USA Win PGA Cup at Corde Valle

The 25th PGA Cup was the first team event conducted at CordeValle, one of many Northern California gems in golf. In this pastoral setting wrapped by the Santa Cruz Mountains, a team of 10 PGA Professionals arrived not knowing much about each other and departed Sunday with a trophy symbolizing that they completed an uncommon mission in the game – making teamwork part of their DNA.

Feeding off two consecutive hallmark days in four-balls and foursomes, where they won nine of 16 matches and halved four others, the Americans closed out Great Britain & Ireland, 17½ to 8½, on a warm afternoon by capturing six singles matches and halving two others. The United States kept its streak intact of never being defeated on home soil in a competition that began in 1973, and owns a 17-5-3 overall record. 

“I've always said that the PGA Cup is the No. 1 event,” said USA Captain Jim Remy, the PGA honorary president from Ludlow, Vt. “It is our Ryder Cup, and it means so much to our members. For me to have the opportunity to captain a PGA Cup Team really is the culmination of my time as a PGA officer. It's just one of the biggest thrills of my life.”

Great Britain & Ireland Captain Russell Weir, who had said that it “would mean everything” to win a PGA Cup in America, praised the U.S. performance.

“We came up against a really strong American team and they deserved their victories,” said Weir, who competed in a record-tying eight PGA Cups and competed in an event-record 40 matches. “There were a lot of close matches today. Like a great British bulldog. This week has given a lot of guys their first experience of PGA Cup matches and I’m sure they will want more.”

Remy, who surveyed his team members months before they would meet for the first time, learned about their tendencies, their style of play, their preferences for a playing partner and their personalities. The data played a major role in Remy determining the right combinations among seven rookies and three veterans.

“We felt comfortable,” said Marty Jertson, a senior design engineer for PING Golf in Phoenix, Ariz., who made the most of his debut as the lone unbeaten, untied member of either team in four outings. 

He capped his week with a 5 and 4 singles victory over reigning PGA Professional Champion Craig Goodfellow of Cumbria, England, with a round featuring a pair of eagles through the 14 holes played. His last “dagger” was holing out from the 10th fairway from 138 yards with a pitching wedge – one of a set of irons he designed – for eagle.

“I keep saying this is like golfer’s heaven here this week," he added. "To play on a team is so much fun. The course, the environment, and the atmosphere, you really cannot beat it. Today, I played nearly perfect golf.”

Jertson teamed earlier in the weekend for three wins with Rob McClellan, the PGA head professional at Butler (Pa.) Country Club. He halved his singles match with England’s Simon Edwards.

“I’ve never played match play in something with this magnitude,” said McClellan, who finished 3-0-1along with another “rookie” turned veteran, Faber Jamerson of Appomattox, Va. “We all played together so well from the start.” 

Jamerson had the best card of the day and one of the biggest battles to earn a point. He was 8 under par through his first 10 holes, before dispatching Gary Brown of North Yorkshire, England, 3 and 2.

The Americans entered the 10 singles matches needing only 2½ points to retain the Llandudno International Golf Trophy for the 12th time in the past 13 competitions. With Remy beaming from the gallery, his team matched the same U.S. victory margin in 2009 at The Carrick in Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Ga., 51, the senior member of either team, closed the issue by halving his match with Stuart Little of Gloucestershire, England, in the third singles match of the day. Skinner finished 1-0-3 after turning in a 4-0-0 record in his debut in 2009.

“This meant a lot,” said Skinner. “I’m 51, and you don’t get these opportunities much when you get over the big 50 mark, especially playing with these young guys. Seems like every guy I played with was 6-foot-4 or taller this week and hit it a mile. They have an aggressive personality and they want to win at all costs. It’s a tough game.”

Other singles victories went to Danny Balin of Greenwich, Conn., who began the Sunday parade with a 1-up victory over Christopher Gill of Devon, England. Brad Lardon of College Station, Texas, routed David Mortimer of County Galway, Ireland 6 and 4; and Scott Erdmann of Tigard, Ore., who ended the day for his team with a 3 and 2 victory over John Kennedy of Oxford, England.

