Campbell's Pontus Nyholm Selected to Play in Arnold Palmer Cup
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Pontus Nyholm of Campbell University is one of 36 players named to the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup teams. The International and United States team members were announced on Golf Channel. The teams, including men and women, were chosen by committee along with four coaches' picks, and will compete June 11-13 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
A senior from Gavle, Sweden, Nyholm was named Big South Conference golfer of the year after leading the Fighting Camels to a second-straight league title and the program's fifth-consecutive NCAA postseason berth. Heading into the NCAA Regionals May 10-12, Nyholm's scoring average (69.48) stands fourth in the country and he leads the nation in score vs. par (-2.1), subpar strokes per round (5.57) and low round (62).
"Pontus being selected to be a member of the Arnold Palmer Cup's International team is one of the highest honors awarded to college golfers," said Campbell head coach John Crooks. "He is a great player and he has had a great year. I am proud to have Pontus represent Campbell University and I am sure Sweden is honored as well."
Nyholm already owns the lowest career stroke average (71.08) in school history along with a program-record 21 top-10 individual finishes. He has already played nine NCAA post-season rounds already after reaching 2018 NCAA Championship as an individual in his freshman season.
He finished among the top 15 individuals in all seven tournaments he has played this season, including first-place finishes as the Southern Invitational (73-70-64—207), Golfweek Spring Invitational (69-66-68—203) and Stitch Intercollegiate (68-69-62—199). Nyholm earned a sponsor's exemption to the Korn Ferry Tour Rex Hospital Open (June 3-6) after winning Stitch tourney.
Rated as high as No. 13 by Golfstat, No. 15 in the PGA TOUR University and No. 46 in World Amateur Golf Ranking, Nyholm broke par in 11-straight rounds – with nine in the 60s – from Mar. 27-Apr. 19. He finished as runner-up at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate (79-69-66—205).
Nyholm is a veteran of international competition. He led Sweden to the 2019 European Amateur Team Championship and advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2019 British Amateur.
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 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 250 victories on the PGA or European Tours, including three major championships in 2020. The United States leads the series 12-11-1.
Notable Arnold Palmer Cup alumni include 2020 US Open champion Bryson Dechambeau (SMU), three-time major championship runner-up Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State), 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina), 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell (UAB), 2020 PGA champion Collin Morikawa (California), former World No. 1 Jon Rahm (Arizona State), 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson and 2017 PGA champion Justin Thomas (Alabama).
The Arnold Palmer Cup is supported by Arnie's Army Charitable 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.
2021 Selections
The International team is represented by 14 countries, including seven returners from last year's victorious team in Puwit Anupansuebsai (San Diego State/Thailand), Alex Fitzpatrick (Wake Forest/England), Yuxin Lin (Florida/China), Ingrid Lindblad (LSU/Sweden), David Puig (Arizona State/Spain), Paulne Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina/France), and Emma Spitz (UCLA/Austria). Agathe Laisne (Texas/France) also brings past Palmer Cup experience as she was part of the winning International side at The Alotian Club in 2019.
They will be joined by a group of newcomers that includes Eugenio Chacarra (Oklahoma State/Spain), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Illinois/Belgium), Isabella Fierro (Oklahoma State/Mexico), Karen Fredgaard (Houston/Sweden), Allan Hill (Maynooth/Ireland), Bo Jin (Oklahoma State/China), Pontus Nyholm (Campbell/Sweden), Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Maryland/Thailand), Joseph Pagdin (Florida/England), Ana Pelaez Trivino (South Carolina/Spain), Julian Perico (Arkansas/Spain), Emily Price (Kent State/England), Hugo Townsend (Boise State/Sweden), Beatrice Wallin (Florida State/Sweden), and Lauren Walsh (Wake Forest/Ireland).
Nyholm and Townsend will become the first representative from their respective schools while Perico will be the first representative from Peru.
The United States team is led by a group of returners from the 2020 Palmer Cup in Julia Johnson (Ole Miss), Gina Kim (Duke), Emilia Migliaccio (Wake Forest), and Latanna Stone (LSU). Coaches pick Migliaccio will become the first American to play in four Palmer Cups.
They will be joined by Ricky Castillo (Florida), Pierceson Coody (Texas), Allisen Corpuz (Southern California), Rachel Kuehn (Wake Forest), Brooke Matthews (Arkansas), and Trent Phillips (Georgia) who were all selected on March 3.
Newcomers to the American side include Sam Bennett (Texas A&M), Jacob Bridgeman (Clemson), Nick Gabrelcik (North Florida), Ryan Hall (South Carolina), Hanna Harrison (Dallas Baptist), Lauren Hartlage (Louisville), Irene Kim (Northwestern), Dylan Menante (Pepperdine), William Moll (Vanderbilt), Trevor Norby (Oklahoma Christian), Brad Reeves (Arizona), Erica Shepherd (Duke), and Benjamin Shipp (NC State). Norby is the first representative from Oklahoma Christian.
Rich Harvest Farms
Rich Harvest Farms will become the first repeat Arnold Palmer Cup host when the 25th playing of the matches are held in 2021. It will mark the fourth Arnold Palmer Cup to be held under the expanded format to include men's and women's USA collegiate golfers against their counterparts from around the world.
Located less than an hour outside of Chicago, Rich Harvest Farms is an ultra-private, members-only club, consistently ranked in Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. Owned and built by Jerry Rich, the course consists of 18 perfectly manicured holes and is a 1,820-acre showcase of nature and agriculture. With state-of-the-art meeting spaces, numerous lodging options and non-golf amenities that include a private car museum, miles of horseback riding trails and three fully stocked lakes for fishing, Rich Harvest Farms offers distinguished facilities in a luxurious setting.
From its professional tees, Rich Harvest Farms plays at a length of 7,715 yards, as a par 72, and continues to play host to numerous amateur, collegiate, and professional tournaments. These includes the Arnold Palmer Cup (2015) and Solheim Cup (2009), as well as the Ryder Cup Captain's Challenge (2012) and numerous USGA Qualifiers. This list also includes the Western Amateur (2003, 2015) and Western Junior (2019). The 2017 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships were held at the venue along with the 2007 and 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Central Regional.
A hidden gem at Rich Harvest Farms is the Kids Golf Foundation of Illinois, a nonprofit junior golf organization founded in 1998 by Jerry Rich and longtime friend Don Springer. Today, the Foundation has impacted the lives of over 150,000 youth through golf and its valuable life lessons.