(CNN) -- This weekend some of the world's highest-paid sportswomen will battle for supremacy in Ireland, with the most prestigious team prize in their sport up for grabs.





Golf's Solheim Cup is the female equivalent of the Ryder Cup, but it has yet to garner such a big reputation, despite a rich history and intense competition over the years.





With this in mind, CNN gives the lowdown on a great sporting event that deserves your attention...





From humble beginnings:





To trace the origins of the competition, we need to go back to 1959 and a garage in Redwood City, California.





It was in this garage that a 48-year-old Norwegian engineer and golf lover, fed up with the putters he was using to play the game, decided to use his in-depth knowledge of science to manufacturer his own putters by hand.





From these humble beginnings, the world famous PING brand of golfing equipment was born.





That man was Karsten Solheim and it was he, alongside his son John and the U.S. and European ladies golf tours , who developed the concept of a women's team event between the two continents.





The inaugural tournament, bearing Solheim's name, was held in 1990 at the Lake Nona club in Florida. Two teams of eight players faced each other, with the American side running out comfortable winners 11 1/2 to 4 1/2.





In 1996 the tournament was increased to 12 players per side, a number that stands to this day and it has become the leading team event in women's golf, with players earning their place either through their own tour money lists, or as a captain's pick -- exactly the same as in the men's Ryder Cup.





There have been 11 tournaments in total, with the United States leading 8-3, but the European team have not won any of the six competitions played on American soil.





The football-loving legend:





No look at the Solheim Cup can be taken without mentioning Laura Davies. Quite astonishingly, the Englishwoman, who turns 48 next month, has appeared in all 11 previous tournaments and, once again, she is a member of the European team at Kileen Castle.





Davies is a phenomenon in women's golf. As well as her achievements on the course -- which include winning four majors amongst her 81 victories -- she has been a flag-bearer for promoting the game, most notably when, in 2004, she became the first woman to compete on the men's European Tour.





Davies is sports daft and is a keen racehorse owner as well as an avid follower of Liverpool Football Club. However, her love of football got her into trouble with tournament organizers in the 1996 Evian Masters, when she was fined for watching a match on a portable TV during the final round of that tournament.





It didn't seem to hamper her game -- she won that particular tournament by four strokes!





Swedish legend Annika Sorenstam appeared in eight Solheim Cups, winning 22 of her 37 matches, while compatriot Sophie Gustafson, another member of the current side, and European captain Alison Nicholas have also starred in eight tournaments.





As for the Americans, you have to look hard to find a bigger legend than Juli Inkster. Despite reaching the age of 51 to become the oldest-ever competitior, the Californian is once again facing the European side this year, her ninth appearance in the event.





Breaking the mould:





The Solheim Cup has never really seen a player like Christina Kim before. Not only is the 27-year-old Californian a lucky charm for the United States, appearing in the winning teams of 2005 and 2009 -- claiming five out of eight points in the process -- her infectious personality, undiluted enthusiasm, larger-than-life character and wacky dress sense has been a highlight of recent competitions.





Kim is known for her bawdy sense of humor and occasional bouts of bad language that occasionally land her in hot water with golfing authorities.





Describing her fist-pumping celebrations in the 2009 Solheim Cup, former LPGA star Dottie Pepper wrote in a column for Sports Illustrated: "I
which is the name of the oldest competitor Solheim Cup? Who is American Juli Inkster? Who has been only player to compete in every Solheim Cup? When will be Solhem Cup take the place?
Juli Inkster. the oldest-ever competitior, Laura Davies. weekend
question: which is the name of the oldest competitor Solheim Cup?, answer: Juli Inkster. | question: Who is American Juli Inkster?, answer: the oldest-ever competitior, | question: Who has been only player to compete in every Solheim Cup?, answer: Laura Davies. | question: When will be Solhem Cup take the place?, answer: weekend