American veteran Mark Sheftic of Blue Bell, Pa., a PGA teaching professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., made his second consecutive Cup appearance and finished 3-2-0, including a 1-up singles conquest of England’s John Wells.

“This is a dream come true,” said Sheftic, who scored the decisive U.S. team point in 2009. “Words can’t describe it. We had a special group of guys and we were led by a great Captain in Jim Remy. When you make it to the team, you will have memories that will last forever. I wish every club professional could go through it.”

The 26th PGA Cup will be contested in September 2013 at The Hunting Course at Slaley Hall in Northumberland, England.

SUNDAY SINGLES

Marty Jertson, Phoenix, Ariz. (USA) def. Craig Goodfellow, Cumbria, England, 5 & 4

Danny Balin, Greenwich, Conn. (USA) def. Christopher Gill, Devon, England 1-up

Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga. (USA) halved with Stuart Little, Gloucestershire, England

Robert Giles, Newry, County Down, Ireland (GB&I) def. Mike Small, Champaign, Ill., 1-up

David Shacklady, Lancashire, England (GB&I) def. David Hutsell, Baltimore, Md., 3 and 2

Mark Sheftic, Blue Bell, Pa. (USA) def. John Wells, Yorkshire, England, 1-up

Rob McClellan, Butler, Pa. (USA) halved with Simon Edwards, Cumbria, England

Faber Jamerson, Appomattox, Va. (USA) def. Gary Brown, N. Yorkshire, England, 3 and 2

Brad Lardon, College Station, Texas (USA) def. David Mortimer, Knocknacarra, Ireland, 6 and 4

Scott Erdmann, Tigard, Ore. (USA) def. John Kennedy, Oxford, England, 3 and 2

Day 3 Total: USA 7, Great Britain & Ireland 3

OVERALL FINAL TOTAL: USA 17½, Great Britain & Ireland 8½

Courtesy Bob Denney, The PGA of America

GB&I Retain Vivendi Seve Trophy

Great Britain & Ireland’s lower order clung on as they retained the Vivendi Seve Trophy at St-Nom-La-Bretèche - but only after a magnificent fightback from the Continental Europeans.

Trailing 11½-6½ overnight, Jean Van de Velde’s side won the first five single contests to square the match.

It looked as if they might end their 11-year wait for the title when Nicolas Colsaerts took a half off David Horsey late on, but rookie Scott Jamieson held firm to win a first point for Paul McGinley’s side.

And when Ian Poulter snatched victory from Matteo Manassero on the final green and Mark Foster went one up on the 17th, it guaranteed the 14 1/2 points needed for victory.

It finished 15½-12½ but it was a tremendous effort by the Continental Europeans to take it to the wire after being thoroughly outplayed on the first and third days.

Van de Velde had loaded his top order with form players, and it immediately paid off as recent back-to-back winner Thomas Björn came from three down to beat World Number Two Lee Westwood 2 and 1.

Westwood had looked unstoppable as he birdied the first from ten feet, the third from 30 feet and played his approach shot within inches of the cup at the fifth.

But Björn used all his experience to hang tough and errors crept into Westwood’s game after he three-putted the sixth.

The Dane, captain when Continental Europe lost two years ago, holed a 30 foot putt on the 14th to lead for the first time and when Westwood pulled his approach left in to thick rough on the 17th and duffed his first chip it was all over.

“Lee came out this morning and was sensational the first few holes,” said Björn.

“It was just a case of hanging on and hanging on, but a couple of mistakes let me back in. I played some nice stuff near the end but it was a hard-fought battle.”

A wave of blue was sweeping over the leaderboard at that stage and Björn’s compatriot Anders Hansen secured a gritty one up win over Simon Dyson.

