U.S. keeps Junior Ryder Cup

    Tuesday, September 25, 2012

    The big-boy Ryder Cup has generally been the province of Europe of late, but not the Junior Ryder Cup. The co-ed teenage version went to the U.S. for the third straight time on Tuesday, the Americans dominating the dozen singles matches to score a 14.5-9.5 victory over their new friends from Europe at Olympia Fields Country Club.
    The singles margin was 7.5-4.5, and it was the ladies who carried the day for the American side, winning five of their six matches. Casie Cathrea, Karen Chung, Casey Danielson, Alison Lee, and Esther Lee emerged victorious. The six U.S. boys only picked up 2.5 of a possible six points. Among those defeated: Beau Hossler, the 17-year-old Californian who led the U.S. Open for a time this June. He dropped a 3 and 1 decision to Dominic Foos of Germany. Cameron Champ halved his match with Toby Tree of England, whole Robby Shelton and Gavin Hall won their matches.
    The match from Monday halted by darkness was resumed at 8 a.m., when Europe’s Matthias Schwab and Quirine Eljkenbloom rallied from 1-down to score a half-point by squaring the match with Americans Gavin Hall and Alison Lee. That made the score U.S. 7, Europe 5 entering the singles matches.
    Wednesday at Medinah, the players will have a nine-hole “friendship match,” Americans and Europeans paired together.

    – Tim Cronin