2026 Palmer Cup Teams Announced
Course Photos via Tralee Golf Links
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup teams were announced today live on Golf Channel. Longtime Arnold Palmer partner Rolex is continuing its more than 50-year relationship through its support of the matches, which will be played July 3-5 at Tralee Golf Links in West Barrow, Ireland. USA leads the all-time series 15-13-1.
International team selections include Nguyen Anh Minh (Oregon State; Vietnam), Daniel Bennett (Texas; South Africa), Vanessa Borovilos (Texas A&M; Canada), Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio (Texas A&M; Spain), Paula Francisco (Florida; Spain), Connor Graham (Texas Tech; Scotland), Veronika Kedronova (Kent State; Czech Republic), Lauren Kim (Texas; Canada), Marie Eline Madsen (NC State; Denmark), Rianne Malixi (Duke; Philippines), Maria Jose Marin (Arkansas; Colombia), Paula Martín Sampedro (Stanford; Spain), Malan Potgieter (Louisiana; South Africa), Luke Poulter (Florida; England), Patience Rhodes (Arizona State; England), Niall Sheils Donegan (North Carolina; Scotland), Árni Sveinsson (LSU; Iceland), Zack Swanwick (Florida; New Zealand), Harry Takis (San Diego State; Australia), and Tim Wiedemeyer (Texas Tech; Germany). Caitlin Maurice (St Andrews; New Zealand) and George Cannon (Stirling; Scotland) were selected as representatives of The R&A’s Student Tour Series. Head Coaches Janice Olivencia and Brennan Webb selected Marta Silchenko (Oklahoma State; Latvia) and Jack Buchanan (Southern California; South Africa), respectively, as their coach’s picks.
United States team selections include Kihei Akina (BYU), Kylie Chong (Southern California), Ryder Cowan (Oklahoma), Anna Davis (Auburn), Wheaton Ennis (Texas A&M), Josiah Gilbert (Auburn), William Jennings (Alabama), Jasmine Koo (Southern California), Chloe Kovelesky (Wake Forest), Jacob Modleski (Notre Dame), Farah O’Keefe (Texas), Macy Pate (Wake Forest), Cayden Pope (Auburn), Megan Propeck (Florida), Kiara Romero (Oregon), Bailey Shoemaker (Southern California), Jack Turner (Florida), Willy Walsh (Pepperdine), Avery Weed (Mississippi State), and Connor Williams (Arizona State). Amely Bochaton (Wingate) and Jonathan McEwen (Washington and Lee) were the non-Division I selections. Head Coaches Laura Ianello and Trey Jones selected Mackenzie Lee (SMU) and Max Herendeen (Illinois), respectively, as their coach’s picks.
Scotland, South Africa, and Spain lead in country selections with three apiece, while Canada, England, and New Zealand have two each. Including the coaching staff, 17 countries in total are represented on Team International.
Of the 32 universities represented by selected players, Florida has the most selections by school with five. Auburn (three), Arizona State (two), Texas (three), Texas A&M (three), Texas Tech (two), Southern California (four), and Wake Forest (two) have more than one.
Anh Minh (Vietnam) and Silchenko (Latvia) are the first golfers from their countries to be selected for the Palmer Cup. Universities with their first-ever selection include Anh Minh (Oregon State), Bochaton (Wingate), McEwen (Washington and Lee), and Potgieter (Louisiana). Lee (SMU), Madsen (NC State), and Maurice (St Andrews) are the first female Palmer Cup selections from their universities.
Wake Forest has had at least one women’s golfer selected every year since the Palmer Cup expanded to include International and women’s competitors in 2018. Arizona State has had at least one male golfer selected every year since 2019, while Texas Tech men’s golf has had selections in nine of the last 10 years.
Returners for the defending champion International team include Bennett (2025), Graham (2025), Kim (2025), Marin (2024-25), Martín Sampedro (2024), Poulter (2025), and Sveinsson (2025). Team USA returners are Davis (2024-25), Gilbert (2025), Herendeen (2025), Koo (2025), Modleski (2025), O’Keefe (2024-25), Pate (2025), Romero (2024-25), and Turner (2025).
Follow @ArnoldPalmerCup on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and visit arnoldpalmercup.com for more information about the Palmer Cup.
