International team holds slim lead after round one of the Palmer Cup

July 5, 2024 | by Golf Coaches Association of America

Ryan Griffin (Arnold Palmer Cup Photo)

Ryan Griffin sank a putt on No. 18 to secure the final point of the day for the Internationals to lead 6.5 to 5.5 after round one

Team International leads Team USA 6.5-5.5 after the first 12 matches of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup at Lahinch Golf Club.

In the tournament’s opening match, Team USA’s Jack Lundin and Latanna Stone led 2UP heading into the turn and never looked back, defeating Team International’s Hannah Darling and Ben van Wyk, 3&2.

“Our team chemistry was really good today,” said Lundin, the senior from Sioux Falls, S.D. “Whenever I was getting down, he was lifting me up,” added Stone. “We grinded it out today.”

Ireland natives Sara Byrne and Max Kennedy grabbed Team International’s first point in Match 7 with their 5&4 victory over Team USA’s Jackson Klutznick and Farah O’Keefe that included five birdies and two eagles.

“That was so much fun,” Douglas, Cork, native Byrne said. “We both played pretty much out of our skin and are really trying to enjoy the week. We put the foot down early and kept it going.” “We dovetailed as good as you ever could,” Kennedy, the Dublin native, continued. “Makes it a lot easier when you’re making birdies to have a laugh and smile, but we’re going to have a good time regardless.”

Anna Morgan and Gordon Sargent kept Team USA in the loop as the afternoon began with birdies on eight of the 16 holes during their 4&2 win over Team International’s Emma Bunch and Filip Jakubcik.

“We both did a good job of staying in the hole,” Sargent, a junior from Birmingham, Ala., said. “That’s important in best ball, especially with how windy it is here. Anna hit it really well and made some big putts for us early to put us in position. We had many birdie looks and continued putting pressure on the other team. Team atmosphere is awesome and we’re looking forward to the rest of the week.”

After Team International victories from Bastien Amat/Adela Cernousek (1UP) and Paula Martín Sampedro/Calum Scott (2&1), the pairs of Maxwell Ford/Rachel Kuehn and Melanie Green/Michael La Sasso got full points each for Team USA with 4&3 wins.

Mary Kelly Mulcahy and Jackson Van Paris’ birdie save on the 18th hole of their 1UP win over Team International’s Castellón, Spain duo of Josele Ballester and Carla Bernat set the tone for the final hour of the opening round.

Down three through the 15th hole, Team USA’s Zoe Campos and David Ford got Match 12 to the 18th hole against Maynooth and Team International’s Ryan Griffin and Kate Lanigan. With the wave of Lahinch’s crowd cheering them on surrounding each moment, difficult approach shots put Ford and Campos in and around the below-green bunker while Griffin landed about 12 feet short of the hole. Needing to make the putt to tie the hole and give Team International the full point, Griffin enthusiastically did just that.

“It’s never over until it’s over,” said Ballybofey’s Griffin. “I knew that if I managed to roll that in, I was going to give a big roar and get a big roar. This is one of the biggest events ever played here and that’s what it’s all about.”

Pairings for tomorrow’s two rounds are listed below. Round 2 will begin at 8:30 am IST (Irish Standard Time) and will be followed by approximately 1:30 pm IST beginning tee times for Round 3. Follow along with scoring live at THIS LINK.

Round 2: Foursomes Pairings

8:30 am (#1): Caitlyn Macnab/Louise Rydqvist (International) vs. Mary Kelly Mulcahy/Farah O’Keefe (USA)

8:30 am (#10): Phichaksn Maichon/Ben van Wyk (International) vs. Jackson Koivun/Brendan Valdes (USA)

8:40 am (#1): Max Kennedy/Calum Scott (International) vs. Jack Lundin/Jackson Van Paris (USA)

8:40 am (#10): Adela Cernousek/Maria José Marin (International) vs. Anna Davis/Kiara Romero (USA)

8:50 am (#1): Hannah Darling/Julia Lopez Ramirez (International) vs. Maisie Filler/Amanda Sambach (USA)

8:50 am (#10): Bastien Amat/Jacob Skov Olesen (International) vs. Ian Gilligan/Jackson Klutznick (USA)

9:00 am (#1): Santiago de la Fuente/Omar Morales (International) vs. David Ford/Maxwell Ford (USA)

9:00 am (#10): Carla Bernat/Paula Martín Sampedro (International) vs. Melanie Green/Rachel Kuehn (USA)

9:10 am (#1): Sara Byrne/Kate Lanigan (International) vs. Zoe Campos/Catherine Park (USA)

9:10 am (#10): Ryan Griffin/Filip Jakubcik (International) vs. Ben James/Preston Summerhays (USA)

9:20 am (#1): Josele Ballester/Wenyi Ding (International) vs. Michael La Sasso/Gordon Sargent (USA)

9:20 am (#10): Emma Bunch/Mirabel Ting (International) vs. Anna Morgan/Latanna Stone (USA)

Round 3: Mixed Foursomes Pairings

1:30 pm (#1): Caitlyn Macnab/Jacob Skov Olesen (International) vs. Jackson Klutznick/Farah O’Keefe (USA)

1:30 pm (#10): Hannah Darling/Phichaksn Maichon (International) vs. Ian Gilligan/Maisie Filler (USA)

1:40 pm (#1): Sara Byrne/Max Kennedy (International) vs. Ben James/Amanda Sambach (USA)

1:40 pm (#10): Bastien Amat/Adela Cernousek (International) vs. Jackson Koivun/Kiara Romero (USA)

1:50 pm (#1): Santiago de la Fuente/Julia Lopez Ramirez (International) vs. Anna Davis/Brendan Valdes (USA)

1:50 pm (#10): Josele Ballester/Carla Bernat (International) vs. Anna Morgan/Gordon Sargent (USA)

2:00 pm (#1): Paula Martín Sampedro/Calum Scott (International) vs. Jack Lundin/Latanna Stone (USA)

2:00 pm (#10): Emma Bunch/Filip Jakubcik (International) vs. Catherine Park/Preston Summerhays (USA)

2:10 pm (#1): Ryan Griffin/Kate Lanigan (International) vs. Mary Kelly Mulcahy/Jackson Van Paris (USA)

2:10 pm (#10): Maria José Marin/Omar Morales (International) vs. Maxwell Ford/Rachel Kuehn (USA)

2:20 pm (#1): Wenyi Ding/Louise Rydqvist (International) vs. Melanie Green/Michael La Sasso (USA)

2:20 pm (#10): Mirabel Ting/Ben van Wyk (International) vs. Zoe Campos/David Ford (USA)

About the Palmer Cup

International team holds slim lead after round one of 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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