SMU’s Gregory Leads US Team in Palmer Cup
NEWCASTLE, County Down, Northern Ireland (SMU) – SMU men’s golf and U.S. Palmer Cup team coach Josh Gregory helped the U.S. squad win three of four afternoon foursome matches to extend its lead to 6.5-1.5 at the 2012 Palmer Cup at The Royal County Down Golf Club on Thursday. Third-round singles matches tee off at 10 a.m. Friday morning.
Team USA took the first match of the afternoon session, 5 and 4. Corbin Mills and Chris Williams birdied the first and led the entire match, only dropping one hole. The Americans won the fourth, fifth and ninth before Europe claimed No. 11. The U.S. finished the match by winning No. 13 and halving No. 14.
The Americans also claimed the second match. The U.S. duo of Derek Ernst and Andrew Yun conceded the first hole after a lost ball on their second shot. The two sides traded the next three holes to stand at all square thru 4. Daan Huizing and Thomas Pieters birdied No. 8 to go 1-up but Ernst and Yun won both No. 11 and 12 to take the lead. Europe evened the match with par at No. 13. The Americans won the 15th and the two sides halved the remaining three holes for a 1-up victory.
Europe won its only match of the day when David Booth and Robert Karlsson downed Blayne Barber and James White, 2 and 1. Booth and Karlsson birdied the first hole and led throughout. Europe led by as much as 3 holes after both the sixth and ninth holes before the Americans won both No. 11 and 12 to cut the lead to 1-up. Europe halved the 15th to move back to 2-up and halved Nos. 16 and 17.
The United States claimed the final match of the day after a staging a dramatic comeback to win 1-up. Julien Brun and Sebastian Cappelen won Nos. 2-4 to give Europe a 3-up lead and held a 4-up advantage thru 6. Patrick Rodgers and Justin Thomas won back-to-back holes to cut the lead in half at the turn. Team USA won the 12th with birdie before moving the match to all square with par on No. 15. Europe birdied No. 16 to reclaim the lead but a double bogey on the next hole extended the match to the final hole. Rodgers’ birdie putt on No. 18 gave the U.S. the 1-up victory.
