Palmer Cup Announces Changes to Selection Procedure

NORMAN, Okla. – The Palmer Cup announced changes to its team selection process beginning with the 2013 event, including the number of players on each side. The annual Ryder Cup-style competition features top collegiate players from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. It marks the first major change in the selection process for the Palmer Cup since expanding from GB&I to all of Europe prior to the 2003 event.

Each team will now be comprised of 10 players as opposed to the previous eight. The event will continue to feature 24 matches with every player required to compete twice. Players must participate in either the four-ball or foursomes matches and in one of the two rounds of singles matches.

Additionally, the first six players for both sides shall be selected using the newly created Palmer Cup Ranking. Using Golfstat’s NCAA Player Ranking as a base, the Palmer Cup Ranking will award bonus points for wins and high finishes and a negative bonus for poor finishes. The ranking will also contain a strength of schedule component. The Palmer Cup Ranking will debut following the 2012 fall season.

For the United States, the remaining four players will be selected using three committee picks and one coaches pick. The selections by the committee may take into account a number of factors including the current college season, results in amateur events since the last Palmer Cup, match play record and performance in previous international team events. One of the US committee picks must be a non-Division I golfer. The coaches pick will be the final selection on the team and designated as such when announced.

The final four spots on Team Europe shall consist of the champion of The R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament, two committee picks and one coaches pick. European Palmer Cup Selection Committee and coaches picks will use the same criteria as their US counterparts and may select college golfers competing both in the United States and Europe.

The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 8-7-1.