13th June 2017
USA beat Europe 19.5 – 10.5 to win the Arnold Palmer Cup (APC) at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
Team USA (Photo: @GolfChannel)
The APC is a team golf competition played annually between American and European college golfers. USA now lead the all-time match series W11 – L9 – H1.
The 2017 match was clearly lost by Europe on Day 2 when USA managed to win the Singles 9.5 – 0.5. The Day 1 Foursomes / Fourballs and Day 3 Singles were both halved 5.0 – 5.0
In a Walker Cup year the APC represents an interesting ‘warm up’ for the main event.
Whilst I believe the Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) team will be very different to Europe’s in September the USA team should prove to be fairly representative. I expect at least six of the USA’s APC team to be in their Walker Cup team.
The European APC team contained 6 GB&I players – Harry ELLIS (ENG), Rory FRANSSEN (SCO), Stuart GREHAN (IRE), Harry HALL (ENG), Richard MANSELL (ENG) and David WICKS (ENG).
We learnt two things from the match: –
1) I wrote last week in News Article 54. that I could see a scenario where none of our US College players would make the GB&I Walker Cup team. This match didn’t really help their cases with none of the six players listed above making a material impression that would have resonated back home with the selectors.
2) Stating the obvious USA will be formidable opponents in Los Angeles, playing at home on a parkland course. Their Walker cup team, even allowing for the inclusion of one or two mid-amateurs, should also be stronger than their Arnold Palmer Cup one. For example Braden Thornberry, the NCAA Division I Champion, didn’t play; he was busy finishing tied 4th at the Fed Ex St Jude Classic on the PGA Tour.
Here is the full individual performance analysis that I produced for the 2017 APC match: –
As can be seen from the above table Richard MANSELL did the best out of the GB&I group, halving a fourball on Day 1 and winning his second Singles game.
For those wanting the full hole-by-hole detail:-
Click here to view the – Day 1 AM Foursomes Results
Click here to view the – Day 1 PM Fourballs Results
Click here to view the – Day 2 Singles Results
Click here to view the – Day 3 Singles Results
Click here to see more detailed information on the APC – The Arnold Palmer Cup – 2017 Preview, Reports & Results
ME.
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