UNITED STATES WIN EIGHT SINGLES TO
TAKE PALMER CUP STRANGELHOLD


The United States bounced back from losing the four-balls 3-1 to score an 8-0 whitewash over Europe in the singles and have a strangehold 9-3 lead at the halfway stage of the transatlantic students’ golf match for the Palmer Cup at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Maryland.
The American line-up, containing most of the top US college circuit players and including Jamie Lovemark, the new No 1 in the R&A World amateur rankings, had been expected to gain revenge for the record trouncing (19 ½-4 ½) they received in last year’s match over the Prestwick links.
Instead, the Europeans got off to a flying start with Edinburgh-born Welsh Walker Cup player Rhys Davies and Ulsterman Gareth Shaw, team-mates at East Tennessee State University, thrashing Jamie Lovemark (University of Southern California) and Luke List (Vanderbilt) by 9 and 7 in the first tie off the tee.
There was some incredible scoring by the Europeans in this match. Davies birdied the first two holes and then Shaw took over. He birdied the third, foufrth, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth. Davies and Shaw were six up after seven and there was no way back for the American pair after that.
The United States levelled it at 1-1 when Brian Harman (Georgia) and Billy Horschel (Florida) won by 3 and 2 against the all-Spanish pairing of Jorge Campillo and Pedo Oriol.
GORDON YATES' MORNING VICTORY
But Europe edged ahead again when the all-Swedish partnership of Jonas Blixt and Oscar Floren won by 2 and 1 over Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) and Chris Kirk (Georgia).
Stirling student Gordon Yates and Mark Hastrup from Denmark then stretched the European lead to 2pt at lunchtime by beating Jonathan Moore (Oklahoma State) and Webb Simpson (Wake Forest) by one hole after being two up with four to play.
Whatever the Americans had for lunch, it transformed them into match-play tigers and they won all eight singles. Lovemark gained revenge for his landslide four-balls defeat by slamming Davies 4 and 2 and Shaw lost his tie by two holes to Billy Horschel.
Gordon Yates had a great struggle with Jonathan Moore before losing by 2 and 1.
Three of the ties went to the 18th green and another two ended at the 17th but the Americans won all the close ones.
There are 12 points to play for on the second and last day – four foursomes and eight singles.
United States lead 5-4 in the series with one draw.

First day details:

UNITED STATES 9, EUROPE 3

FOUR-BALLS (1-3)
US names first5
L List (Vanderbilt) & J Lovemark (Southern California) lost to R Davies (Wal) & G Shaw (NIr) 9 and 7.
B Harman (Georgia) & B Horschel (Florida) bt J Campillo (Spa) & P Oriol (Spa) 3 and 2.
J Moore (Oklahoma State) & W Simpson (Wake Forest) lost to G Yates (Sco) & M Haastrup (Den) 1 hole.
D Johnson (Coastal Carolina) & C Kirk (Georgia) lost to J Blixt (Swe) & O Floren (Swe) 2 and 1.
SINGLES (8-0)
Lovemark bt Davies 4 and 2.
List bt Campillo 2 holes.
Horschel bt Shaw 2 holes
Harman bt Oriol 4 and 2.
Moore bt Yates 2 and 1.
Simpson bt Blixt 2 and 1.
Kirk bt Haastrup 1 hole,
Johnson bt Floren 4 and 2.