LAS VEGAS, Nev. - 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.
For more information about the Palmer Cup, visit arnoldpalmercup.com.
About the Arnold Palmer Cup
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and began at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla., in 1997. The event is a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top men’s and women’s university/college golfers matching the United States against a team of International players. The Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world’s greatest courses, including The Old Course at St. Andrews, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. Beginning with the 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club, the Palmer Cup is the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
Since its inception, over 125 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours; 34 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 75 have claimed over 310 victories on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours, including 2022 major champions Jennifer Kupcho (The Chevron Championship) and Justin Thomas (PGA Championship). The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 13-12-1.
The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation supports the Palmer Cup, which provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer’s commitment to youth character development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf. For more information, please visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com.
About the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation
The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation continues the Palmer family’s mission to champion youth health and development. By continuing their efforts to ensure every child gets the opportunity to live a life well played — through support for nature-focused well-being and character development through golf — the foundation is committed to keeping the Palmer legacy at the forefront of the global conversation of golf and society at large. Learn more at PalmerFoundation.org.
Rolex and the Arnold Palmer Cup
Through an unwavering commitment to the game of golf for more than 50 years, Rolex has developed one of the broadest and longest-standing relationships between brand and sport. These strong ties date back to 1967 when Rolex partnered with legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, making him the first official Rolex Golf Testimonee. The charismatic American holds a special place in golf history thanks as much to his natural talent and successful playing career as to his pioneering role in the sport. Since that pivotal bond began, Rolex has gone on to establish partnerships at every level of the sport, including with the governing bodies responsible for advancing the sport and with the finest players, from The Big Three to the New Guard who lead today’s rankings. The decision to partner with the Arnold Palmer Cup was thus a natural progression for the Swiss watchmaker and a tribute to Arnold Palmer’s inspiring legacy.
About Rolex
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacturer. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized around the world for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance, and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history. Rolex has registered over 500 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops, and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly, and finishing of the movement, case, dial, and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport, and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
About Nike
The exclusive footwear, apparel, headwear, and glove supplier of the Arnold Palmer Cup, our mission is what drives us to do everything possible to expand human potential. We do that by creating groundbreaking sport innovations, by making our products more sustainably, by building a creative and diverse global team, and by making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.