NORMAN, Okla. – Laurel Valley Golf Club, located outside Ligonier, Pa., will host the 27th Arnold Palmer Cup matches in 2023. 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.
“Western Pennsylvania is home for our family,” said Amy Palmer Saunders. “My grandfather helped to build Latrobe Country Club not far from Laurel Valley, I grew up in Latrobe, and Latrobe is where my father learned the game and the values that made him the person he became. My father had a deep connection to Laurel Valley and was intimately involved in, and supported, the life of the club from its inception until his passing, and it is our hope that this generation of college golfers can experience Laurel Valley and leave with a better understanding of why it is such a big part of Arnold Palmer’s legacy and a place that he cared about deeply.”
Set in western Pennsylvania’s breathtaking Laurel Highlands, Laurel Valley Golf Club spans 280 acres nestled between the Laurel Ridge Mountains and Chestnut Ridge Mountain. Originally designed by Dick Wilson, Laurel Valley was renovated by one of its founders, and western Pennsylvania native, Arnold Palmer. Laurel Valley previously hosted the 1965 PGA Championships and 1975 Ryder Cup, as well as the 1989 US Senior Open and 2005 Senior PGA Championship.
Considered by many to be Wilson’s best design, the 7,427 yard, par 72 course offers intricate challenges only matched by its timeless setting. An elevated clubhouse overlooks varied holes with several doglegs, undulating greens well protected by bunkers, and water coming into play on several holes. This is perhaps best illustrated by the formidable 18th – a 598 yard, par 5 dogleg around a pond.
“We are excited that the Laurel Valley Golf Club will play host to the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup,” said Club President Lou Cestello. “This event is sponsored by the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. Naturally, with the long and extraordinary relationship that LVGC has enjoyed with Arnold Palmer and his family, hosting this event will be most special and fitting for our great club. Since the club’s inception in 1959, few people have had a greater impact on our club than Arnold Palmer.”
For more information 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 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, DP World, or LPGA Tours; 34 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 75 have claimed over 310 victories on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours, including 2022 major champions Jennifer Kupcho (The Chevron Championship) and Justin Thomas (PGA Championship). The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 13-12-1.
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 own 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.