TEAM INTERNATIONAL RETAINS PALMER CUP AT TRALEE
Team International’s Janice Olivencia and Brennan Webb hold the Arnold Palmer Cup after winning on a dramatic final day at Tralee Golf Club. (Photo: Palmer Cup/Instagram)
Team International successfully defended the Arnold Palmer Cup after edging Team USA 30.5–29.5 in a dramatic final-day at Tralee Golf Club, with the outcome remaining in doubt until the final putt.
Holding a slender 18.5–17.5 advantage overnight, the International side needed 12 points from Sunday's 24 singles matches to retain the trophy. They earned exactly that, surviving a determined American comeback to secure one of the closest victories in the event's 30-year history.
The decisive moment came in the final match, where Canada's Vanessa Borovilos halved her contest with Mackenzie Lee after Lee's eagle attempt on the 18th narrowly missed. The half-point proved enough to seal the win, sparking celebrations among the International players gathered around the final green.
"It means so much more for everyone," Borovilos said afterwards. "We only get this opportunity every so often, so we really try to enjoy it. It's about much more than the individual."
Earlier in the day, Vietnam's Nguyen Anh Minh set the tone for the Internationals with a commanding 5 and 3 victory over Cayden Pope, while the Philippines' Rianne Malixi produced one of the tournament's standout moments by holing a remarkable 40-foot eagle putt on the final hole to defeat Jasmine Koo by one hole. Those crucial points helped the International team maintain its narrow advantage despite a late rally from the Americans.
International co-head coach Brennan Webb praised his players' unity throughout the week, saying: "The chemistry of everybody working together was going to be important. We were able to sneak it out there at the end. It was an amazing week." Fellow coach Janice Olivencia added that her team arrived determined to defend the title. "We came here not just to hope to win today but to take it, and that's what we did," she said.
The tournament was especially significant as it was staged at Tralee Golf Club, the first European course designed by Arnold Palmer. The spectacular links on the Kerry coast provided a fitting venue for the competition that bears Palmer's name, challenging the world's leading collegiate golfers with strong winds, firm fairways and fast greens.
The victory was Team International's second consecutive Arnold Palmer Cup triumph and narrowed Team USA's overall lead in the series to 15 victories to 14, with one match tied. For players, coaches and spectators alike, the 2026 edition will be remembered as one of the most exciting finishes in the history of collegiate team golf.