Michael Beard, Derek Radley, Golda Borst and John Handrigan selected to head up sides at the 2023 Palmer Cup
Sweden’s Golda Borst of Kentucky and Canada’s John Handrigan of Notre Dame will coach the International side while Derek Radley of Oregon and Pepperdine’s Michael Beard will lead Team USA at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup at Laurel Valley Golf Club.
The Ryder Cup-style competition that features men’s and women’s collegiate golfers from the United States versus their International counterparts will be played June 8-10. USA leads the all-time series 13-12-1.
Borst, who helped Team International to a 2022 Palmer Cup victory as an assistant coach, is in her 13th year leading the Kentucky women’s golf program. The Wildcats have made eight NCAA Regional appearances, including their first NCAA Championship berth since 1992 in 2021, under Borst. Kentucky has posted all 10 of the top 10 single-season team scoring averages, all 20 of the top 20 single-season player scoring averages, and all 25 of the top 25 marks for most single-season par or better rounds in program history with Borst at the helm. Academically, the Wildcats have finished in the top 10% of all women’s golf teams in the Academic Progress Rate, which measures academic eligibility, retention, and graduation, in four straight years. A four-year letterwinner for the women's golf team, Borst graduated from Tennessee in 2006 with a degree in communication studies. At Tennessee, she served as team captain in 2005, earned All-SEC Second Team honors in 2006, and was named a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member. A native of Visby, Sweden, Borst competed for the Swedish National Golf Team from 1999-2003. With Borst, the team claimed medalist honors at the Girls European Team Championship in 2000, second at the Lady's European Team Championship in 2001, and third in the Lady's European Team Championship in 2002.
Handrigan is in his sixth season as head men’s golf coach at Notre Dame and first as the Irish’s Director of Golf. Notre Dame was a top-20 ranked team for the entire 2021-22 season, finished a program-best fifth at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, and earned the team’s highest seed ever – third – in the NCAA Regional. They posted 10 consecutive top-five finishes in 2021-22, including victories at the Stephens Cup and a tie for first place at the Gopher Invitational. Handrigan has recruited and developed the top three golfers, in terms of stroke average, in program history – Davis Chatfield (second, 71.63), Taichi Kho (third, 72.56), and 2022 Palmer Cup participant Palmer Jackson (first, 70.89). A Bracebridge, Ontario, native, Handrigan played collegiately at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pa., an hour northeast of Ligonier. He was an All-Northeast Conference selection in 1998 and runner-up at the league’s tournament. Handrigan was the Red Flash’s men’s golfer of the year each of his four seasons and earned the school’s male student-athlete of the year honor as a senior in 2000. After briefly playing professionally, Handrigan began his coaching career as an assistant back at St. Francis, a position he held until being named the head coach at Coker College in 2003. Handrigan has also been a head coach at Queens Charlotte.
Radley has built a strong foundation since being named Oregon’s head coach in 2018, taking the Ducks to historic heights in the process. In the 41 events Radley’s been at the helm, Oregon has compiled 33 top-five finishes and six victories. He led the Ducks to their first Pac-12 Championship and NCAA Regional titles last season and finished as the national runner-up, the highest result in program history. Radley has coached four players to six all-American selections, including a whopping four players earning 2022 All-America recognitions. Hsin-Yu (Cynthia) Lu, the Pac-12 individual champion, and Heather Lin, both members of Team International’s 2022 Palmer Cup victory, were second-team WGCA All-Americans and first-team All-Pac-12 members. Prior to beginning his head coaching career in Eugene, Radley spent six seasons at Arizona as an assistant coach and associate head coach, helping lead the Wildcats to the 2018 national championship. A two-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) selection at Ferris State, Radley graduated in 2006 with a degree in marketing and professional golf management. The Cleveland, Ohio, native is a PGA Class A Professional and was the coach and caddie for LPGA pro and eventual wife Sara Brown in 2010 and 2011.
The 2020 Dave Williams National Coach of the Year and 2021 NCAA Champion, Beard has restored the Pepperdine men’s golf program to elite status and has the Waves poised for postseason success for years to come. He is in his 11th season as head coach in 2022-23. A six-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year and two-time Golf Pride West Region Coach of the Year, Beard took the Waves to the pinnacle in 2021 when Pepperdine captured its first national championship since 1997. During his tenure, the Waves have won 19 tournaments and had 21 medalists, which includes five WCC team titles and four WCC individual champions. Eight different Waves have been named All-Americans, and 2018 Palmer Cup alum Sahith Theegala was the unanimous 2020 National Player of the Year, winning the Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Fred Haskins awards. Beard, a Palm Desert, Ca., native, played at Pepperdine between 1999 and 2002, earning two PING All-American honorable mention and four-time First-Team All-WCC honors while winning the 2000 NCAA West Regional and 2002 WCC Championship individual titles. After graduating, he played professionally for several years before rejoining Pepperdine for one season (2010-11) as an assistant coach.
About the Palmer Cup
The annual Ryder Cup-style competition features top men and women collegiate players from the United States against their International counterparts. Each team will be comprised of 12 men's and 12 women's golfers. Day one will feature Mixed Four-Ball...
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