Sunday, June 29, 2014

PALMER CUP - Jack McDonald helps Europe to victory over the USA

The victorious European Palmer Cup team
with Jack McDonald 4th from the left
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) helped Europe to a comfortable win in the annual Palmer Cup match against the USA at Walton Heath this week.


The match, between university students from Europe and the USA, took place between the 26th and 28th June.

McDonald, a student at Stirling University was one of three scots in the European team who inspired the side to victory with wins in their singles matches on the final day, to set the stage for a comfortable 18.5 - 11.5 win overall, after the teams were tied at 10 - 10 going into the final group of singles matches.

(From the www.scottishgolf.org website)

The Scottish trio of Grant Forrest, Jack McDonald and James Ross were in inspired form as Andrew Coltart’s European team stormed to success in the Palmer Cup today, the students’ equivalent of the Ryder Cup.

Europe waltzed to a 8.5 – 1.5 success in the final day singles to secure a 18.5 – 11.5 winning margin at Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey.

It was an impressive, dominant victory from the home team after the sides had been locked together at 10-10 going into the last day programme of 10 singles ties.

“It was a great performance from the European team all week,” said a delighted Coltart. ”A great team spirit culminating in a fierce display of top quality golf on the last day. These lads dared to believe and it worked out!”

The Scots trio were undefeated in their singles matches on Friday and they again hit top form today as each secured valuable wins for a fine overall success in the college event named after the great Arnold Palmer.

Royal Burgess’ Ross (pictured), last year’s Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year who recently finished his studies at the University of Houston, led from the front with a 3&2 win over Brandon Hagy, with Craigielaw’s Forrest, the University of San Diego student who recently claimed the St Andrews Links Trophy, winning the second game by the same margin against Trey Mullinax.
Inspired by the early successes, Europe never looked back with Kilmarnock Barassie’s McDonald, a student at the University of Stirling, also victorious 2&1 over Bryson Dechambeau.

The newly crowned No. 1 amateur in the world, Ollie Schniederjans gave the USA some hope with a 5&4 win over England’s Louis Tomlinson, but it was mere consolation.

European head coach Coltart, a member of the SGU Performance Committee, played in the 1999 Ryder Cup and was also a Dunhill Cup winner with Scotland in 1995.

“Particularly pleasing was the performance of the Scots trio of McDonald, Ross and Forrest, who on their own balls went undefeated in the singles, defeating very highly regarded players,” added Coltart.

“That’s a tremendous boost for the careers of each of these young lads and another shot in the arm for Scottish golf in general.”
 
 

 

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