The Englishman had won three and a half points out of four over the first three days, but went three down after seven.

Dyson played a magnificent wedge approach to the next to spark a comeback, but no sooner was last week’s KLM Open winner all square than Hansen struck a hammer blow with a 30 footer at the 14th.

A 20 foot putt at the 16th put Hansen dormie two, and although Dyson took the par five next Hansen displayed nerves of steel on the final green to roll in a birdie putt from 25 feet.

Francesco Molinari tapped in a two foot birdie putt on the 15th for a 4 and 3 victory over Jamie Donaldson.

The Italian was up-and-running with a par at the second after his Welsh opponent was forced to play his approach left-handed from behind a tree and never looked back.

Alex Noren then beat Robert Rock 4 and 3 - the Englishman failed to make a single birdie - and suddenly there was only one in it.

Like Hansen before him, the Swede had birdied the first two holes - the latter from 12 feet - and a 15 footer at the eighth helped him turn five up.

Rock took the tenth and 12th with pars, but Noren won the 13th and drew the next two to make it four from four at the top of the order for Continental Europe.

McGinley might have hoped Open Champion Darren Clarke could stop the rot in game five but the Northern Irishman had a round to forget as he lost 4 and 2 to former Ryder Cup partner Miguel Angel Jiménez to leave the contest tied at 11½-11½.

At that stage both sides needed three points from the last five matches, all of which went to the final hole on a nailbiting day.

Horsey looked set to win a first point for Great Britain & Ireland as he continued his week-long putting masterclass with a 25 foot effort at the first.

He was two up with four to play, but big-hitting Belgian Colsaerts tapped in for birdie at the par five 15th, scrambled par from a bunker at the short next and levelled the contest with an eight footer at the 17th before both players parred the last for a half.

Scotland’s Jamieson added a first win for McGinley’s side with a one up victory over Pablo Larrazábal, despite a brave fightback from the Spaniard.

It was an impressive performance from the rookie, all the more so considering the drama that had been going on in the groups ahead.

Needing one and a half points from the last three groups, Poulter produced the goods as he has so many times in match play.

Having been far from his best all week, the Ryder Cup star and former WGC-Accenture Match Play champion trailed for most of his round against Italian 18 year old Manassero.

One down at the turn, he made a vital 25 foot par save on the 13th, rolled in a 12 foot birdie putt at the 16th to draw level and, after watching Manassero stiff his approach at the last to 12 feet, played a remarkable shot from the rough to five feet.

That point meant Great Britain & Ireland needed only a half, and moments later Mark Foster guaranteed exactly that by going one up against Raphaël Jacquelin at the 17th.

Veteran Foster held on at the last for a point, and Ross Fisher took a half off Peter Hanson in what had been an enthralling final contest.

US Increase PGA Cup Advantage

John Wells and Gary Brown, GB&I

Most golfers would tell you it is awkward taking turns with a partner in trying to get a ball into a hole. It’s hard enough by yourself. You are out of rhythm, and everything’s haywire.

Those critics would have a hard time convincing the United States Team of PGA club professionals that they looked anything but in complete harmony Saturday at CordeValle on the second day of the 25th PGA Cup.

The United States applied the necessary muscle in foursomes for the second day in a row, winning all but one of the four afternoon matches. That pushed the Americans’ advantage to 10½ to 5½ over Great Britain & Ireland, setting up a Sunday Singles where the hosts will need just 2½ points to retain the Llandudno International Golf Trophy.

“We’re just really happy with the way it all came together,” said USA Captain Jim Remy, The PGA honorary president from Ludlow, Vt. “We made the pairings early in the week to try to get the players comfortable with each other, and similar players were paired together. And, I don’t know whether it was luck or not, but we seem to have done really well.

“We have been able to keep the pairings together for the entire week, practice sessions all the way straight through to singles tomorrow.”

It was a difficult day for Great Britain & Ireland Captain Russell Weir of Dunoon, Scotland, whose team could not gain any precious ground in a bid to become the first to defeat the Americans on their home soil.

