Brovold Will Play in European Palmer Cup This Weekend
8/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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TUSCALOOSA - Lars Brovold, a senior on the University of Alabama golf team this past season, is in County Kerry, Ireland preparing for play this weekend at the European Palmer Cup.
The Palmer Cup, named for legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, is an international golf competition that annually pits the top eight collegiate golfers from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. The players are selected and voted upon by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Play begins on Friday, August 6 and concludes on Saturday, August 7. The 2004 event is being played at Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland. The U.S. leads the competition, which began in 1997, by a 4-2-1 margin. The event features four rounds of match play. The first round is a four ball (better ball) match format followed by a set of singles matches. The second day consists of four matches where two from each team compete in alternate shot matches followed by another round of singles matches in the afternoon. Each match is worth one point. Halved matches count one half a point. Administered by the GCAA, the event alternates sites between the U.S. and Europe.
Among the men who have competed in past events are current PGA Tour players Hank Kuehne, Matt Kuchar, and Charles Howell, III.
Brovold is the second golfer from the University of Alabama to compete in the prestigious event. Allan MacDonald played on the European team in the inaugural event in 1997, and former Tide head coach Dick Spybey served as the tournament Director twice.
Joining Brovold on the European team, coached by Sweden's Magnus Grankuist, are Alejandro Canizares, a 2003 Palmer Cup participant from Spain who plays collegiately at Arizona State; Gonzolo Fdez.-Castano, the top-ranked Amateur in Spain who plays at San Pablo CEU; East Tennessee State's Rys Davies of Wales, the 2003 British Boys Amateur champion; South Alabama's Gareth Maybin who is from Northern Ireland; Italian National Team member Francesco Molinari of the Universita Di Torino; Alex Noren of Sweden who plays at Oklahoma State; and South Carolina's Martin Rominger, a native of Switzerland.
The U.S. team is coached by Clemson's Larry Penley. The team includes: Florida All-American Matt Every; Clemson's Jack Ferguson; 2003 Palmer Cup participant and All-American Jason Hartwick of Texas; Ensign Billy Hurley of the U.S. Naval Academy and the 2004 Patriot League Player of the Year; J.J. Jakovac, an All-American from Chico State; NCAA medalist Ryan Moore of UNLV; 2003 Palmer Cup participant and NCAA All-American Chris Nallen of Arizona; and Lamar's Chris Stroud, an All-American who led the NCAA with six victories in 2004.
Fans can follow play in the 2004 European Palmer Cup through the GCAA website, www.gcaa.collegiategolf.com.
