Hadley Sparks U.S. Rally at Palmer Cup
June 26, 2008
ATLANTA -
The United States claimed five consecutive singles matches in the afternoon session, beginning with a victory from Georgia Tech's Chesson Hadley, and the Americans moved ahead of Europe at the completion of the first day of competition at the Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links.
Third-round foursomes matches will begin at 7:30 a.m. Friday. The Palmer Cup is an annual Ryder Cup-style competition featuring series of matches between collegiate players from the United States and Europe.
Hadley, a rising junior from Raleigh, N.C., began the American winning streak with a 2 and 1 victory against Jonathan Caldwell. Hadley won five of the first seven holes and moved to dormie after halving No. 14. Caldwell would respond with back-to-back birdies before halving 17.
Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State won the second match for Team USA, 4 and 3, over Charles Ford. Fowler took the lead after No. 2 but fell to 1-down after conceding the fourth and fifth. He would then move to 4-up after winning the next five holes with birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie, par. Ford would cut the lead back to two with birdies at Nos. 11 and 13. Fowler could close out the match by winning the next two holes.
Aaron Goldberg led wire-to-wire in his 2-up win against Europe's Jonas Enander Hedin. Goldberg claimed holes one, four and five to grab an early lead. Enander Hedin would cut the lead back to a single hole after winning with birdie on 13 and 17. A Goldberg par at No. 18 ended the match.
Kevin Chappell of UCLA continued the Americans winning ways by downing Jorge Campillo, 4 and 3. Chappell claimed an early lead with a birdie at the first but bogeyed No. 2 to move the match back to all-square. He moved back into the lead with another birdie at the sixth but the match again moved to even after he conceded the ninth. He would take the lead for good after winning No. 11 and put the match out of reach with a birdie, Campillo concession, birdie combo.
Europe would win the final two matches to bring the team total to 6.5-5.5. Local favorite Scott Borrowman downed Billy Horschel and Tim Sluiter defeated Michael Thompson with 1-up victories. Borrowman led by two holes after winning Nos. 5 and 6 but back-to-back birdies and a par by Horschel gave him the lead thru 10. The match moved back to even the next hole. Horschel took a brief lead after the two traded birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, respectively. Borrowman would take the lead with par at 17 and finished off the match with halving 18 with par.
Europe posted the first point of the singles session when Jonas Blixt downed Adam Mitchell, 5 and 4. Mitchell won the first hole with birdie but lost the second with bogey. Blixt would win Nos. 4, 5, 10 and 11 with par and 7 and 14 with birdie.
Europe had taken a 2.5 to 1.5 lead after the morning four-ball matches, and the tandem of Hadley and Georgia's Adam Mitchell dropped a 1-up decision to Blixt and Enander Hedin.
2008 Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links United States 6.5
Four-Ball Matches Results
Jonas Blixt/Jonas Enander Hedin, Europe def. Chesson Hadley/Adam Mitchell, USA, 1-up
Jonathan Caldwell/Gareth Shaw, Europe halved Kevin Chappell/Aaron Goldberg, USA
Derek Fathauer/Michael Thompson, USA def. Scott Borrowman/Charles Ford, Europe, 2 and 1
Jorge Campillo/Tim Sluiter, Europe def. Rickie Fowler/Billy Horschel, USA, 4 and 2
Foursomes Matches Pairings for Friday
Jonas Blixt/Jonas Enander Hedin, Europe vs. Aaron Goldberg/Michael Thompson, USA
Scott Borrowman/Charles Ford, Europe vs. Billy Horschel/Adam Mitchell, USA
Jonathan Caldwell/Gareth Shaw, Europe vs. Derek Fathauer/Chesson Hadley, USA
Jorge Campillo/Tim Sluiter, Europe vs. Kevin Chappell/Rickie Fowler, USA
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