Cappelen named to Palmer Cup

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman Sebastian Cappelen of the University of Arkansas men’s golf team has been named to 2011 European Palmer Cup team it was announced on Wednesday by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

The Palmer Cup is a Ryder Cup style tournament that places the best American and European collegiate golfers against each other. The 2011 tournament will be held at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn., June 9-11. This is the second consecutive year that a member of the Arkansas men’s golf team has been included in the exclusive 16 player field. Former Razorback David Lingmerth was a member of team Europe last summer and played his tournament at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Lingmerth was the first Razorback to make a Palmer Cup team which has been contested each of the last 14 years.

"We are very proud of Sebastian," Arkansas head coach Brad McMakin said. "He is a great athlete and to be named to the Palmer Cup as a freshman is an amazing accomplishment. Not many first-year players could crack into this exclusive field and that speaks to the type of player that he is, his talent and his work ethic which is unmatched."

Cappelen was Arkansas’ top finisher at the Southeastern Conference Championships last weekend when he tied for 12th and has six top 10 and nine top 20 finishes in 11 outings this season. He leads the Razorbacks in stroke average this year at 71.28 and over the course of the season has accumulated an individual record of 689-114-19 (.850). Cappelen has been especially good during the spring semester and has been Arkansas’ top finisher in each of the Razorbacks last five tournaments.

Of the 16 collegiate student-athletes that make up the 2011 Palmer Cup squads, Cappelen is one of just three freshmen and the only first-year player on the European squad. Cappelen is also the lone player from Denmark to make the team which is comprised of five Swedes, a Spaniard and a Scot. Team Europe includes Cappelen (Arkansas-Denmark), Ignacio Elvira (Texas A&M-Spain), Nils Floren (Texas Tech-Sweden), Jeff Karlsson (Kennesaw State-Sweden), Robert Karlsson (Liberty-Sweden), Nick MacAndrew (Aberdeen-Scotland), Henrick Norlander (Augusta State-Sweden) and Pontus Widegren (UCLA-Sweden).

The eight Europeans hope to stop the United State’s Palmer Cup winning streak at one and tie the all-time series which the U.S. currently leads 7-6-1. The Europeans have won two of the past three Palmer Cup Tournaments including the last one played in the United States in 2009 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.