2018 Arnold Palmer Cup Coach’s Picks Named

NORMAN, Okla. – Luis Gagne of LSU and Costa Rica and Wenyung Keh of Washington and New Zealand have been named Coach’s Picks for the International Team while NC State’s Stephen Franken and Kaitlyn Papp of Texas were selected to represent the United States at this summer’s Arnold Palmer Cup. Longtime Arnold Palmer partner Rolex is continuing its 50 year relationship through its support of the matches, the first played under the expanded format to include men’s and women’s USA collegiate golfers against their counterparts from around the world. The annual Ryder Cup-style competition will be played July 6-8 at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Herb Page’s coach’s pick for the international team, Gagne is a junior from San Jose, Costa Rica. A two-time PING Honorable Mention All-America selection, Gagne has claimed medalist honors four times in his college career. This season he has posted a career-best scoring average of 71.24. Gagne has four top-10 finishes this season, including a tie for medalist honors at the David Toms Intercollegiate.

A Junior from Auckland, New Zealand, Keh was Anne Walker’s coach’s pick. An All-Pac 12 Conference selection, Keh posted five top 10 finishes and only placed outside the top 20 once in nine events. Additionally, she tied for second at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship, falling in a playoff. As a freshman, Keh won all three of her matches during the match play portion of the NCAA Championships to help lead Washington to the team title.

Franken, a Raleigh, N.C., native, was tabbed by Ryan Hybl as his coach’s pick. The junior leads NC State with a 70.30 scoring average. Franken has six top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments, including his first career medalist honors at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate. He has played 21 of his 30 rounds at par or better. Franken also finished tied for fifth at the Jones Cup.

Freshman of the Year in the same season. She won two tournaments this season - The Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge and Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational - and carded eight top five finishes in 11 events. Papp posted a 71.74 stroke average and recorded 17 of 31 rounds at par or better.

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About 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 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club will become 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 or European Tours, 25 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, and more than 50 have claimed over 200 victories on the PGA or European Tours. The United States leads the series 11-9-1.

The Arnold Palmer Cup is supported by Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation. The Arnold Palmer Cup provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer’s commitment to youth development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf. For more information, please visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com.

About Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation
It all began in the 1960’s when Arnold Palmer’s go-for-broke style of golf bolstered a legion of fans, coined by the press as Arnie’s Army. Palmer’s charisma and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness endeared him to millions around the world. Over the past four decades, the Palmer family have contributed time and resources to support their passion for helping others and in so doing have made a profound impact on many lives. Founded in 2015, Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation has been entrusted to continue Arnold Palmer’s legacy of philanthropy by positively impacting and empowering children and strengthening our communities by investing in health, wellness, and the environment. For more information, or to join Arnie’s Army, please visit ArniesArmy.org or contact Chris Kolodinsky at 407-876-3944 or ckolodinsky@arniesarmy.org.

About Rolex
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise

Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Through philanthropic programmes and a broad palette of sponsorship activities, Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports and exploration, and encourages the spirit of enterprise, as well as the conservation of natural environments.