NORMAN, Okla. – Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the famed Irish links at Lahinch Golf Club, originally scheduled to host the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup, will now play host to the 28th playing of the Palmer Cup July 5-7, 2024.
Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Ireland, Lahinch boasts a long and rich history and shares Arnie’s Army’s passion for the game and the positive lessons it teaches us all, most especially young people. Mr. Palmer was a great proponent of international competition and the way it brings people closer together.
Lahinch Golf Club was founded in 1892 and is consistently ranked in the Top 50 golf courses in world golf. Originally laid out by Old Tom Morris, the services of Dr. Alister MacKenzie were retained in 1926 to redesign the course, following which he declared “Lahinch will make the finest and most popular golf course that I, or I believe anyone else, ever constructed.”
Since 1895, the spectacular links course has played host to Ireland’s oldest amateur championship ‘The South of Ireland’. Past Champions include Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, and Graeme McDowell, who participated in the 2000 & 2001 Arnold Palmer Cups. Other past champions of “The South” include Justin Keogh and Stuart Grehan, who were honored to represent Europe in the 2002 and 2016 Arnold Palmer Cups, respectively. Lahinch also hosted the DP World Tour's 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, won by 2014 and 2015 Palmer Cup alum Jon Rahm.
To add to this rich tradition of promoting and encouraging the amateur game, three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington won the Irish Amateur Championship at Lahinch in 1995 while the Club hosted the Irish Ladies Championship for the twelfth time in 2016, with Olivia Mahaffey winning the title in glorious sunshine at Lahinch.
The links regularly plays host to U.S. golfers as they plot their preparations for The Open Championship each July.
Commenting on the decision to award the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup to Lahinch, Club Captains Gerry Pierse and Angela Cullinan said, “This is a great honour for Lahinch. It is also, we believe, recognition of the Club’s support and encouragement for the amateur game stretching back over a century, with the hosting by the Club of the first South of Ireland Championship in 1895 and the Irish Ladies Close Championship in 1904. We have no doubt but that the experience of competitive golf on a classic links course will create lasting memories for the young men and women who are selected to represent their respective teams. As a Club we will do all in our power to ensure that the tournament is true to the ethos of the game and the vision of Mr. Palmer by using our friendship in golf as one of the great avenues for communication and understanding between the nations of the world. Above all we can assure all visitors to Lahinch who come to participate, whether as player, spectator or administrator, a truly unique and wonderful Irish welcome.”
For more information about the Palmer Cup, visit arnoldpalmercup.com.
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 Palmer Cup is the only major tournament that features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
Since its inception, over 245 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours; 44 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 90 have claimed over 415 victories on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours, including 2023 major champions Jon Rahm (Masters Tournament), Lilia Vu (The Chevron Championship & AIG Women’s Open), Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), and Brian Harman (The Open), as well as 2023 FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland. The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 14-12-1.
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.
About the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation
The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation continues the Palmer family’s mission to champion youth health and development. By continuing their efforts to ensure every child gets the opportunity to live a life well played — through support for nature-focused well-being and character development through golf — the foundation is committed to keeping the Palmer legacy at the forefront of the global conversation of golf and society at large. Learn more at PalmerFoundation.org.
Rolex and the Arnold Palmer Cup
Through an unwavering commitment to the game of golf for more than 50 years, Rolex has developed one of the broadest and longest-standing relationships between brand and sport. These strong ties date back to 1967 when Rolex partnered with legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, making him the first official Rolex Golf Testimonee. The charismatic American holds a special place in golf history thanks as much to his natural talent and successful playing career as to his pioneering role in the sport. Since that pivotal bond began, Rolex has gone on to establish partnerships at every level of the sport, including with the governing bodies responsible for advancing the sport and with the finest players, from The Big Three to the New Guard who lead today’s rankings. The decision to partner with the Arnold Palmer Cup was thus a natural progression for the Swiss watchmaker and a tribute to Arnold Palmer’s inspiring legacy.
About Rolex
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacturer. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized around the world for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance, and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance, and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and 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. In the course of its history. Rolex has registered over 500 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops, and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly, and finishing of the movement, case, dial, and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport, and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
About Nike
The exclusive footwear, apparel, headwear, and glove supplier of the Arnold Palmer Cup, our mission is what drives us to do everything possible to expand human potential. We do that by creating groundbreaking sport innovations, by making our products more sustainably, by building a creative and diverse global team, and by making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.