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JR

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

  

Cherry Hills Country Club to Host 2009 Palmer Cup
Site of Arnold Palmer's 1960 U.S. Open Triumph


ORLANDO, Fla. ? Historic Cherry Hills Country Club will host will host the 2009 Palmer Cup. Site of seven USGA competitions and two PGA Championships, Cherry Hills is where Arnold Palmer won his lone U.S. Open. The annual Ryder Cup-style competition will be played June 3-5. Cherry Hills will be the furthest west site for the Palmer Cup.

?Cherry Hills is very excited to host the 2009 Palmer Cup,? said Cherry Hills Head Golf Professional John Ogden. ?Arnold Palmer is synonymous with Cherry Hills and naturally we are thrilled to host a tournament of this caliber which bears his name. The membership is looking forward to seeing how the top collegiate players in the world handle  the newly restored William Flynn masterpiece.?

Cherry Hills Country Club was born in 1922 from wealthy businessmen in the city of Denver and carved from the earth by well-known designer William Flynn, who charged the princely sum of $4,500 for his architectural services. But, as anyone knows, you can?t just buy tradition. This intangible is earned over time, stamped with the seal of approval by those who have walked its fairways and become champions under the most challenging of conditions. Cherry Hills certainly has earned its place on the American golf landscape. Champions at competitions held at the venerated course have included some of the game?s greats: Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Jay Sigel, Hubert Green, Andy North, Ralph Guldahl, Vic Ghezzi and Lewis Oehmig. After hosting the 2005 Women?s Open, Cherry Hills joined Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., as the only courses to have hosted the U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women?s Open.

Currently under restoration, Cherry Hills will play approximately 7,600 yards when it is finished in the spring. Not only will the renovation add length to the storied venue but will also return it closer to the original concept of Flynn. The Palmer Cup will be the first major event played at Cherry Hills following the restoration.

?We?re extremely honored to be playing the Palmer Cup at such a fine course as Cherry Hills,? said GCAA president Mark Crabtree. ?It?s always great to be at a venue that has hosted so many championships, but staging the Palmer Cup at the site of Arnold Palmer?s 1960 U.S. Open triumph is extra special.?