United States Takes 7-5 Lead at 10th Junior Ryder Cup

Edina, MINN. – The 10th Junior Ryder Cup will come down to a showdown on Tuesday in Sunday Singles at Interlachen Country Club, as the United States Junior Ryder Cup Team took a 7-5 lead after Day 1 Foursomes and Four-Ball.
 
The Americans saw some clutch play going 4-2 in the Afternoon Mixed Four-Ball to breakout from a 3-3 tie after Morning Foursomes. Emily Migliaccio, of Cary, N.C., hit a key putt on No. 18 to seal a 1-up win with playing partner Wilson Furr, of Jackson, Mississippi, over Europe’s Adrien Pendaries and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard.
 
On a day when Arnold Palmer was on the minds of everyone at Interlachen, Migliaccio, a Wake Forest golf team commitment (Palmer’s Alma Mater), did something rather Palmeresque. After watching Roussin-Bouchard sink a 20-foot par putt, accentuated by a fist-pump, Migliaccio drilled a dramatic 12-foot downhill par putt of her own, to halve the hole and win the match.
 
“We were 3-down pretty early,” said Migliaccio. “Wilson got us all-square on No. 15. [When we got to No. 18], it was such an adrenaline rush. I just pictured the putt going into that hole.”
 
Europe’s Emma Spitz sank a 30-foot putt on No. 17 to clinch a 3 & 1 win for her and teammate Falko Hanisch over America’s Eugene Hong and Gina Kim in the final match of the day, to keep the spread at two points entering Tuesday’s final day Singles Matches, which will determine the 2016 Junior Ryder Cup Champion.
 
“We were very aggressive right from the start, and even though the American team came back at us, we stayed positive, and managed to get the win,” said Hanisch. “Going into the singles, three points behind would have been tough, but 7-5 is O.K., and we still have a great chance tomorrow.”

JUNIOR RYDER CUP HOME PAGE
 
The Captains of both teams emerged optimistic about their chances.
 
“After this morning, hoping it would be 4-2, then coming out 3-3, I was very happy as a Captain to have a 7-5 lead,” said U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team Captain Jim Remy. “The players played their hearts out…Championship conditions, championship venue, and great players on the golf course. Overall, I am very happy with the results.”
 
“Of course, I would’ve loved to be level or even ahead, overall it was a pretty good day, and I’m proud of the team,” said European Captain Maitena Alsuguren. “We managed to win most of the matches which ended on the final hole, so that shows me the team has lots of fight and gives me confidence for tomorrow.”
 
Undefeated on the entire day for the United States at 2-0 were Migliaccio, Furr and Rhode Island’s Patrick Welch.
 
MORNING FOURSOMES RECAP
 
The 10th Junior Ryder Cup between the United States and Europe began earlier in the day with a moment of silence, in memory of the legendary Arnold Palmer, who passed away yesterday at age 87.
 
With the course’s flags lowered to half-staff, Palmer’s influence could be felt across Interlachen, as he was a six-time U.S. Ryder Cup Player, two-time Captain and an Honorary Member of the European Tour. In true Palmer style, some scintillating golf ensued, as the U.S. and European teams finished the Monday Morning Foursomes tied 3-3.
 
“Arnold Palmer had a huge impact on me,” said Migliaccio. “When I heard last night, I was just devastated because he is one of the kings of golf, and I looked up to him. He attended Wake Forest which is where I committed, so it really hit me. He will always be in our memories, he is a legend.”
 
In the final match of the morning, Italian Emilie Alba Paltrinieri made a short par putt on No. 18—after hitting a 180-yard with a hybrid on her approach within four-feet two shots earlier—to close out a nip and tuck, 1-up win for her and teammate Emma Spitz of Germany, over Americans Alyaa Abdulghany and Lucy Li.
 
“I was standing over the ball and the wind changed, so I started my routine again and considered changing clubs,” said Paltrinieri. “But then the wind changed back again, so I went with my hybrid, and hit it perfectly. It was really important to finish the foursomes all square.”
 
About 15 minutes earlier, France Adrien Pendaries drilled a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to give him and teammate Jonathan Goth-Rasmussen of Denmark, a dramatic 1-up win over Americans Noah Goodwin and Norman Xiong.
 
The Americans were first bit by some unfortunate luck on the hole, as Xiong’s approach shot hit high on the green and rolled all the way off, stopping on the side of a hill.
 
“I thought it was a great shot,” reasoned Xiong. “It just rolled off the green. It’s golf. It happens.”
 
However, things would even out, as the next group faced a similar experience. Yet, this time, Finland’s Matias Honkala saw his approach land on the mid-part of the green, only to roll off, too.
 
Blustery wind gusts up to 30 mph likely had something to do with the wild ride for both teams on No. 18.
 
Meanwhile, a match that looked like a runaway became a tense competition, as Eugene Hong and Patrick Welch raced to an early 5-up lead. However, things would turn, as Europe’s Falko Hanisch and Matias Honkala mounted a ferocious comeback, with a long chip on No. 15 that turned the seemingly easy point for the U.S. into something a little more interesting.
 
Still, American Eugene Hong would hit it close on the 18th green with his approach.
 
“I hit a drive on the right side of the fairway; Eugene hit a pretty great shot – probably the shot of the day, knowing where we were in the match – and we were able to two-putt,” said Welch.

 
Singles Pairings Announced
Pairings were announced by Captains Jim Remy of the United States and Maitena Alsuguren of Europe for Tuesday’s Singles Matches.