“As the sun got up to its peak, it was quite sapping strength wise but the guys gave everything,” said Weir. “(David) Shacklady and (Simon) Edwards, those guys brought tears to my eyes today while (John) Wells and (Gary) Brown were pure Yorkshire grit. They gave everything but there’s more to give tomorrow. We need points early, to make it very interesting. The spirit is fine, the guys know there are still 10 points to play for and they are going to give it a go.”

Weir has never played on a winning PGA Cup Team, despite his record-tying eight trips to the event from 1986 to 2000. He also has competed in more matches (40) than any player in event history.

“This has been the experience of my life,” he said. “I feel more pressure actually than when I played because you can’t hit the shots. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and it’s been great.”

The United States had a host of solid performances, but rookies Rob McClellan of Butler, Pa., and Marty Jertson of Phoenix, Ariz., have been stellar together, winning all three of their matches, including a 2 and 1 victory over Edwards and Shacklady of England, in which they rallied from a 2-hole deficit with a four-hole stretch of wins to ease to the grabbing a point.

“I think that we’re just so comfortable and our games are so similar,” said McClellan, the PGA head professional at Butler (Pa.) Country Club. “We hit the same clubs pretty much. And, we talk a lot. When we are walking, if we have the layup shot, we tell each other what shot we want to hit and we want to play to that shot. We talk about where we want to be and what shots we want to hit. And it’s been working.”

Though he didn’t cash in on a match victory in the process, Danny Balin of Greenwich, Conn., gave the United States a spark in the Morning Four-Balls, recording a hole-in-on the seventh hole at CordeValle for what is believed to be the second hole-in-one in PGA Cup history.

Balin, who is playing alongside partner Scott Erdmann of Tigard, Ore., used a 7-iron to ace the 183-yard hole. It was the second career hole-in-one for the 29-year-old PGA assistant professional at Burning Tree Country Club in Greenwich, Conn. Coincidentally, the first PGA Cup ace recorded was by current GB&I Captain Weir during his Cup debut in 1986 at Knollwood Country Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

Balin’s ace allowed the U.S. duo to trim its deficit in the match to two holes against Stuart Little and Robert Giles. However, Giles soon got his team back in front by three holes, by driving the 286-yard, par-4 eighth green and making the eagle putt.

The PGA Cup concludes Sunday with 10 singles matches that begin at 9:30 a.m. PDT.

Great Britain & Ireland posted a 2 ½ to 1 ½ Morning Four-Ball advantage, tempered by the U.S. duo of Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Ga., and Brad Lardon of College Station, Texas, earning a half-point against England’s Craig Goodfellow and Ireland’s David Mortimer.

“That was a big, big half-point,” said Remy. “You have to work hard for those halves many times in this competition, and that was one of those moments that could have been a swing in momentum. I was so proud of how Sonny and Brad played to earn that halve.”

The United States owns a 16-5-3 advantage in the Ryder Cup-style competition, which began in 1973 at Pinehurst (N.C.) Country Club.

SATURDAY MORNING FOUR-BALLS

David Shacklady, Lancashire, England & Simon Edwards, Cumbria, England def. David Hutsell, Baltimore, Md. & Mark Sheftic, Blue Bell, Pa. (USA), 2 and 1

Mike Small, Champaign, Ill. & Faber Jamerson, Appomattox, Va. (USA) def. John Wells, Yorkshire, England & Gary Brown, N. Yorkshire, England (USA), 3 & 2

Stuart Little, Gloucestershire, England & Robert Giles, Newry, County Down, Ireland def. Danny Balin, Greenwich, Conn. & Scott Erdmann, Tigard, Ore. 5 & 4

Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga. & Brad Lardon, College Station, Texas (USA) halved with David Mortimer, Knocknacarra, Ireland & Craig Goodfellow, Cumbria, England

