2021 Arnold Palmer Cup
EVENT: The 25th annual Arnold Palmer Cup will be contested in June of 2021. Named after the late Arnold Palmer, this Ryder Cup-style tournament features the top male and female university/collegiate golfers, with the United States facing off against an International team. It is the only major tournament where men and women play side-by-side on the same field. Due to the desires of the organizations involved with the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup to comply with current COVID-19 guidelines and protect the health and safety of the collegiate players, the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup will not be open to the general public.
TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS: Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) & Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation
WEBSITE: https://www.arnoldpalmercup.com/
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – ArnoldPalmerCup; Twitter – @ArnoldPalmerCup; Instagram – arnoldpalmercup
DATE: June 11-13, 2021
SITE: Rich Harvest Farms – 45W741 Granart Rd., Sugar Grove, IL 60554
HISTORY: Formerly named the Palmer Cup, the inaugural tournament was played at Bay Hill Club in Florida in June 1997, where the United States won against Great Britain/Ireland. In 2002, a decision was made to alter the Great Britain/Ireland team composition by adding players from across Europe. The effects of this decision significantly changed the Palmer Cup in its international appeal and competitiveness of the matches. Teams were expanded to 10 players each starting in 2013. By 2016, the Palmer Cup was renamed the Arnold Palmer Cup to better reflect the legacy of its founder. Further changes were made in 2018, when both men and women were included, and the European team was expanded to include collegiate golfers from around the world. Each team now consists of 12 men and 12 women.
Rich Harvest Farms was proud to host the 2015 Palmer Cup, where the United States defeated Europe 18-12, and is to date the only venue to ever host the Arnold Palmer Cup twice.
TEAMS: Each team is comprised of 24 players, 12 men and 12 women.
PLAYER SELECTION: The first six players of the United States team shall be selected using the Arnold Palmer Cup Ranking. The remaining six players shall be selected by using five committee picks and one coach’s pick. One of the committee selections must be a non-Division I golfer. The coach’s pick will be the final selection on the team and designated as such when announced.
The first six players of the International team shall be selected using the Arnold Palmer Cup Ranking. The remaining six spots shall be divided into four committee selections, a coach’s pick and The R&A Scholars Tournament champions (men’s and women’s). The R&A Scholars Tournament champion will be announced following the conclusion of the tournament in early April. Committee selections and the coach’s pick may consider college golfers competing outside of the United States. The coach’s pick will be the final selection on the team and designated as such when announced.
EXEMPTIONS: Selection of the Arnold Palmer Cup representative in the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard and Evian Championship will be determined by a vote of the 48 Arnold Palmer Cup participants prior to the competition. The players will select a member of each team (excluding themselves) who they think best represents the “Arnold Palmer Legacy,” that is, the character and values that Arnold Palmer has exhibited during his legendary career. The top vote-getters from the winning team will earn the invitation. The Arnold Palmer Cup player selected must remain a collegiate golfer to utilize their exemption. The junior caddie for the designated Arnold Palmer Cup player also will be invited.