Malaysia’s top female amateur Alyaa Abdulghany will be in the International Team which takes on the United States in the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup this December 21-23 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida.
The annual Ryder Cup-style event features the top men’s and women’s college golfers matching the United States players against their International counterparts. This year’s event was originally scheduled to be played July 3-5 at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland, but was moved to December to Mr. Palmer’s winter home, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions.
A senior at the University of Southern California, Alyaa is currently ranked 34th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and will become the first Malaysian player to compete in the Arnold Palmer Cup. This year, she won the Australian Master of the Amateurs and also made it to the semifinals of the US Women’s Amateur Championship.
“We look forward to welcoming the top men and women collegiate golfers to Bay Hill,” said Amy Palmer Saunders. “My father would have wanted to find a way to honor their excellence in these unprecedented times and hosting the rescheduled Arnold Palmer Cup at Bay Hill will be a fitting way to do so.”
Players, coaches, and staff will be tested upon arrival and enter a bubble for the duration of the event. Daily Covid-19 screening will also take place for all players, coaches, staff, and patrons entering the venue.
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 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 event has been played at some of the world’s greatest courses including The Old Course at St Andrews, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol and Cherry Hills.
The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club in France became the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners. The United States leads the series 12-10-1.
Since its inception, over 100 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on either the PGA Tour, European Tour or LPGA. 29 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup. Alumni have claimed over 250 victories on the PGA or European Tours, including three Majors in 2020.
The Arnold Palmer Cup is supported by Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation and provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer’s commitment to youth development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf.
For more information, visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com
