Whatever the weather, we at Lahinch are doing our best to accommodate the players with the course and everything else. “The purists will like a bit of wind and rain, but a little bit of sunshine can go a long way,” Gleeson remarked.
At this weekend’s Arnold Palmer Cup, Lahinch Golf Club is keen to put on its best show and give some of the top amateur players in the world an experience they won’t soon forget. Leading the American team is world-ranked golfer Gordon Sargent. The three-day competition features a glittering array of elite male and female players. The prestigious annual Ryder Cup-style matches between Team USA and Team International begin at the historic Co. Clare links on Friday.
Max Kennedy of the University of Louisville and Royal Dublin, Sara Byrne of Miami, and Kate Lanigan of the University of Maynooth are the four Irish golfers who will make up the 24-player International team. Two additional homegrown players will be included in the team: Ryan Griffin and Kate Lanigan from the University of Maynooth, and Corkman Aaron O’Callaghan, a coach at Wake Forest University and a former student of Arnold Palmer.
The competitors arrived in Lahinch on Tuesday, and they will play in a Palmer Cup Am-Am on Thursday before the competition begins for three days on Friday. John Gleeson, chairperson of Lahinch Golf Club, hopes that the players will remember the 2024 edition for its legendary links, breathtaking setting, and warm hospitality. “We at Lahinch are putting our best foot forward with the course and everything to cater for the players whatever the weather,” Gleeson said. “The purists will like a bit of wind and rain but a little bit of sunshine can go a long way.”
It is our aim that they would leave saying that Lahinch was a great place as well as a wonderful golf course. Let’s put it this way: we want to make this Palmer Cup players’ experience unforgettable.
Lahinch is the sixth Irish course—Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Royal Portrush, and Royal County Down are the others—to host the competition, which began in 1997 as a strictly men’s event. This year’s event, according to Gleeson, should be a celebration of amateur golf. “The history of Lahinch has primarily been amateur golf, which changed with the successful staging of the Irish Open in 2019.” Despite this, the history of Lahinch is still largely amateur golf, dating back to the Home Internationals (twice) and all of the South of Ireland, including (11-time winner) John Burke. Since that is the main focus of Lahinch, winning the Palmer Cup is extremely important to the town.
It is a celebration of amateur golf and adds a great deal to the appeal that the Palmer Cup, which has grown in significance over the past 20 years and now include both boys and girls, is. Given the caliber of the teams—Sargent and fellow American Preston Summerhays are ranked in the top 10 of the World Amateur Golf men’s rankings, and Melanie Green, who won the R&A’s Women’s Amateur last weekend at Portmarnock, became the first American golfer to do so in 28 years—it appears that everything will go very well for Lahinch. Men’s world number five Wenyi Ding of China is ranked fifth, while women’s world number four Julia Lopez Ramirez of Spain is ranked fourth. Both teams are vying to become the next
Julia Lopez Ramirez of Spain is ranked fourth among women, and Wenyi Ding of China is ranked fifth. Both teams aim to emulate the success of previous winners like Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, and Patrick Cantlay by using the Palmer Cup as a launching pad for their professional careers. “These are a different grade of amateur golfers because there were five former Palmer Cup players in the men’s US Open last month, and I believe there were three in the women’s US Open,” Gleeson remarked.
Being here with Team USA is truly fantastic. Gordon Sargent is the current world number one and is highly anticipated to reach the pinnacle. On the other hand, we are quite happy that many players on both sides are going to be successful in the professional game. “I think every single one of these players will remember playing in Lahinch. The course looks amazing. The definition is fantastic.” Many Americans will be seeing this for the first time, and they will be thoroughly enjoying themselves. “The players’ enjoyment of it and the competitive environment are both highly anticipated. We want people to leave thinking, “Wasn’t Lahinch a magical experience?”