TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Women's Golf's Olivia Mehaffey received an invitation to the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup, as she was announced as one of six female Committee Selections on Wednesday afternoon.
Mehaffey will compete in the Ryder Cup-style international collegiate event between the United States and International Team. This is the second time that Mehaffey will have the opportunity to participate in the prestigious tournament, previously competing in the 2018 version.
The three-time All-American was announced as one of three International female Committee Selections on Golf Channel's Golf Central show Wednesday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Chun An Yu of Sun Devil Men's Golf is currently competing. She is the only two-time selection of that group, becoming the first female Sun Devil to earn a spot in the event back in 2018. Mehaffey joins an exclusive list of two-time Palmer Cup participants from Arizona State, as Jon Rahm and Alejandro Canizares represent the only other former Sun Devils to accomplish the feat.
"We are thrilled for Olivia to be selected to play in this year's Palmer Cup," Sun Devil Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye mentioned. "To be selected 2 times for this team is quite an honor."
Mehaffey will have the unique opportunity to represent Ireland in her home country, as the 2020 edition will be held at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland.
"It is so fitting for one of her final amateur championships to be staged in her beloved home country," Coach Farr-Kaye observed.
With the backing of her fans, Mehaffey is excited for the opportunity to return to Ireland and recognizes the advantage it gives her.
"It means everything to get to play in my home country," Mehaffey reflected. "I'm so grateful for all the support I've received back home. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity and know there will be lots of people out supporting."
On the women's International side, Mehaffey will be joined by Ingrid Lindblad (LSU/Sweden) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina/France). The Men's international team includes Matthias Schmid of (Louisville/Germany), Caolan Rafferty (Maynooth/Ireland), and Ludvig Aberg (Texas Tech/Sweden).
For both the men and women, the six Arnold Palmer Cup Ranking selections will be announced on Golf Channel on March 25th along with two additional committee picks for the United States (one of which will be a non-Division I golfer) and one additional committee pick for the International side. Sun Devil Women's Golf freshman Linn Grant has a shot to join Mehaffey, currently sitting fifth in the female International Arnold Palmer Cup rankings.
Entering the final stages of her Sun Devil career, Mehaffey continues to add to what is already an impressive resumé. Not only has she enjoyed success while representing the Maroon & Gold, the three-time All-American has gained experience in international and professional competition. This past summer, Mehaffey represented Great Britain & Ireland in the battle for the 2019 Astor Trophy. Last April, she participated in the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur, advancing to play at the iconic Augusta National Golf Course. She is hard at work attempting to achieve her ultimate goal of turning professional and reaching the LPGA Tour.
"I feel good about my game now," Mehaffey said. "I'm happy with the progress I see and I'm excited to hit the road for this busy stretch coming up."
UP NEXT
The team will make its second trip of the season to Hawaii, after finishing third at the Pac-12 Preview back in November. The University of Hawaii hosts the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational at Kane'Ohe Klipper Golf Course on the island of Oahu running March 10-11.
The main event of the Spring happens in the Sun Devils' backyard, as ASU hosts the PING/ASU Invitational at their home course, Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. The final regular season tournament runs March 27-29 and will prepare the team for postseason play, as a strong field is littered with highly-ranked teams.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com).
About 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 Arnold Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world's greatest courses including The Old Course, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club became the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
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, and more than 60 have claimed over 240 victories on the PGA or European Tours. The United States leads the series 12-10-1.
The Arnold Palmer Cup is supported by Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. The Arnold Palmer Cup provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer's commitment to youth development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf. For more information, please visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com.
Mehaffey will compete in the Ryder Cup-style international collegiate event between the United States and International Team. This is the second time that Mehaffey will have the opportunity to participate in the prestigious tournament, previously competing in the 2018 version.
