country will be a great host."

About The Solheim Cup

The Solheim Cup combines the tradition and prestige of the game of golf with passion for one’s country. This biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition features the best U.S.-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the best European members from the Ladies European Tour (LET).

The Solheim Cup is named in honor of Karsten Solheim, the founder of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, which makes PING golf equipment. In 1990, the Solheim family, in conjunction with the LPGA and the LET, developed the concept and became the title sponsor for The Solheim Cup, professional golf’s international match-play competition for women. Held every two years, the event has grown into the most prestigious international women’s professional golf team event. The Solheim Cup is the most highly coveted trophy in women’s professional golf team competition; some of the most memorable moments in the sport have happened during one of The Solheim Cups, and berths on the U.S. and European teams are highly sought after by players from both organizations.

The 2013 Solheim Cup will take place Aug. 13-18 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo. The European Team enters the competition holding the Cup and will need 14 points to retain it, with the U.S. Team needing 14½ points to regain the coveted Waterford Crystal prize. The U.S. team holds an 8-4 lead in the matches, which began in 1990.

In addition to founding sponsor PING, Rolex is also a Global Partner of The Solheim Cup. For more information about The Solheim Cup and updated standings for each team, log on to www.solheimcupeurope.com

About the Ladies European Tour

The LET is women’s golf’s most international tour as its professional players represent 34 countries and their game is broadcast in 240 million homes in 80 countries globally. In 2012, the tournament schedule features 24 events in 19 different countries over four continents. For further information please go to www.ladieseuropeantour.com.

About Golf Club St. Leon-Rot

The club, founded in 1996, has two 18-hole championship courses which have both already been venues for the Deutsche Bank SAP Open, a professional tournament on the PGA European Tour. Tiger Woods won the tournament in 1999, 2001 and 2002. The two courses, 'St. Leon' and 'Rot', have both received multiple accolades from the specialist press. The Rot championship course, for example, won the sought-after Golf Journal Travel Award nine times in a row up to 2010, as 'Germany's most popular golf course'. In 2011 and 2012 the award went to the St. Leon course. In 2000 Golf Magazin named Fairway 9 on the 'Rot' course one of the 'Top 500 Holes in the World'. The club also has a 9-hole short course and a 5-hole 'bambini' course. There are also spacious, high-quality practice areas available in the form of a driving range, an innovative video training centre, and various pitching, chipping and putting greens. In 2011 the large, innovative Allianz Indoor Short Game Center of Excellence was opened; this now allows the club's key players to practise all year round. The club is also known for its outstanding position in the field of German amateur golf. For years, an exemplary, systematic youth development scheme has formed the basis for sporting success. Thus St. Leon-Rot produced the German men's team champions for seven years in a row from 2004 to 2010. There was also one European Championship win. The women's team boasts five German championships and five European Champion titles. On top of all this, the players Stephan Gross (2008) and Sophia Popov (2010) took home an Individual European Championship title. A key role in St. Leon-Rot's rise to become one of Germany's best golf clubs is played by club president Dietmar Hopp, a co-founder of the Walldorf software corporation SAP.