UA golfer Kim second in Palmer Cup rankings

University of Arkansas senior golfer Dylan Kim of Plano, Texas, is second in the U.S. women’s Arnold Palmer Cup rankings released earlier this week.

Kim trails only UCLA junior Mariel Galdiano heading into the final rankings, which will be released Wednesday on Golf Channel. Kim’s teammate, Kaylee Benton, a senior from Buckeye, Ariz., is ranked 20th out of 25 U.S. women.

Arkansas State University senior Joel Wendin of Sweden is currently 14th of 25 in the men’s international division.

The top six golfers from the final spring rankings from both the U.S. and international men and women will be among the 24 golfers selected to compete in the Palmer Cup, which will be held June 7-9 at The Alotian Club in Roland.

Using Golfstat’s NCAA player rankings as a base, the Palmer Cup rankings award bonus points for victories and high finishes, and a penalty for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.

The remaining six men’s and women’s spots for the U.S. team will consist of five committee selections, including at least one non-Division I golfer, and a coach’s pick. The balance of the international team will include the men’s and women’s winners of the R&A Scholars Tournament, four committee selections and a coach’s pick.

The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and The Golf Coaches Association of America and was first played at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in 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. It has been played at some of the world’s greatest courses, including The Old Course at St. Andrews, Baltusrol Golf Club and Cherry Hills Country Club. The 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club became the only major tour- nament to feature men and women playing side by side as partners.

Since its inception, more than 100 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on ei- ther the PGA Tour, Europe- an Tour or LPGA. A total of 28 have represented Europe or the U.S. in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, and more than 50 have claimed over 200 victories on the PGA or European tours.

The United States leads the series 12-9-1.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/CHARLIE KAIJO The Arnold Palmer Cuprankings released earlier this week have University of Arkansas senior golfer Dylan Kim of Plano, Texas, ranked second among the U.S. women.