March 6, 2013

Palmer Cup Quick Facts

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's Patrick Rodgers, Andrew Yun and David Boote are among the players being considered to compete in the Palmer Cup at Wilmington Country Club, as announced Wednesday by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

The Palmer Cup, named in honor of legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, invites the top six men's collegiate golfers who are citizens of the United States and Europe. Those players will be among the 10 individuals selected to represent each team.

Among the 25 players on the Palmer Cup rankings, Rodgers holds the No. 10 spot in the U.S. while Yun is at No. 22. Boote ranks No. 11 for Europe.

Two-time Palmer Cup participant Yun, a senior, first competed in 2011 when the U.S. defeated Europe at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn. Yun then competed alongside Rodgers, a sophomore, in the 2012 tournament held at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Ireland where Europe defeated the U.S.

Only 13 players have posted 4-0 records during a single Palmer Cup but the most recent two have been from Stanford--David Chung (2010) and Yun (2012).

Yun is tied with professional golfer Jonathan Byrd for most team points, at seven, scored by an American at the Palmer Cup.

Boote, a freshman native of Surrey, England, would be the second Stanford golfer to represent Europe since Philip Rowe, the Stanford Enlight Foundation Assistant Coach.

Rowe, a four-time Palmer Cup participant from England, serves as the assistant coach for Europe at the 2013 and 2014 Palmer Cups.

"There is nothing comparable to the buzz of representing your nation in match-play format," said Rowe, who competed in the 1999-2002 Palmer Cups. "In such circumstances, magical golf shots and extraordinary levels of play can appear so I am eager to see what both sides can produce."

Rowe is one of four players to compete in four Palmer Cups, all from Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I)/Europe.

"The 20-foot putt I sank on the 18th green at Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) in 2000 to earn a halved match with Jonathan Byrd and for GB&I to take the Palmer Cup was stunning," said Rowe about the only time Europe won when he competed. "It seemed like a really significant moment as well as a momentum changer in terms of the tournament's competitiveness."

Since the Palmer Cup's inception in 1997 six Stanford players have competed and Conrad Ray, The Knowles Family Director of Golf, coached the U.S. team in 2008.

Stanford's Palmer Cup alumni have been Joel Kribel (1997), Rowe (1999-2002), Ray (Coach, 2008), Steve Ziegler (2009), Chung (2010), Yun (2011 & 2012) and Rodgers (2012).

"Prestige comes from sharing a bond with such players," said Rowe on the honor of playing for the Palmer Cup. "Along with the world-class golf courses that kindly agree to host the matches and from the privileged experiences afforded to young players thanks to chief organizers, the GCAA and, one of golf's greatest legends, Arnold Palmer."

Follow @StanfordMGolf on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates and quotes from the team. Get to know the players and the program through the daily features at facebook.com/StanfordMensGolf