Jonas Enander Hedin clinched Europe's win at the 2008 Palmer Cup. |
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Enander Hedin Clinches Europe's Palmer Cup Victory
June 27, 2008
Irvine, Scotland -
Recent Charlotte 49ers graduate Jonas Enander Hedin (Taby, Sweden) scored a 3 & 2 victory over Adam Mitchell (Georgia) to clinch the European team's 14-10 victory over the U.S. in the 2008 Palmer Cup presented by Monster, Friday at Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links.
Enander Hedin, a two-time 49ers team MVP and 2008 third-team all-America who led Charlotte to back-to-back NCAA Top 10 finishes, defeated Mitchell in the final round's singles competition to push Europe over the top in the Ryder Cup-style event that pits the top collegiate players from Europe against their American counterparts.
Enander Hedin, who finished the event with a 3-1 record, teammed with fellow Swede Jonas Blixt earlier in the day to win their third round alternate-ball format match. Enander Hedin and Blixt had also teammed up for a first round four-ball format mtach win, Thursday. Blixt finished the competition wth a perfect 4-0 record. Enander Hedin was 3-1, with the lone loss coming in Thursday's second round singles' competition.
Enander Hedin and and Michael Thompson (Alabama) of Tucson, Arizona, were named recipients of the Michael Carter Award. The Carter award is given to a player from each side that best represents the qualities represented by the Palmer Cup.
Europe capped an impressive second-day performance winning three and halving three singles matches. Europe swept the morning foursomes matches to win 8.5 of the final day's 12 points. The United States holds 6-5-1 advantage in the Palmer Cup series but has lost three straight in Europe.
"I'm ecstatic for the eight guys on the European team," said European Captain Mårten Olander. "Our attitude is what made us through the matches. Our swings did not change from yesterday but our belief that we would play great golf today. Winning the four matches this morning really put us in a positive mood entering the singles matches and to beat such a strong American team in singles is quite an accomplishment. My assistant captain Adam (Mednick) did a great job and our team believed in our preparation and worked hard all week. That being said, our part was only 10-percent and the foundation of our success was the players' own games."
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The two sides split the first match between Spain's Jorge Campillo and Rickie Fowler. The two players raced around the course - completing 18 holes in 2 hours and 45 minutes - in a back-and-forth affair with each player winning five holes.
Jonas Blixt of Sweden would claim the first win of the singles session when he defeated Michael Thompson, 2 and 1. Blixt took the first hole before Thompson won the next two. Blixt reclaimed the lead by winning the fourth with a par and an eagle at the fifth. He would push the lead to three by the turn. Thompson capitalized on a Blixt double bogey on No. 10 and bogey on No. 12 to cut the lead to a single hole but conceded the 14th. The two would halve the next three holes to give Blixt a 4-0 record at this year's Palmer Cup and a career total of seven wins - third most in event history. Blixt only trails Alejandro Cañizares of Spain (13 wins) and Wales' Rhys Davies (9) on the career list.
Enander Hedin would clinch the Cup for Europe when he downed Adam Mitchell, 3 and 2. Enander Hedin won the first and third holes, but an eagle-birdie combination by Mitchell on Nos. 5 and 6 evened the match. Enander Hedin took the lead for good with a win at the seventh and would also claim No. 14. He assured Europe's victory when he won the 16th hole to claim his match with Jonathan Caldwell's match against Aaron Goldberg standing dormie 3.
Charlie Ford of England battled back from dormie 2 to halve his match against Billy Horschel. Ford won the first hole but Horschel won the second and would lead most of the match. The American won both the fourth and fifth before Ford responded with a pair of wins of his own at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively. Horschel would push his lead back to two holes by claiming the 12th and 15th but failed to capture the match after posting bogey on the final two holes.
Jonathan Caldwell of Northern Ireland won Europe's final match of the Palmer Cup when he beat Aaron Goldberg 3 and 2. Goldberg won the second and held the advantage for three holes before a Caldwell birdie moved the match back to all square. He took control of the match by winning with birdie at No. 11 and posted two more birdies at Nos. 14 and 15, respectively, to move to dormie 3. Caldwell closed the match after both players birdied the 16th.
Chesson Hadley won the Americans first match of the day with a 1-up victory over Gareth Shaw. Hadley won the first hole with birdie and would hold the lead until conceding the fifth. The two players traded wins - Hadley at No. 6 and Shaw at the seventh - on the next two holes. Hadley rattled off three-straight birdie victories starting at No. 10. Shaw battled back with wins at the 14th and 15th but was unable to completely close the deficit.
Local favorite Scott Borrowman halved Kevin Chappell in a match in which the Scotsman never trailed. Borrowman took a lead he would hold for four holes when he birdied the fifth before a Chappell birdie at No. 9 evened the match. The Scot would again take a brief lead by winning the 11th but relinquished his advantage after Chappell eagled No. 13. Borrowman claimed the advantage yet again after the 17th. Chappell would halve the match when he birdied the final hole.
