Elsham GC greenkeeper follows Ryder Cup work with Solheim opportunity

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Elsham Golf Club in Lincolnshire’s head greenkeeper, Colin Hopper, is looking forward to getting up close to his second Europe versus USA clash later this year.

According to the Market Rasen Mail, Colin has been invited to join the greens team working at the Solheim Cup in September which takes place at Gleneagles in Scotland.

Last year Colin was on the team which helped stage the Ryder Cup in France, as well as at the French Open.

Colin sees it all as another great opportunity to learn more about tournament golf set-up, other greenkeeping skills and bring some ideas back to Elsham where former Open winner and Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin was a member in his halcyon days of the 1970s.

Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew with Scottish Golf CEO Andrew McKinlay and the trophy

Zane Paxman, also on the greenkeeping staff at Elsham, is to take Colin’s place on the French Open support team at Le Golf National in October.

The Solheim Cup is the pinnacle of women’s golf, with the best golfers from Europe and the United States going head-to-head, watched by millions around the world.

Colin said: “It will be another great experience; it will be such a major event. “Here at Elsham we don’t have all the resources that they have at Gleneagles, but obviously we hope that from being there we can bring at least a little bit of what they do as we seek to reach their standards back here, and so everyone benefits including the club.

“I am really looking forward to it.”