The Solheim Cup will have a Las Vegas feel, as a quarter of the U.S. team calls the city home.

Rose Zhang, Allisen Corpuz and Alison Lee qualified for the 12-person team that will compete against Europe from September 13-15 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.

All three are taking part in the event for the second time, although Lee has not been part of the team since 2015. The nine-year gap between appearances is the longest in the event’s history.

Other automatic qualifiers include Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing, Megan Khang and Andrea Lee.

On Tuesday, captain Stacy Lewis named Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho and Sarah Schmelzel to the team. The event is most likely the swan song for Thompson, who is retiring from full-time golf after the season. She will be competing in the Solheim Cup for the seventh consecutive year.

The USA leads the competition 10-7, but Europe has won the last three times.

Indoor league

Billed as the world’s largest indoor golf league, the league is set to launch next month and Las Vegas is one of the venues for players looking to participate.

Five Iron Golf’s fall league begins September 16 and lasts eight weeks, with teams from the United States, Australia, Singapore, Dubai and India competing in virtual competitions.

Las Vegas participants play their rounds on Mondays or Tuesdays at Five Iron’s Area 51 facility. The cost is $33 to $44 per round.

“We are always striving to provide our golfers with access to incredible opportunities while also offering them the convenience of being able to play in their city after work,” said Jared Soloman, CEO and co-founder of Five Iron Golf.

The season will use handicap scoring to level the playing field. Those without a handicap can secure one by playing a free round on September 9 or 10.

Teams will play in a variety of formats including scrambles, best ball and Scottish foursomes. Virtual courses played on include St. Andrews, Royal Melbourne and Pinehurst.

There are various prizes to be won, including the main prize, a four-day stay at the Westin Dubai.

Five Iron Golf has 26 locations across the U.S., with a second facility set to open soon in Seattle.

Players can register at fiveirongolf.com.

Close decision

Las Vegas golfer Maverick McNealy expects to play in up to seven of the eight events on the PGA Tour’s fall schedule after narrowly missing the top 50 in the FedEx Cup points race.

McNealy finished 53rd, falling short of the coveted top 50 that guarantees players a spot in eight special events in 2025 with huge prize pools and limited fields. He was 51 points short of the mark, so he changed his plans for the fall.

“It’s the difference between playing seven tournaments this fall or four tournaments,” he said. “There are weddings I want to go to. There are things in life. There’s a little break and recovery. I get to spend a little time at home. Those are all things that are at stake.”

If McNealy can maintain his ranking between No. 51 and 60 this fall, he will be eligible to play in the first two major events of 2025, hence the planned busy schedule that includes the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin.

Despite the close result, McNealy was satisfied with his regular season.

“I started the year with a medical and didn’t play in any of the signature events. Given the tremendous amount of points scored in those events, I’m really proud to have had a chance to make the top 50,” he said. “My name is in front of a lot of guys who played for a lot of points in those no-cut events.”

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at [email protected].

Professional schedule

PGA Tour

What: Tour Championship

When: Thursday-Sunday

Where: East Lake GC, Atlanta

Wallet: 81.8 million US dollars

Champions 2023: Viktor Hovland

LPGA-Tour

What: FM Championship

When: Thursday-Sunday

Where: TPC Boston, Norton, Mass.

Wallet: 3.8 million US dollars

Champions 2023: Opening event