"It is such an honor to get the opportunity to play the Palmer Cup again," Mehaffey remarked. "I have amazing memories from my first time and I can't wait to compete again."Congratulations to Olivia Mehaffey, who was one of six female Committee Selections invited to the 2020 @ArnoldPalmerCup! ?? #ForksUp
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) March 5, 2020
She will represent her country as part of Team International for the 2?nd time in her career, also competing back in 2018 ?? pic.twitter.com/8lgAtcfpys
The three-time All-American was announced as one of three International female Committee Selections on Golf Channel's Golf Central show Wednesday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Chun An Yu of Sun Devil Men's Golf is currently competing. She is the only two-time selection of that group, becoming the first female Sun Devil to earn a spot in the event back in 2018. Mehaffey joins an exclusive list of two-time Palmer Cup participants from Arizona State, as Jon Rahm and Alejandro Canizares represent the only other former Sun Devils to accomplish the feat.
"We are thrilled for Olivia to be selected to play in this year's Palmer Cup," Sun Devil Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye mentioned. "To be selected 2 times for this team is quite an honor."
Mehaffey will have the unique opportunity to represent Ireland in her home country, as the 2020 edition will be held at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland.
"It is so fitting for one of her final amateur championships to be staged in her beloved home country," Coach Farr-Kaye observed.
With the backing of her fans, Mehaffey is excited for the opportunity to return to Ireland and recognizes the advantage it gives her.
"It means everything to get to play in my home country," Mehaffey reflected. "I'm so grateful for all the support I've received back home. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity and know there will be lots of people out supporting."
On the women's International side, Mehaffey will be joined by Ingrid Lindblad (LSU/Sweden) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina/France). The Men's international team includes Matthias Schmid of (Louisville/Germany), Caolan Rafferty (Maynooth/Ireland), and Ludvig Aberg (Texas Tech/Sweden).
For both the men and women, the six Arnold Palmer Cup Ranking selections will be announced on Golf Channel on March 25th along with two additional committee picks for the United States (one of which will be a non-Division I golfer) and one additional committee pick for the International side. Sun Devil Women's Golf freshman Linn Grant has a shot to join Mehaffey, currently sitting fifth in the female International Arnold Palmer Cup rankings.
Her selection to the Palmer Cup comes on the heels of the news that she was awarded the opportunity to play in the LPGA Tour's ANA Inspiration event, running April 2-5 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Mehaffey is one of only five amateurs selected to compete in the first LPGA major of the Tour season, receiving a sponsor exemption in order to play in the prestigious tournament as an amateur. The 17th-ranked female amateur will go head-to-head against the most skilled professional golfers in the world. The ANA Inspiration represents Mehaffey's fourth appearance in a professional event, having previously competed in the 2018 U.S. Women's Open Championship and the 2016 & 2017 Women's British Open.Congratulations to our 12 Arnold Palmer Cup Committee Selections who will be representing their country this summer at @LahinchGolfClub! ??#APCup #ROLEX pic.twitter.com/MsmGWix6VR
— Arnold Palmer Cup (@ArnoldPalmerCup) March 4, 2020
Entering the final stages of her Sun Devil career, Mehaffey continues to add to what is already an impressive resumé. Not only has she enjoyed success while representing the Maroon & Gold, the three-time All-American has gained experience in international and professional competition. This past summer, Mehaffey represented Great Britain & Ireland in the battle for the 2019 Astor Trophy. Last April, she participated in the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur, advancing to play at the iconic Augusta National Golf Course. She is hard at work attempting to achieve her ultimate goal of turning professional and reaching the LPGA Tour.
"I feel good about my game now," Mehaffey said. "I'm happy with the progress I see and I'm excited to hit the road for this busy stretch coming up."
UP NEXT
The team will make its second trip of the season to Hawaii, after finishing third at the Pac-12 Preview back in November. The University of Hawaii hosts the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational at Kane'Ohe Klipper Golf Course on the island of Oahu running March 10-11.
The main event of the Spring happens in the Sun Devils' backyard, as ASU hosts the PING/ASU Invitational at their home course, Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. The final regular season tournament runs March 27-29 and will prepare the team for postseason play, as a strong field is littered with highly-ranked teams.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com).
About 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 Arnold Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world's greatest courses including The Old Course, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club became the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners.
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, and more than 60 have claimed over 240 victories on the PGA or European Tours. The United States leads the series 12-10-1.
The Arnold Palmer Cup is supported by Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. The Arnold Palmer Cup provides a platform for perpetuating Arnold Palmer's commitment to youth development and the growth of amateur/collegiate golf. For more information, please visit ArnoldPalmerCup.com.