EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France- Texas A&M golfer Chandler Phillips combined with UCLA’s Lilia Vu to win their opening round match for Team USA at the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup on Friday.
Phillips, a senior on the men’s golf team, and Vu defeated Jovan Rebula and Albane Valenzuela of Team International 6&4 in the first round four-ball match. In the four-ball format, the team whose player posts the best score on that hole wins the hole. Phillips and Vu did not lose a hole all match, and clinched the match with a birdie on the par 3 14th.
Texas A&M’s Maddie Szeryk, who just completed her senior season for the women’s golf team, fought valiantly in her match, alongside International Team partner Andy Zhang of Florida, but fell 1 Down to Lauren Stephenson (Alabama) and Braden Thornberry (Ole Miss) of Team USA in an All-SEC pairing. Szeryk and Zhang started with five straight birdies to take a 4 Up lead through five, but eagles by Team USA on the par 5 15th and par 5 18th clinched victory.
After the first round, Team USA leads Team International 8-4.
The Arnold Palmer Cup is a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top men's and women's college golfers matching the United States against a team of International players. The team that wins the most matches over four rounds of play, wins the Arnold Palmer Cup. The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club will become the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
The tournament continues with two rounds of alternate shot matches on Saturday, and finishes with singles matches on Sunday.
