The Palmer Cup is an international collegiate event played annually between the top ten collegiate players from the United States against the top ten from Great Britain and Ireland, started in 1997 in a partnership between Mr. Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). The 2014 Palmer Cup was hosted at Walton Heath Golf Club, in Surrey, England. Walton Heath is one of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the world by the Golf Digest Rankings and host of the England U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier in May. Two former Florida Junior Tour players were chosen to represent Team USA in the 2014 contest. Europe would dominate the final round of singles matches, winning 8.5 of a possible 10 points, to defeat the US 18.5-11.5. Overall, the US leads the all-time series 9-8-1.
Anthony Maccaglia, of Tampa, a rising Senior at Oglethorpe University, in Georgia became the first Division III golfer to compete in the event. Maccaglia's Junior Season at Oglethorpe saw him with 3 wins, 2 runner-up finishes and finishing in the top-25 finishes in all 9 regular season events he appeared in, finishing with a 71.68 scoring average. Maccaglia would also take 2014 SAA Conference Player of the Year honors and finish 2nd in the final Golfstat NCAA Men's Division III Player Rankings. Maccaglia won the 2012 Division III NCAA Individual National Championship and was named the 2012 D-III Player of the Year.
At the Palmer Cup, Maccaglia would finish with an 0-2-2 record. He would team with Wyndham Clark, of Oklahoma State, to halve a 1st round four-ball match vs. Pep Angles, of Central Arkansas, and Louis Tomlinson, UCLAN-Myerscough, in the 2nd round, Maccaglia would team with Bryson Dechambeau, of SMU, and fall to the same duo from Team Europe 1 down. In the singles matches, Maccaglia would halve Paul Dunne, of UAB in the 3rd round, and fall to Erik Oja, of Arizona in the final singles match.
Jack Maguire, of Saint Petersburg, a rising Sophomore at Florida State is coming off a strong Freshman campaign. He led the Seminoles with a 69.88 scoring average in the spring, and 70.92 for the season. In addition, Jack set the school record for low round with 62 (-10) at Lake Jovita in the final round of the USF Invitational. Maguire captured two victories at the USF Invitational & the Mason Rudolph Championship. Jack was named a second-team All-American by Golfweek, and PING third-team All-American by the GCAA, and ACC Freshman of the Year. Maguire became the first Freshmand All-American in Florida State's storied golf history.
At the Palmer Cup, Maguire would finish with a 1-3-0 record. In the 1st and 2nd round four-ball matches, he teamed with Rico Hoey, of Southern California. The duo would fall 3&2 to Ricardo Gouveia, of UCF, and Erik Oja, of Arizona. In round two they recovered, defeating Paul Dunne, of UAB, and Grant Forrest, of San Diego, 4&2. In the singles matches, Magurie fell 3&2 to Forrest in the 3rd round, and then was defeated in the final round by Thomas Detry, of Illinois.
Past Florida Junior Tour Members / FSGA Boys' Junior Champions to play in the Palmer Cup:
2013 - Kevin Phelan - Saint Augustine/Ireland - University of North Florida *Team Europe
2013 - Sean Dale - Jacksonville - University of North Florida
2013 - Daniel Berger - Jupiter - Florida State University
2012 - Blayne Barber - Lake City - Auburn University
2011 - Blayne Barber - Lake City - Auburn University
2010 - Tyson Alexander - Gainesville - University of Florida
2009 - Bud Cauley - Jacksonville - University of Alabama
2008 - Billy Horschel - Grant - University of Florida
2007 - Billy Horschel - Grant - University of Florida
2005 - Matt Every - Daytona Beach - University of Florida
2004 - Matt Every - Daytona Beach - University of Florida
1999 - Matt Kuchar - Lake Mary - Georgia Tech
1998 - Matt Kuchar - Lake Mary - Georgia Tech
Palmer Cup Website