Team USA's Derek Fathauer claimed the final match of the 2008 event, 3 and 1, over Tim Sluiter. Fathauer won the first hole and led the entire match. He went ahead by two holes through three but Sluiter birdied the par 3, No. 6. Fathauer again moved to 2-up after No. 10 before Sluiter birdied another par 3 - this time at No. 12. The American won two of the next three to close the match with birdie at the 15th and a Sluiter concession on 17 green.
Europe 14 Day-Two Singles Matches Results
ROUND THREE RECAP: Europe swept the morning foursomes matches at the Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links to claim a 9.5-6.5 advantage. Final-round singles matches were moved up to 12:45 due to potential weather conditions.
Enander Hedin and Blixt also won their pairing in round one in the four-ball format, Thursday. Goldberg then defeated Enander Hedin in round two's singles match, 2-up, Thursday. Enander Hedin is facing Adam Mitchell (Georgia) in the final round's singles play, Friday.
"Obviously, I'm very pleased we won all four of our matches this morning," said European Captain Mårten Olander. "We used the same lineups we used yesterday morning and got off to the same start but managed to close today. Yesterday the Americans grabbed opportunities at the end of the round but weren't able to do so today. This sets up what should be fantastic afternoon matches. On paper the individuals on the U.S. team are higher ranked, but we have the home-field advantage and our spirits our high."
The Swedish tandem of Jonas Blixt and Jonas Enander Hedin evened the overall team score with a 4 and 3 win against Aaron Goldberg and Michael Thompson. The Swedes won the first hole but lost the second with bogey. The U.S. would take a brief one-hole lead after claiming the fifth with a birdie. Europe evened the match at the seventh and took the lead by winning both No. 9 and 10. They would push the lead to four holes by claiming the 12th and 13th.
Scott Borrowman and Charles Ford put Europe back in the team lead by downing Billy Horschel and Adam Mitchell, 3 and 1. The Americans won the fourth to go 1-up, but Europe evened the score with a birdie on the next hole. The Euros would also win the seventh to take the lead for good. The two sides traded the next four holes before Europe claimed Nos. 13 and 14. Team USA would trim the lead back to two holes on the 16th before conceding the 17th.
Jorge Campillo and Tim Sluiter won the second hole and never looked back in their 3 and 2 victory over Kevin Chappell and Rickie Fowler. The Euros pushed their lead to four after claiming the fourth with par and the fifth and sixth with birdie. The United States would cut the lead in half with wins at Nos. 10 and 11. The two sides traded wins at the 12th and 13th before Campillo and Sluiter closed out the match on 16, winning with birdie.
Europe completed the sweep with the only match that went the complete 18 holes when Jonathan Caldwell and Gareth Shaw edged Derek Fathauer and Chesson Hadley, 1-up. The Americans held the lead for much of the front nine. The U.S. won the second and third before Europe claimed the fourth and fifth to send the match back to all square. The Americans would again take the lead after a birdie at No. 7 but Europe took Nos. 9 and 10. The two sides alternated the next three and again at Nos. 15 and 16 to even the match. Europe reclaimed the lead at No. 17 and halved the 18th to secure the victory.
2008 Palmer Cup presented by Monster at Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links Europe 9.5 Foursomes Matches Results Day-Two Singles Matches Pairings
Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links
Irvine, Scotland
United States 10
Jorge Campillo, Europe halved Rickie Fowler, USA
Jonas Blixt, Europe def. Michael Thompson, USA, 2 and 1
Charles Ford, Europe halved Billy Horschel, USA
Chesson Hadley, USA def. Gareth Shaw, Europe, 1-up
Scott Borrowman, Europe halved Kevin Chappell, USA
Jonas Enander Hedin, Europe def. Adam Mitchell, USA, 3 and 2
Jonathan Caldwell, Europe def. Aaron Goldberg, USA, 3 and 2
Tim Sluiter, Europe vs. Derek Fathauer, USA, 3 and 1
The Swedish pairing of Charlotte's Jonas Enander Hedin and Florida State's Jonas Blixt won for the second time, defeating Aaron Goldberg (San Diego State) and Michael Thompson (Alabama), 4 and 3, in round three's alternate-ball format of the 2008 Palmer Cup presented by Monster.
Day Two Results
Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links
Irvine, Scotland
United States 6.5
Jonas Blixt/Jonas Enander Hedin, Europe def. Aaron Goldberg/Michael Thompson, USA, 4 and 3
Scott Borrowman/Charles Ford, Europe def. Billy Horschel/Adam Mitchell, USA, 3 and 1
Jonathan Caldwell/Gareth Shaw, Europe def. Derek Fathauer/Chesson Hadley, USA, 1-up
Jorge Campillo/Tim Sluiter, Europe vs. Kevin Chappell/Rickie Fowler, USA, 3 and 2
Jorge Campillo, Europe vs. Rickie Fowler, USA
Jonas Blixt, Europe vs. Michael Thompson, USA
Charles Ford, Europe vs. Billy Horschel, USA
Gareth Shaw, Europe vs. Chesson Hadley, USA
Scott Borrowman, Europe vs. Kevin Chappell, USA
Jonas Enander Hedin, Europe vs. Adam Mitchell, USA
Jonathan Caldwell, Europe vs. Aaron Goldberg, USA
Tim Sluiter, Europe vs. Derek Fathauer, USA