Great Britain & Ireland 2½ United States 1½

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOURSOMES

Rob McClellan, Butler, Pa. & Marty Jertson, Phoenix, Ariz. (USA) def. Edwards & Shacklady, 2 and 1

John Wells & Gary Brown def. Hutsell & Sheftic, 2-up

Small & Jamerson def. John Kennedy, Oxford, England & Christopher Gill, Devon, England, 4 & 3

Skinner & Lardon def. Mortimer & Little, 2 & 1

USA 3 Great Britain & Ireland 1

GB&I in Tough PGA Cup Battle

If Great Britain and Ireland had any doubts as to the size of the task facing them in winning the PGA Cup on American soil it arrived in stark fashion during a crushing afternoon foursomes defeat.

After a tightly contested morning fourball session which saw the US edge 2 ½ - 1 ½, Jim Remy's team surged ahead with a devastating display in the foursomes, routing Russell Weir's team 3 ½ - 1/2.

But for the battling duo David Shacklady and Simon Edwards, who went out first in the foursomes and salvaged a half point on the last hole, GB&I might have faced an even greater margin to overhaul.

As it stands 6-2 is plenty enough and Weir's team require a huge change in fortunes on day two to put themselves back into the match.

The combined pairings of John Kennedy and David Mortimer, Chris Gill and Stuart Little and Craig Goodfellow and Rob Giles won just one of 39 holes - all three succumbing to 6&5 defeats.

Weir, a veteran of eight PGA Cup appearances himself, will draw on all his experience to galvanise his side but believes the half point gleaned by Edwards and Shacklady could be crucial.

"That could help the momentum tomorrow, as I say it's a long dance, there's still 18 points to play for," said.

"We're not panicking, anything can happen in golf. The Americans are always strong, a few wee things happened that went against us today and hopefully we can turn that round. It is going to be difficult but it can be done."

Edwards and Shacklady, who went down 2&1 at the hands of David Hutsell and Mark Sheftic in the morning fourballs, were typically dogged as they pegged back Brad Lardon and Sonny Skinner, snatching a dramatic hole on 18 to grab a half point.

With no margin for error, Mossock Hall pro Shacklady took on the 530-yard par-5 18th, bordered by water on the left, with the second shot and plonked the ball firmly on the green. Lardon's approach - his third shot - wasn't so accurate and bounced into the water.

Skinner attempted to play the ball from its watering resting place in a last ditch effort to gain the full point but mud spattered trousers were all he had to show for his adventure.

"That shot into 18 was harder than hitting the opening tee shot, it was horrible but we had to go for it and it was just fortunate they got into a bit of trouble," said Shacklady.

"It's been a tough day but we came up against two strong pairings. The general consensus is that the lads feel they haven't holed their fair share of putts, that can't continue, at some point that is going to change."

Team-mate Edwards from Windermere Golf Club added: "We will regroup tonight and come out all guns blazing tomorrow and try and hole some putts."

Ganton's Gary Brown and Cherry Burton's John Wells displayed true Yorkshire grit in the morning fourballs after coming from two down with four to play to win 1UP against Danny Balin and Scott Erdmann, the match turning on the back of a bunker shot by Brown on the 15th splashing out to two feet on a downhill slope.

"Scrap and grit, that's all that got us through that," said Wells. "They played better than us early doors and should have been four or five up.

"We didn't have a cat in hell's chance then Gary made that up and down on 15 and that turned the match."

Minchinhampton's Stuart Little and Exeter's Chris Gill grabbed the other half for GB&I in the morning but were disappointed to share the points with Mike Small and Faber Jamerson after being up for most of the match.

Despite the Americans rally, Little was reveling in the atmosphere of the PGA Cup arena.

"Instinctively I have not felt like that for a long time so it was good to get the juices going and a little bit of tension and excitement," he said.

However the day deteriorated for the West Region pair when they lost to Balin and Scott Erdmann.

