Team U.S.A. cruises to 11-point lead with dominant mixed foursomes play at Arnold Palmer Cup
LIGONIER (KDKA) -- American domination was the name of the game on Friday at the Arnold Palmer Cup in Ligonier.
Team U.S.A. went into the day trailing Team International by one point and will be going to bed tonight with an 11-point lead -- thanks mostly to a dominant performance in the mixed foursomes third round.
With three rounds in the books, Team U.S.A. leads Team International 23 & 1/2 to 12 & 1/2.
Friday dominance
Team U.S.A. was able to get into the lead with a 7 & 1/2 to 4 & 1/2 victory during the morning round of foursomes, consisting of alternate shot format.
After a lunch break, the format was switched up to consist again of alternate shot, but this time it was mixed foursomes.
Tthe Americans blew open the doors in the afternoon session, taking 10 & 1/2 of the 12 points on the table in the mixed foursomes round.
Tyran Snyders and Chiara Tamburlini were the only International pair to win their match during the afternoon round. Larisa Chuk-Al-Sorn and Santiago de la Fuente halved a point going up against Antonia Malate and Austin Greaser.
"We played really steady and kept giving ourselves chances," Tamburlini said. "Both groups played pretty well, and Tyran and I didn't make many mistakes."
American Young Guns
One of Team U.S.A's higher-profile pairings for the morning round made up of Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent and North Florida's Nick Gabrelcik were able to secure one of their team's points, winning their match 2&1.
Sargent won last year's NCAA Individual Championship as a freshman and appeared in this year's Masters as an amateur.
Gabrelcik is making his third appearance in the Arnold Palmer Cup for Team U.S.A. and was a semifinalist at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakmont Country Club.
In the afternoon matches, Gabrelcik and teammate Jennie Park made four birdie, defeating Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Christiaan Maas 4&3.
"I putted it really well and he hit the ball really well," said Park. "Having a partner there to have your back always helps. It's our soil and we want to win."
5th hole fireworks
For Team International, lightning struck on the 5th hole as the University of California's Sampson Zheng made a hole-in-one on the 212-yard Par 3.
Zheng's tee shot landed softly and rolled up to the pin, dropping for the eagle one on the card.
Zheng, along with his playing partner Josele Ballester (Arizona State University) won their team's match 5&3.
Sand shots
Whether you prefer to use the term 'bunker' or 'sand trap,' one thing about the hazards at Laurel Valley is that they are indeed that -- hazardous.
With difficult pin placements, a shot from the sand can mean trouble for even these golfers, who are among the best at the collegiate level.
All smiles for Amanda
With a big point up for grabs in the last remaining match of the second round, Amanda Sambach (University of Virginia) stuck an approach shot close to the pin.
Team International would run their birdie putt well past the hole, conceding the point and the match.
Sambach and her playing partner Zoe Campos (UCLA), won the match 1 up.
Lots of golf left to play
While Team U.S.A. may be firmly in the driver's seat with an 11-point lead and only needing 7 of the 24 remaining points to win the Arnold Palmer Cup, there is still a great deal of golf with plenty of points out there for the taking.
Saturday's pairings and tee times
7:30 am (#1) -- Emilia Migliaccio (United States) vs. Lauren Walsh (International)
7:30 am (#10 -- Cole Anderson (United States) vs. Herman Sekne (International)
7:40 am (#1 -- Tommy Kuhl (United States) vs. Christo Lamprecht (International)
7:40 am (#10 -- Amanda Sambach (United States) vs. Charlotte Heath (International)
7:50 am (#1 --Antonia Malate (United States) vs. Lottie Woad (International)
7:50 am (#10 -- Caleb Surratt (United States) vs. Christiaan Maas (International)
8:00 am (#1) -- Maxwell Moldovan (United States) vs. Tyran Snyders (International)
8:00 am (#10) -- Megan Schofill (United States) vs. Julia Lopez Ramirez (International)
8:10 am (#1) -- Rachel Kuehn (United States) vs. Chiara Tamburlini (International)
8:10 am (#10) -- Derek Hitchner (United States) vs. Mats Ege (International)
8:20 am (#1)Gordon Sargent (United States) vs. Mateo Fernández de Oliveira (International)
8:20 am (#10) -- Olivia Mitchell (United States) vs. Caitlyn Macnab (International)
8:30 am (#1) -- Ashleigh Park (United States) vs. Caley McGinty (International)
8:30 am (#10) -- Alex Price (United States) vs. Max Kennedy (International)
8:40 am (#1) -- Nick Gabrelcik (United States) vs. Sampson Zheng (International)
8:40 am (#10) -- Jennie Park (United States) vs. Carla Bernat (International)
8:50 am (#1) -- Amari Avery (United States) vs. Mirabel Ting (International)
8:50 am (#10) -- David Ford (United States) vs. Santiago de la Fuente (International)
9:00 am (#1) -- Ben James (United States) vs. Frederik Kjettrup (International)
9:00 am (#10) -- Crystal Wang (United States) vs. Karisa Chul-Ak-Sorn (International)
9:10 am (#1) -- Zoe Campos (United States) vs. Maddison Hinson-Tolchard (International)
9:10 am (#10) -- Preston Summerhays (United States) vs. Ryan Griffin (International)
9:20 am (#1) -- Austin Greaser (United States) vs. Josele Ballester (International)
9:20 am (#10) -- Ashley Menne (United States) vs. Lorna McClymont (International)
