It's hard enough hitting a putt on the 18th hole to win a $2.00 Nassau. Imagine lining up a putt to lock up a trip to Ireland.
The U.S. Golf Challenge gives amateur golfers of all abilities the opportunity to hit some of the most important golf shots of their lives.
The King's Cup, at Hermitage Golf Club in Nashville, Tenn., is a culminating event designed to identify eight teams who will represent the United States against a collection of international players in Ireland in May 2023. The three round event doesn't just test a golfer's skills, it also tests the strength of the partnerships.
The eight flights all have the same format; the first round is best ball, the second round is alternate shot, and the third round is combined stroke play where every shot from each partner counts.
In the open championship division, Ryan Arnold of Illinois and Jeff Williams of Texas booked their all-expenses paid trip to Ireland. They beat out the only other duo in their flight, Jacob Phillips
and Marc Phillips of Georgia. During the three rounds, Arnold and Williams shot a collective 5-over par, outpacing Team Phillips by eight shots. Arnold and Williams shot 68 in best ball and an impressive 72 in alternate shot. On the third day, Arnold shot a 78 on his own ball and Williams started his round with birdies on the first two holes on his way to a 75.
The final day in the senior open flight was rather stress free for winners Carl Ellis and Andrew Titterton. They shot 67-72 in the opening two rounds and led William Orne and Matt Dunder by ten shots. The duo from Colorado ended up winning by 21 shots after Ellis shot 76 and Titterton shot 74 in the third round.
In the senior B flight, Curtis Henley and Bernie Loeher staged a miraculous comeback to force a playoff. They started the final round 17 shots behind the leaders Scott Hauser and Kirk Hartstein. Henley shot a 78 and Loeher shot 72 for a total of 150. Hauser and Hartstein shot 167, but the miracle came up just short as Hauser and Hartstein will head to Ireland after winning a sudden-death playoff.
Quite possibly the most clutch round of the day was posted by Terry Periman of Arizona. He shot a 75 in the senior A flight to close a four shot gap. Periman and his partner, Mike Medin, edged out Ron Lopez and Tim Clayman by a shot. Among those two pairings, Periman's round was the best by eight shots. After opening with a double bogey, he steadied the ship and will now hop on a plane to Ireland.
Congrats to the eight squads that earned a trip to represent the United States!
TEAM USA
Ryan Arnold and Jeff Williams
Artur Dart and Charles Worrilow
Daniel DeChirico and Thomas Solitario
Ryan Stuckenberg and Kyle Seeling
Carl Ellis and Andrew Titterton
Mike Medin and Terry Periman
Scott Hauser and Kirk Hartstein
Jill Kostick and David Conyers
