The day didn’t get off to a good start — Steve Ziegler was introduced as “Larry Ziegler” on the first tee Friday morning — and it ended with the American team watching the Europeans celebrate their Palmer Cup victory by frolicking in and near the lake at Cherry Hills Country Club.
Suffice it to say this wasn’t what the U.S. team had in mind for this Ryder Cup-like competition for college players.
The Europeans won for just the second time on U.S. soil in the 13-year history of the Palmer Cup by never giving up the lead they built in the opening matches Thursday morning. In the end, with a 13-11 victory, the Europeans hoisted the Cup for the fifth time in the last seven years and evened the all-time series 6-6-1.
Though the Europeans played very well, that didn’t make it any easier for some American players to swallow defeat.
“It was pathetic what I did on the last hole,” said Oklahoma State freshman Morgan Hoffmann, who almost pulled off a miraculous comeback in Friday’s Singles match, but saw the Americans’ hopes sink when his drive on No. 18 fell into the lake.
The European team with the Palmer Cup
“It’s amazing to win on U.S. soil, especially with Arnold Palmer here all week,” said Sluiter, who along with coach Dean Robertson took a forced dip in the lake adjacent to the 18th hole with the not-so-gentle persuasion of their European teammates.
(Pictured Left; European players get ready to throw coach Dean Robertson into the lake on the 18th hole at Cherry Hills.)
The only previous occasion the Europeans have won the Palmer Cup on American soil was in 2003 at Kiawah Island, S.C.
“We certainly didn’t give it to those guys; they took it from us,” U.S. coach Matt Thurmond said. “What they did was amazing. I have not seen golf (like that) at this level ever.”
To back up Thurmond’s point, just during Friday’s eight Singles matches, the European players recorded 38 birdies, while the Americans countered with 39 birdies and an eagle.
Leading the way for the Europeans were Spaniard Jorge Campillo, who went 4-0 in his final competition as an amateur, Sluiter (3-0-1) and Italian Leonardo Motta (3-1).
Robertson nicknamed Campillo “Seve,” as in Ballesteros, a Spaniard who won more than his share of Ryder Cup matches. Campillo, a first-team All-American from Indiana, was playing in his third Palmer Cup.
“Jorge is probably going to be the next great Spaniard winning the Masters,” Thurmond said, bringing to mind Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.
The only American player with a winning record for the week was Cameron Tringale, who just wrapped up his senior season at Georgia Tech. Tringale went 3-0-1. Ziegler, the Broomfield resident who is finishing his sophomore year at Stanford, went 2-2, winning an alternate-shot match Friday but losing 5 and 4 to Stephan Gross in the Singles.
“I’m so physically and mentally exhausted it’s a joke,” Ziegler (pictured at the top) said after four rounds of golf in two days. “It would have been nice to come out with a win (as a team), but Europe outplayed us. We played well and they outplayed us. We had to make a ridiculous amount of birdies today to have a chance of winning.”
One American who did make a ridiculous amount of birdies in Friday’s Singles matches was Mike Van Sickle of Marquette. Van Sickle defeated previously unbeaten European Motta 8 and 7 by going 8 under par through 11 holes. Van Sickle had gone 0-3 before Friday afternoon.
“I feel like I was trying to make up for three rounds in one round,” Van Sickle said. “I wanted to beat (Motta) so bad.”
But for the U.S., it didn’t help that Hoffmann, the highest finisher among Palmer Cup players at last week’s NCAA Championship (seventh), was nursing a bad back all week. He said he felt the tightness when he pulled his drive into the water on 18 in his pivotal match, eventually taking double bogey.
“The week before nationals I couldn’t even play,” because of back pain, Hoffmann said. “And it was even worse today. It was brutal out there. But it was a good fight.”
Many competitors on both teams were happy they didn’t have to battle Cherry Hills at its most formidable. With substantial rain earlier in the week softening the greens, the course was tame by its typical championship standards.
“In a different week, it could be an animal,” Robertson said of Cherry Hills. “I could see where it could bring grown men to tears if it was another week. But it’s one of the finest courses I’ve ever had the pleasure to walk on.”
PALMER CUP FINAL SCORE: EUROPE 13, U.S. 11
Friday’s Foursomes (alternate shot)
Jorge Campillo-Tim Sluiter (Europe) def. Bud Cauley-Trent Leon (U.S.) 5 and 4
Erik Flores-Steve Ziegler (U.S.) def. Stephan Gross-Chris Paisley (Europe) 1 up
Leonardo Motta-Andre Pavan (Europe) def. Trent Leon-Adam Mitchell 3 and 2
Morgan Hoffmann-Cameron Tringale (U.S.) def. Henrik Norlander-Robin Wingardh, 1 up
Friday’s Singles
Jorge Campillo (Europe) def. Bud Cauley (U.S.) 2 and 1
Stephan Gross (Europe) def. Steve Ziegler (U.S.) 5 and 4
Tim Sluiter (Europe) vs. Morgan Hoffmann (U.S.) 1 up
Cameron Tringale (U.S.) def. Chris Paisley (Europe) 1 up
Mike Van Sickle (U.S.) def. Leonardo Motta (Europe) 8 and 7
Andrea Pavan (Europe) halved with Erik Flores (U.S.)
Trent Leon (U.S.) def. Robin Wingardh (Europe) 2 and 1
Adam Mitchell (U.S.) def. Henrik Norlander (Europe) 3 and 2
