UNITED STATES HAVE EIGHT-POINT LEAD AT HALFWAY IN PALMER CUP

FROM THE PALMER CUP WEBSITE

WILMINGTON, Delaware – Team USA extended its lead to 11.5-3.5 following the Saturday afternoon singles session at the Palmer Cup at Wilmington Country Club. 
Irishman Kevin Phelan was Europe's only winner in the singles.
The Americans won five and four were halved, making the afternoon scoreline: USA 7, Europe 3 in the students' international match.
The morning four-ball foursomes session saw the Americans go into a 4 1/2-0 1/2 lead.
Bobby Wyatt claimed the first singles match, downing Sebastian Cappelen, 3 and 2. Wyatt took the lead with birdie on the third hole before a Cappelen birdie on No. 7 evened the match. Wyatt won the ninth hole and then used birdies on Nos. 11, 13 and 14 to push his lead to 4-up before settling for the 3 and 2 victory.
Justin Thomas never dropped a hole in his 5 and 3 victory over Greg Eason. Thomas eagled the second hole to take the lead and posted birdies on Nos. 4 and 15. He won with par on Nos. 8 and 11.
Patrick Rodgers kept Team USA’s winning streak alive downing Julien Brun 4 and 3. Rodgers claimed the first hole with birdie but a bogey on the fifth moved the match back to all square. He responded by winning three-straight holes. Brun birdied No. 13 to cut the lead to 2-up. Rodgers finished off the match with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15. 
Daniel Berger picked up the fourth-straight American win by defeating Ben Taylor, 2 and 1. Berger claimed the first two holes and pushed his lead to 3-up after a birdie at the fifth. A Taylor birdie on No. 6 cut the lead but Berger moved back to 3-up after a birdie on No. 10. Taylor made one last charge with a birdie at No. 16 before both players posted bogey on No. 17.
Sean Dale came back from 3-down thru four to post a 2-up victory over Pontus Widegren. Dale bogeyed three of the first four holes to fall behind early. Dale began his rally by winning No. 10 with birdie and back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to move the match to all square. Dale capped the match with back-to-back birdies.
Team USA’s winning streak was snapped when Cory Whitsett and Scott Fernandez halved their match. The match went back-and-forth early with each player taking a 1-up lead before making the turn all square. Fernandez birdied Nos. 10 and 15 to move 2-up. Whitsett responded with a birdie on No. 16 to get within 1-down before winning No. 18 with par.
Alex Carpenter and Ireland’s Gary Hurley also halved their match. Carpenter got off to a quick lead by claiming three of the first four holes. Hurley moved the match to all square by winning Nos. 8-10. A Carpenter birdie on No. 11 gave him a brief lead before Hurley surged ahead by winning Nos. 13-14. Carpenter halved the match with par on No. 18.
Europe secured its first victory with Kevin Phelan’s 3 and 1 triumph over Michael Weaver. Phelan went 1-up with a birdie on the 2nd. Weaver took a brief lead with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 6 and 7. Phelan claimed four of the next five holes to take a 3-up lead. Weaver cut the lead down a hole before Phelan closed out the match with a birdie on No. 17
USA’s James Erkenbeck and Europe’s Joel Stalter finished with a halved match. Erkenbeck went 1-up after four but back-to-back wins by Stalter at the turn moved the advantage to Europe’s favour. Erkenbeck retook the lead with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 11-12 and pushed the lead to 2-up with an eagle at No. 14. A Stalter birdie at the 15th cut the lead to one but Erkenbeck responded by winning No. 16 with a birdie of his own. Stalter claimed the last two holes to halve the match.
Michael Kim and Pedro Figueiredo, the first Palmer Cup player from Portugal, halved the day’s final match. Kim won the first hole but fell behind 2-down after Figuieredo birdied Nos. 4-6. Kim moved the match back to all square after winning the next two holes. Kim retook the lead after holing out from 80 yards on No. 16. Figueiredo claimed the next hole to even the match but lipped out from three feet on the 18th to settle for a halve.
Third round foursomes matches tee off at 7 am.
   Second Round Singles Results 
Game 6: Bobby Wyatt, USA bt Sebastian Cappelen, Europe, 3 and 2
Game 7: Justin Thomas, USA bt Greg Eason, Europe, 5 and 3
Game 8: Patrick Rodgers, USA bt Julien Brun, Europe, 4 and 3
Game 9: Sean Dale, USA bt Pontus Widegren, Europe, 2-up
Game 10: Daniel Berger, USA bt Ben Taylor, Europe, 2 and 1
Game 11: Cory Whitsett, USA halved Scott Fernandez, Europe
Game 12: Alex Carpenter, USA halved Gary Hurley, Europe
Game 13: James Erkenbeck, USA halved Joel Stalter, Europe
Game 14: Kevin Phelan, Europe bt Michael Weaver, USA, 3 and 1
Game 15: Michael Kim, USA halved Pedro Figueiredo, Europe
Third Round Foursomes Pairings 
Game 16: Cory Whitsett/Bobby Wyatt, USA vs. Gary Hurley/Kevin Phelan, Europe
Game 17: Patrick Rodgers/Justin Thomas, USA vs. Pedro Figueiredo/Pontus Widegren, Europe
Game 18: Alex Carpenter/Michael Kim, USA vs. Julien Brun/Joel Stalter, Europe
Game 19: Daniel Berger/Sean Dale, USA vs. Sebastian Cappelen/Greg Eason, Europe
Game 20: James Erkenbeck/Michael Weaver, USA vs. Scott Fernandez/Ben Taylor, Europe

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