University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Potgieter Drops Opening Match at Palmer Cup
7/3/2026 5:00:00 PM | Golf
UL standout to team with USC's Jack Buchanan in second match
TRALEE, County Kerry, Ireland – UL golfer Malan Potgieter and playing partner Marie Eline Madsen struggled with windy conditions and lost their first-day mixed fourball match Friday at the 30th annual Arnold Palmer Cup being played at Ireland's Tralee Golf Club.
The senior from Kirkwood, South Africa, and Madsen, from Denmark and North Carolina State, fell 3 &2 to Anna Davis and Cayden Polk, both of Auburn, on the first day of the Ryder Cup-style event that matches Team USA against Team International.
Potgieter, the first Ragin' Cajun and the first player from a Sun Belt Conference school to participate in the world's premier international collegiate match-play event, and Madsen led 1-up after Potgieter birdied the par-four fourth hole. The USA pair, though, won three of the next four holes and then won the par-five 11th hole with a birdie to take the t3-up lead. The teams halved the next five holes.
Potgieter had three birdies and three bogeys on his ball in the best-ball event that opened the three-day competition. Team USA and Team International are tied 6-6 after the first day, with Team USA winning four of the final matches concluded.
Two rounds – foursomes (alternate shot) beginning at 7:30 a.m. IST (1:30 a.m. CST) and mixed foursomes beginning at 1 p.m. IST (7 a.m. CST) – are scheduled Saturday, awarding 12 points in each round. Twenty-four singles matches on Sunday beginning at 7:30 a.m. IST (1:30 a.m. CST) will wrap up the competition, with 30 ½ of the 60 points needed to secure the Palmer Cup.
Team International won last year's competition 35-25 at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, S.C., winning 15 of the final-day 24 points in singles competition
Potgieter will pair with fellow South African Jack Buchanan of Southern California in the morning foursomes Friday as one of the 12 Team International pairings. They will face Ryder Cowan of Oklahoma and Jacob Modleski of Notre Dame in the seventh of the 12 matches at 8 a.m. IST (2 a.m. CDT) off the No. 1 tee.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by the golf legend and the Golf Coaches Association of America and began play at Palmer's home course at Bay Hill in Orlando in 1997. Palmer, the most iconic and revered figure in the history of golf and himself a former standout collegian and coach, was actively involved in the international event for many years prior to his death in 2016.
Potgieter was recently named to both the PING/Golf Coaches Association of America and Golfweek Magazine's All-America squads after a record-setting year that included three individual wins, a share of medalist honors at the NCAA Athens Regional and an all-time collegiate golf record 93 consecutive bogey-free holes. He was a third-team All-America selection on both squads, the only Sun Belt and state of Louisiana player earning that honor and only the fourth Cajun to earn PING All-America status. He was also the first UL player to make the NCAA Championships national field since Matt Trevino in 1996.
Golf Channel will air the Palmer Cup on a live stream Saturday from 4-7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (CDT), and Sunday from 4-8 a.m. (CDT). Saturday's morning round is available at  https://www.golfchannel.com/watch/live/arnold-palmer-cup-day-2-early , and the afternoon round is available at  https://www.golfchannel.com/watch/live/arnold-palmer-cup-day-2-late
More information on the Palmer Cup including pairings, tee times and results is available at arnoldpalmercup.com.
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The senior from Kirkwood, South Africa, and Madsen, from Denmark and North Carolina State, fell 3 &2 to Anna Davis and Cayden Polk, both of Auburn, on the first day of the Ryder Cup-style event that matches Team USA against Team International.
Potgieter, the first Ragin' Cajun and the first player from a Sun Belt Conference school to participate in the world's premier international collegiate match-play event, and Madsen led 1-up after Potgieter birdied the par-four fourth hole. The USA pair, though, won three of the next four holes and then won the par-five 11th hole with a birdie to take the t3-up lead. The teams halved the next five holes.
Potgieter had three birdies and three bogeys on his ball in the best-ball event that opened the three-day competition. Team USA and Team International are tied 6-6 after the first day, with Team USA winning four of the final matches concluded.
Two rounds – foursomes (alternate shot) beginning at 7:30 a.m. IST (1:30 a.m. CST) and mixed foursomes beginning at 1 p.m. IST (7 a.m. CST) – are scheduled Saturday, awarding 12 points in each round. Twenty-four singles matches on Sunday beginning at 7:30 a.m. IST (1:30 a.m. CST) will wrap up the competition, with 30 ½ of the 60 points needed to secure the Palmer Cup.
Team International won last year's competition 35-25 at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, S.C., winning 15 of the final-day 24 points in singles competition
Potgieter will pair with fellow South African Jack Buchanan of Southern California in the morning foursomes Friday as one of the 12 Team International pairings. They will face Ryder Cowan of Oklahoma and Jacob Modleski of Notre Dame in the seventh of the 12 matches at 8 a.m. IST (2 a.m. CDT) off the No. 1 tee.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by the golf legend and the Golf Coaches Association of America and began play at Palmer's home course at Bay Hill in Orlando in 1997. Palmer, the most iconic and revered figure in the history of golf and himself a former standout collegian and coach, was actively involved in the international event for many years prior to his death in 2016.
Potgieter was recently named to both the PING/Golf Coaches Association of America and Golfweek Magazine's All-America squads after a record-setting year that included three individual wins, a share of medalist honors at the NCAA Athens Regional and an all-time collegiate golf record 93 consecutive bogey-free holes. He was a third-team All-America selection on both squads, the only Sun Belt and state of Louisiana player earning that honor and only the fourth Cajun to earn PING All-America status. He was also the first UL player to make the NCAA Championships national field since Matt Trevino in 1996.
Golf Channel will air the Palmer Cup on a live stream Saturday from 4-7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (CDT), and Sunday from 4-8 a.m. (CDT). Saturday's morning round is available at  https://www.golfchannel.com/watch/live/arnold-palmer-cup-day-2-early , and the afternoon round is available at  https://www.golfchannel.com/watch/live/arnold-palmer-cup-day-2-late
More information on the Palmer Cup including pairings, tee times and results is available at arnoldpalmercup.com.
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