April 21, 2008
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s Chesson Hadley was named Monday to play for the United States team which will compete this summer in the 2008 Palmer Cup matches in Glasgow, Scotland. The U.S. team was announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
The annual Ryder Cup-style competition will be played June 26-27 on the 6,903-yard, par-71 Willie Park Junior designed Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links when the top collegiate players from the United States tee off against their counterparts from Europe.
Hadley, a sophomore from Raleigh, N.C., who currently is the nation’s sixth-ranked collegiate golfer, becomes the fifth Tech golfer to be named to the U.S. team for the Palmer Cup. He joins Matt Kuchar (1998, 1999), Bryce Molder (1998, 1999, 2001), Roberto Castro (2005, 2006) and Kevin Larsen (2006). Tech head coach Bruce Heppler coached the U.S. team in 2003.
“I’ve thought about qualifying for this ever since I won the Carpet Capital Collegiate back in September and felt I might have a chance,” said Hadley. “It’s very exciting to hear that I’ve been selected and know that I’ve worked hard for this and it paid off. This is the first chance that I’ve had to participate in a team event of this type. I take great pride to represent the United States, and I’m thrilled.”
Kevin Chappell of UCLA, Louisville’s Derek Fathauer, Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State, San Diego State’s Aaron Goldberg, Florida’s Billy Horschel, Adam Mitchell of Georgia and Alabama’s Michael Thompson comprise Team USA. Horschel is the only returning member from last year’s victorious American team and posted a 4-0 record during the matches at Caves Valley. The United States – who will be coached by Stanford’s Conrad Ray – leads the series, 6-4-1, but have lost the last two competitions in Europe.
