Selection Recognizes Choi’s Outstanding Season
Sophomore Sam Choi of The University of New Mexico men’s golf team has been named to the prestigious 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup Team for his outstanding collegiate performance this season, the organization announced Friday. The Arnold Palmer Cup is currently slated for July 3-5 at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland but may not go off as scheduled. Regardless, the organization opted for recognizing the accomplishments of collegiate golfers across the country.
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.
Choi is one of just two golfers from the Mountain West to earn a spot on the team that is largely occupied by members of Power-5 programs. A two-time Mountain West Golfer of the Week and 2018-19 Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year, Choi registered three top-5 finishes in his sophomore campaign that included his first collegiate victory at the John Burns Intercollegiate hosted by Hawaii on Feb. 20-22. His other top-5 finishes this season included third place at the Arizona Intercollegiate and fifth at the Maridoe Intercollegiate.
Choi registered a career-low round score of 66 three times this season, tying the best round for a Lobo in 2019-20, while leading the Lobos in five of their eight competitions including the last three straight.
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 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.
