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Kennedy Named to the 2023 Palmer Cup Team
April 25, 2023 | Men's Golf
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Max Kennedy of the University of Louisville men's golf team was selected to Team International for the upcoming Arnold Palmer Cup this summer in Ligoner, Pa. Teams were announced Tuesday live on the Golf Channel in conjunction with the tournament.
Laurel Valley Golf Club, located outside Ligonier, Pa., will host the 27th Arnold Palmer Cup matches this season. The Ryder Cup-style competition features men's and women's collegiate golfers from the United States versus their International counterparts will be played June 8-10. Longtime Arnold Palmer partner Rolex is continuing its 50-plus year relationship through its support of the matches.
"To make this team is an honor, Kennedy said. "I'd like to thank my coaches, teammates, friends and family for pushing me to be better every day, it's nice to see hard work paying off."
"I'm very excited for Max," head coach Ryan Blagg said. "Being named to the Palmer Cup is a well-deserved accomplishment that very few get to be a part of.
Max's work ethic, character and passion for the game is second to none. He is an incredible golfer and an even better person. I'm extremely proud and blessed that I get to coach him."
A junior, Kennedy is fresh off a top-10 finish in the stroke play portion of the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship at Pinehurst where he finished in a tie for seventh place.
In 11 starts this season, Kennedy has posted six-straight top 10 finishes, including a tie for third at the All-American and a win at the Aggie Invitational.
The native of Ireland picked up his first tournament win since 2019 when he shot a 7-under-par for the program's first individual tournament win since John Murphy won a pair of events during the 2019-20 campaign. Kennedy shot 71-66-72=209 over the two days to continue his strong season. Kennedy owns a 70.93 stroke average, which is tops on the team and the fifth-best in program history.
Kennedy is the first UofL golfer to make the team since Matthias Schmid earned honors in 2019 and 2020.
The top six golfers in the final spring ranking from both the United States and International men and women were among the individuals selected to compete today. Darling is ranked third in the final rankings for Team International on the women's side.
Using Golfstat's NCAA Player Ranking as a base, the Arnold Palmer Cup ranking awards bonus points for wins and high finishes and a penalty for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.
The rest of the team members will be at-large picks. The remaining six spots for the United States will consist of five committee picks, including at least one non-Division I golfer, and a coaches pick. The balance of the International squad also includes five committee selections, including at least one representative from The R&A Student Tour Series, and a coaches pick.
About the Arnold Palmer Cup
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and began at the 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 Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world's greatest courses, including The Old Course at St. Andrews, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. Beginning with the 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club, the Arnold Palmer Cup is the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
Since its inception, over 125 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, European, or LPGA Tours; 32 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 65 have claimed over 285 victories on the PGA, European, or LPGA Tours, including three major champions in both 2020 and 2021. The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 13-11-1.
The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation supports the Palmer Cup, which provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer's commitment to youth character development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf. For more information, please visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com.
Laurel Valley Golf Club, located outside Ligonier, Pa., will host the 27th Arnold Palmer Cup matches this season. The Ryder Cup-style competition features men's and women's collegiate golfers from the United States versus their International counterparts will be played June 8-10. Longtime Arnold Palmer partner Rolex is continuing its 50-plus year relationship through its support of the matches.
"To make this team is an honor, Kennedy said. "I'd like to thank my coaches, teammates, friends and family for pushing me to be better every day, it's nice to see hard work paying off."
"I'm very excited for Max," head coach Ryan Blagg said. "Being named to the Palmer Cup is a well-deserved accomplishment that very few get to be a part of.
Max's work ethic, character and passion for the game is second to none. He is an incredible golfer and an even better person. I'm extremely proud and blessed that I get to coach him."
A junior, Kennedy is fresh off a top-10 finish in the stroke play portion of the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship at Pinehurst where he finished in a tie for seventh place.
In 11 starts this season, Kennedy has posted six-straight top 10 finishes, including a tie for third at the All-American and a win at the Aggie Invitational.
The native of Ireland picked up his first tournament win since 2019 when he shot a 7-under-par for the program's first individual tournament win since John Murphy won a pair of events during the 2019-20 campaign. Kennedy shot 71-66-72=209 over the two days to continue his strong season. Kennedy owns a 70.93 stroke average, which is tops on the team and the fifth-best in program history.
Kennedy is the first UofL golfer to make the team since Matthias Schmid earned honors in 2019 and 2020.
The top six golfers in the final spring ranking from both the United States and International men and women were among the individuals selected to compete today. Darling is ranked third in the final rankings for Team International on the women's side.
Using Golfstat's NCAA Player Ranking as a base, the Arnold Palmer Cup ranking awards bonus points for wins and high finishes and a penalty for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.
The rest of the team members will be at-large picks. The remaining six spots for the United States will consist of five committee picks, including at least one non-Division I golfer, and a coaches pick. The balance of the International squad also includes five committee selections, including at least one representative from The R&A Student Tour Series, and a coaches pick.
About the Arnold Palmer Cup
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and began at the 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 Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world's greatest courses, including The Old Course at St. Andrews, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. Beginning with the 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club, the Arnold Palmer Cup is the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
Since its inception, over 125 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, European, or LPGA Tours; 32 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 65 have claimed over 285 victories on the PGA, European, or LPGA Tours, including three major champions in both 2020 and 2021. The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 13-11-1.
The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation supports the Palmer Cup, which provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer's commitment to youth character development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf. For more information, please visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com.
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