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Mehaffey, Grant Set to Compete in Rescheduled Palmer Cup

by thesundevils.com
Nov 19, 2020

Mehaffey Selected to Palmer Cup for Second Time | Original Release | Tournament Central | Palmer Cup Field

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Women's Golf's Olivia Mehaffey and Linn Grant are set to participate in the rescheduled 2020 Palmer Cup, taking place December 21-23 at Bay Hill Club in Orlando.
 
The duo was originally scheduled to compete in the Palmer Cup at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland from July 3-5, but the event was postponed due to the public health crisis.
 
"We are thrilled to have two terrific Sun Devils make the Palmer Cup International squad along with their men's team teammate David Puig," Sun Devil Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye stated back in March. "It is such a great accomplishment and to have both Olivia and Linn make the team is very special."

Linn Grant was one of six international female Rankings Selections while Olivia Mehaffey was one of six female Committee Selections. They will compete in the Ryder Cup-style international collegiate event between the United States and International Team.
 
This is the second time that Mehaffey will have the opportunity to participate in the prestigious tournament, previously competing in the 2018 version.  She was one of three International female Committee Selections for 2020, joined by highly-ranked amateurs Ingrid Lindblad (LSU/Sweden) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina/France).
 
"It is such an honor to get the opportunity to play the Palmer Cup again," Mehaffey said back in March. "I have amazing memories from my first time and I can't wait to compete again."
 
"I am so happy for Olivia to be selected to play in this year's Palmer Cup," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "To be selected 2 times for this team is quite an honor."
  
MAGIC OF MEHAFFEY
Already one of the most decorated golfers in the history of the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, Mehaffey completed her fourth season in Tempe with a historic achievement. She became just the third four-time All-American in the history of the Arizona State Women's Golf program after being selected to the Honorable Mention team by the WGCA. She joined an exclusive list of Sun Devils to have been named All-Americans after each of their four years, one that includes Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Famer Kellee Booth (1995-98) and current LPGA Tour standout Azahara Munoz (2006-09). 

In addition to the WGCA recognition, Mehaffey was also one of three Sun Devils to also earn All-American distinction by Golfweek, the third consecutive year the senior accomplished the feat. Due to the unique circumstances, Mehaffey has a chance to claim a record that may never be matched. She has the potential to be the first five-time All-American not only in program history, but in NCAA history.
 
Mehaffey and Grant will team up for the first time since ending the season as the No. 3 team in the country and one of the top National Title contenders. They both currently sit in the Top-17 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings and were named to the ANNIKA Award Preseason Watch List last month. The 2020 All-Americans were a force last season, helping the Sun Devils win three events and finish in the Top-5 at all eight tournaments. 
 
As the No. 5 amateur in the world, Grant will be one of four Top-10 female amateurs in the world on a loaded International team. By virtue of finishing third in the Palmer Cup International female rankings, Grant was one of six golfers invited to join the Committee Selections to complete the team. 
 
Grant is no stranger to International competition, having competed in the European Individual and Team Championships this offseason. She led Sweden to their third consecutive European Team Title, sinking the championship-clinching putt on 16.  The last two years, she has been invited to play at the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur, one of the top amateur tournaments in the World. 
 
Prior to her arrival in Tempe, Grant tied for fifth at the 2019 European Ladies Amateur and was a Semifinalist at the 2019 British Ladies Amateur. Grant captured the 2017 Ladies British Amateur Stroke Play Championship, qualifying her for the 2018 Women's British Open. She is somewhat familiar with the unique format of the event, having been a member of the 2017 European Junior Solheim Cup Team.

LINN KNOWS HOW TO WIN
The Arizona State women's golf program has seen its share of breakout freshman seasons. The performance of Linn Grant during the 2019-20 season belongs in the discussion of one of the top freshman campaigns in school history. Grant was rewarded with Second-Team All-American recognition by Golfweek, her second All-American honor following her first season in Tempe. She was spectacular throughout her freshman season, finishing in the Top-10 at five of the seven tournaments.

Despite her inexperience at the collegiate level, she played with a consistency and maturity beyond her years, helping her land on the ANNIKA Award Watch List as one of 15 candidates for National Player of the Year. The highlight of Grant's season happened in Hawaii, as she took home Individual Medalist honors while leading her team to a victory at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, the only Sun Devil to pick up an individual win. She managed to remain in the Top-10 of the Golfstat Individual Rankings all season long, eventually settling at No. 8 in the final edition. 

On the Women's International side, Grant and Mehaffey will be joined by Emma Spitz (UCLA/Austria), Kaleigh Telfer (Auburn/South Africa), Aline Krauter (Stanford/Germany), Sophie Guo (Texas/China), Hazel MacGarvie (Stirling/Scotland), Vivian Hou (Arizona/Taiwan), Angelina Ye (Stanford/China), and Sofia Garcia (Texas Tech/Paraguay).
 
They will team up with the Men's International side that consists of David Puig (Arizona State/Cuba), Matthias Schmid (Louisville/Germany), Yuxin Lin (Southern California/China), Adrien Pendaries (Duke/France), Mark Power (Wake Forest/Ireland), Puwit Anupansuebsai (San Diego State/Thailand), Sam Choi (New Mexico/Republic of Korea), Ludvig Aberg (Texas Tech/Sweden), Caolan Rafferty (Maynooth/Ireland), Alex Fitzpatrick (Wake Forest/England), Vincent Norrman (Georgia Southwestern/Sweden) and Angus Flanagan (Minnesota/England).
  
SUN DEVILS IN THE ARNOLD PALMER CUP
Linn Grant (2020)
David Puig (2020)
Olivia Mehaffey (2018 & 2020)
Chun An Yu (2019)
Alex del Rey (2019)
Jon Rahm (2014 & 2015)
Max Rottluff (2015)
Jesper Kennegard (2010)
James Byrne (2010)
Stephan Gross (2009)
Alejandro Canizares (2003, 2004, 2005, & 2006)
Jeff Quinney (2001)
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com).
 
HISTORY OF THE PALMER CUP
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and began at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla., in 1997. The event is a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top men's and women's university/college golfers matching the United States against a team of International players. 

The Arnold Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world's greatest courses including The Old Course, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club became the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.

Since its inception, over 100 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on either the PGA Tour, European Tour or LPGA, 29 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, and more than 60 have claimed over 240 victories on the PGA or European Tours. The United States leads the series 12-10-1.
 
ABOUT BAY HILL CLUB
Renowned for having been the winter home of Arnold Palmer, Bay Hill Club & Lodge combines world-class golf in an exclusive club setting. The Par 72, 7,381 yard Championship Course sweeps across 270 acres along the shores of the Butler Chain of Lakes. Since 1979, Bay Hill has been home to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of the most popular tournaments on the PGA Tour. Arnold Palmer Cup alumni Francesco Molinari (2019) and Matt Every (2014-15) have claimed victory at Mr. Palmer's tournament.
 

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