2026 Arnold Palmer Cup Teams
Team International
Nguyen Anh Minh; Oregon State; Fr.; Hanoi, Vietnam
Daniel Bennett; Texas; So.; Pretoria, South Africa
Vanessa Borovilos; Texas A&M; So.; Etobicoke, Canada
George Cannon; Stirling; Sr.; Falkirk, Scotland
Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio; Texas A&M; Jr.; Madrid, Spain
Paula Francisco; Florida; Jr.; Madrid, Spain
Connor Graham; Texas Tech; So.; Blairgowrie, Scotland
Veronika Kedronova; Kent State; Jr.; Rožnow pod Radhoštěm, Czech Republic
Lauren Kim; Texas; Jr.; Surrey, Canada
Marie Eline Madsen; NC State; So.; Viborg, Denmark
Rianne Malixi; Duke; Fr.; Manila, Philippines
Maria Jose Marin; Arkansas; Jr; Cali, Colombia
Paula Martín Sampedro; Stanford; Jr.; Madrid, Spain
Caitlin Maurice; St Andrews; Sr.; Ōmokoroa, New Zealand
Malan Potgieter; Louisiana; Sr.; Kirkwood, South Africa
Luke Poulter; Florida; Jr.; Woburn, England
Patience Rhodes; Arizona State; Jr.; Bath, England
Niall Sheils Donegan; North Carolina; Jr.; Glasgow, Scotland
Árni Sveinsson; LSU; So.; Garðabær, Iceland
Zack Swanwick; Florida; So.; Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Harry Takis; San Diego State; So.; Brisbane, Australia
Tim Wiedemeyer; Texas Tech, Jr.; Olching, Germany
Coach’s Pick: Jack Buchanan; Southern California; So.; Cape Town, South Africa
Coach’s Pick: Marta Silchenko; Oklahoma State; Jr.; Riga, Latvia
Co-Head Coach: Janice Olivencia; Miami; Caguas, Puerto Rico
Co-Head Coach: Brennan Webb; Tennessee; Bracebridge, Canada
Assistant Coach: Jake Amos; LSU; Leicester, England
Assistant Coach: Veronique Drouin-Luttrell; Oklahoma; Saints-Anges, Canada
Assistant Coach: Matt Walton; Arizona; Lytham St Annes, England
Assistant Coach: Yoshio Yamamoto; South Carolina; Guadalajara, Mexico
Team USA
Kihei Akina; BYU; Fr.; Alpine, Utah
Amely Bochaton; Wingate; So.; Wingate, North Carolina
Kylie Chong; Southern California; So.; Torrance, California
Ryder Cowan; Oklahoma; Jr.; Edmond, Oklahoma
Anna Davis; Auburn; Jr.; Spring Valley, California
Wheaton Ennis; Texas A&M; So.; Eagle, Idaho
Josiah Gilbert; Auburn; Jr.; Prattville, Alabama
William Jennings; Alabama; So.; Greenville, South Carolina
Jasmine Koo; Southern California; So.; Cerritos, California
Chloe Kovelesky; Wake Forest; So.; Boca Raton, Florida
Jonathan McEwen; Washington and Lee; Portsmouth, Virginia
Jacob Modleski; Notre Dame; Jr.; Noblesville, Indiana
Farah O’Keefe; Texas; Jr.; Austin, Texas
Macy Pate; Wake Forest; Jr.; Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Cayden Pope; Auburn; Jr.; Lexington, Kentucky
Megan Propeck; Florida; Sr.; Leawood, Kansas
Kiara Romero; Oregon; Jr.; San Jose, California
Bailey Shoemaker; Southern California; Jr.; Dade City, Florida
Jack Turner; Florida; Jr.; Orlando, Florida
Willy Walsh; Pepperdine; Jr.; San Mateo, California
Avery Weed; Mississippi State; Jr.; Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Connor Williams; Arizona State; Jr.; Escondido, California
Coach’s Pick: Max Herendeen; Illinois; Jr.; Bellevue, Washington
Coach’s Pick: Mackenzie Lee; SMU; Sr.; North Little Rock, Arkansas
Co-Head Coach: Laura Ianello; Texas; Charleston, Illinois
Co-Head Coach: Trey Jones; Florida State; Cullman, Alabama
Assistant Coach: Emily Fletcher; Northwestern; Evanston, Illinois
Assistant Coach: Beth Miller; Northwestern; Dixon, Illinois
Assistant Coach: Bowen Sargent; Virginia; Charlottesville, Virginia
Assistant Coach: Thomas Sutton; Arizona State; Montgomery, Alabama
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, Cherry Hills, and Lahinch. 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 250 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours; 46 have represented Europe/International or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup and more than 100 have claimed over 450 victories on the PGA, DP World, LPGA, or Ladies European Tours. The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 15-13-1.
More than a showcase of golf skill, the Palmer Cup acknowledges and rewards character as well, in line with the principles of its founder and the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. Arnold and Winnie Palmer championed causes that were not just about golf, but possible because of golf. They devoted their time away from the game to philanthropy — focused especially on young people — and created a model for other modern athletes to use their influence in service to others. The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation continues the Palmer tradition of impactful philanthropy by uniting the generosity of golfers and fans everywhere to make a difference.
The Arnold Palmer Cup is part of the foundation’s missions to promote youth character development and foster 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 Testimony. 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.