LAHINCH, Ireland - After Team USA took momentum and the lead earlier in the day, Team International got six key victories and two halves in Round 3 to knot the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup at 18 apiece heading into Sunday’s final-round singles matches.
The round’s first match in was Match 34 between Maria José Marin/Omar Morales and Team USA’s Maxwell Ford/Rachel Kuehn. Taking advantage of two eagles, including a conceded one on the 14th and match’s final hole, José Marin and Morales defeated Ford and Kuehn 7&5.
“We started off strong with really good shots,” said José Marin, a 2024 WGCA First-Team All-American. “It was more challenging because of the wind, which picked up hard from the morning, but we kept up the strategy that gave us the advantage. Omar’s a really strong player and I think our games complement each other well.”
Irish duo Sara Byrne (Douglas, Cork) and Max Kennedy (Dublin), who collected Team International’s first point of the 2024 Palmer Cup with their 5&4 win on Friday, found themselves down two with six to play in Match 27. Birdies on two of their final five holes were enough to beat Virginia and Team USA’s Ben James and Amanda Sambach 2UP.
Match 32 between Team International’s Emma Bunch/Filip Jakubcik and Catherine Park/Preston Summerhays saw Bunch and Jakubcik leading by at least three during the final 13 holes en route to their 4&3 victory. New Mexico State’s first golfer selected for the Palmer Cup, Bunch, recorded her second win Saturday by at least three.
The round and day ended with two thrilling finishes on the 18th green. First, after being up five through the first 10 holes and allowing three consecutive proceeding birdies, Team USA’s Mary Kelly Mulcahy and Jackson Van Paris picked up after their opening-round win with a 2UP victory against Maynooth and Team International’s Ryan Griffin and Kate Lanigan.
“It was a great match,” Van Paris said. “You don’t think the match is over when you’re up five through 10, but you feel pretty good about yourself. Then they rattled off three birdies in a row and really played a great back nine.”
“I’m super proud of Mary Kelly,” continued Van Paris. “That chip she hit on 18 was so cool. We met each other on the first tee yesterday and it’s been a blast. She’s the most humble golfer ever, saying how lucky she is to be here and then starts making every putt. We were talking today about how we need to find some professional mixed-gender team events that we can play in. She’s great and we’ve had a ton of fun.”
Match 35, the day’s final match to complete, featured one of the closest matches of the entire tournament between Team International’s Wenyi Ding/Louise Rydqvist and Melanie Green/Michael La Sasso. Neither team saw themselves ahead by more than one, and after Ding hit a pitch shot within 10 feet on the 18th hole, Rydqvist recorded the pair’s only under-par hole of the match by making eagle putt. The putt won the match 1UP and brought the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup score to 18-18.
“This wind is what I like and I just hit a straight ball,” said Ding, a 2024 PING First-Team All-American. “Those are the moments that we practice and embrace for,” Rydqvist, a 2024 WGCA First-Team All-American, added. “Today it went in and was a very enjoyable moment. Making the Arnold Palmer Cup team has been a goal of mine for a very long time. To meet a lot of new people like Wenyi and make friends for a lifetime makes me super blessed and happy to be here.”
Final round pairings, beginning at 7:30 am IST (Irish Standard Time), are listed below.
Final Round ~ Singles Pairings
*All times IST (Irish Standard Time)*
7:30 am (#1)
Michael La Sasso (United States) vs. Josele Ballester (International)
7:30 am (#10)
Jackson Van Paris (United States) vs. Calum Scott (International)
7:40 am (#1)
Jack Lundin (United States) vs. Filip Jakubcik (International)
7:40 am (#10)
Gordon Sargent (United States) vs. Bastien Amat (International)
7:50 am (#1)
Amanda Sambach (United States) vs. Adela Cernousek (International)
7:50 am (#10)
Mary Kelly Mulcahy (United States) vs. Kate Lanigan (International)
8:00 am (#1)
Maisie Filler (United States) vs. Hannah Darling (International)
8:00 am (#10)
Farah O’Keefe (United States) vs. Maria José Marin (International)
8:10 am (#1)
Rachel Kuehn (United States) vs. Louise Rydqvist (International)
8:10 am (#10)
Ian Gilligan (United States) vs. Omar Morales (International)
8:20 am (#1)
Jackson Klutznick (United States) vs. Santiago de la Fuente (International)
8:20 am (#10)
Anna Davis (United States) vs. Paula Martín Sampedro (International)
8:30 am (#1)
Melanie Green (United States) vs. Sara Byrne (International)
8:30 am (#10)
Brendan Valdes (United States) vs. Phichaksn Maichon (International)
8:40 am (#1)
Maxwell Ford (United States) vs. Ryan Griffin (International)
8:40 am (#10)
Kiara Romero (United States) vs. Emma Bunch (International)
8:50 am (#1)
Zoe Campos (United States) vs. Caitlyn Macnab (International)
8:50 am (#10)
David Ford (United States) vs. Ben van Wyk (International)
9:00 am (#1)
Ben James (United States) vs. Max Kennedy (International)
9:00 am (#10)
Catherine Park (United States) vs. Mirabel Ting (International)
9:10 am (#1)
Latanna Stone (United States) vs. Julia Lopez Ramirez (International)
9:10 am (#10)
Jackson Koivun (United States) vs. Wenyi Ding (International)
9:20 am (#1)
Preston Summerhays (United States) vs. Jacob Skov Olesen (International)
9:20 am (#10)
Anna Morgan (United States) vs. Carla Bernat (International)
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 that features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
Since its inception, over 245 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours; 44 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 90 have claimed over 425 victories on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours, including 2023 major champions Jon Rahm (Masters Tournament), Lilia Vu (The Chevron Championship & AIG Women’s Open), Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), and Brian Harman (The Open), as well as 2023 FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland. The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 14-12-1.
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 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.