"We got off to a slow start, they capitalized and we never really got on the front foot and ending up battered," said Little.

"But we've got two more days of golf and we know that is a lot in golf and a lot can happen."

His partner Gill added: "It's never nice to play poorly or get beaten but if you're going to do it it's best to do it on the first day of the tournament.

"Team spirit and morale is still good and maybe it is just America's day to day."

Rob Giles (Greenore) and Craig Goodfellow (Carlisle Driving Range) out last in the morning were denied a half in the fourballs when Rob McClellan birdied the 18th with partner Marty Jertson, a senior design engineer for PING and the man credited with the design of Anser iron and co-designer of the G20s.

America then maintained the momentum in the afternoon to seize the initiative. For captain Remy, celebrating his 57th birthday, it was a day to remember.

"I was really happy with the fact that we were able to come back in the morning and get the one-point lead," said Remy. 

"That was really spectacular. Then, this afternoon to be able to get 3 ½ points in foursomes was incredible. The foursomes' are not our game, but we did practice it a lot this week."

For GB&I it was a time for tough talking. Greenore pro Giles stressed the need for improvement: "We made hard work of it for ourselves and it's a hard game to play anyway so losing holes to pars isn't good enough and they are good players."

Having sat out the afternoon Wells could only sit and watch as the scoreboard was swamped in red.

"It has been a disastrous afternoon to be fair, we have been well and truly beaten," he said.

"The boys did well to get the half at the last which gives us a bit of momentum but we've got to win both sessions to have a chance in the singles otherwise it's a mountain to climb."

Weir gathered the GB&I team for a meeting and the message was clear - hit back and hit back fast.

As Kennedy summed up: "We are better than that, I am better than that and we have to go out and show that."

Day 1 scores

McGinley Favours European Team

Great Britain and Ireland captain Paul McGinley insists his side should be regarded as underdogs for this week's Vivendi Seve Trophy match against Jean Van de Velde's Continental Europe team.

McGinley has world number two Lee Westwood, Open winner Darren Clarke and the in-form Simon Dyson in his line-up for the biennial event at St Nom La Breteche in Paris.

But the Irishman said: "There is no doubt Continental Europe are the favourites and a stronger team on paper.

"We're under no illusions we're the underdogs. But we have been before and come out on top." 

McGinley on team's chances

"Look at the quality and experience they have in the team, where they are in the world rankings and Race to Dubai. Their top players seem to enjoy the event and make themselves available.

"They have a French captain as well. That's going to mean a vociferous crowd. We're under no illusions we're the underdogs. But we have been before and come out on top.

"I've got a good idea of my pairings. The big decision I've faced is, do I put my best players together or do I spread them out and put the debutants with experienced players?

"I'll be running everything by the boys when practice is over. I'll be making my decisions then."

The bookies agree with McGinley's assessment about which side should be regarded as favourites.

Sky Bet make Continental Europe 4/5, with Great Britain and Ireland at Even Money.

Continental Europe captain Jean Van de Velde, meanwhile, insists his side is determined to avoid a sixth consecutive defeat in the event.

The Frenchman is hoping that Thomas Bjorn can continue the sparkling form that has netted the Dane two titles this season in his last two starts on the European Tour.

Ryder Cup stalwart Miguel Angel Jimenez is another key man for the 'home' team, and Van de Velde hopes they can inspire the inexperienced players in his side.

"We've played this match six times and Britain and Ireland have won the last five; that will be the inspiration for my team," said the Frenchman.

"I have a couple of leaders. Thomas Bjorn is in incredible form. It's his sixth Seve Trophy and he knows how many times we have lost. He doesn't like to be beaten.

"Miguel-Angel Jimenez never knows when he is beaten, and he has played in three Ryder Cups and all six Seve Trophy matches.

"I have 10 players who feel that way, too. It's a common interest. They are all champions and if there is one thing they hate more than anything, it's losing."

2011 Vivendi Trophy - Live Scoring