USGA Champions Help United States Win Junior Ryder Cup Match

Reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champ Cameron Peck went 2-0-1 at the recent Junior Ryder Cup. (USGA Museum)

U.S. Junior Amateur champions Cory Whitsett (2007) of Houston, Texas, and Cameron Peck (2008) of Olympia, Wash., each went 2-0-1 in the two-day competition, while reigning U.S. Girls' Junior champion Alexis Thompson, 13, of Coral Springs, Fla., registered a 3-0-0 mark.

In Tuesday's 10 singles matches, the Americans posted an impressive 9-0-1 mark, with only 2008 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cupper Carly Booth salvaging a half-point against Jennifer Johnson.

On Monday, five morning foursomes (alternate shot) matches were played. The afternoon featured five mixed four-ball matches. The teams consisted of five boys and five girls.

"We wanted to play like the matches were zero to zero and just go out there and win as many matches as possible," said the 16-year-old Whitsett of the mindset going into Tuesday's singles competition. "Everything was working over the first six holes for me and then I hit a couple of loose shots, but that happens and I will take the win for the team."

Whitsett defeated Matteo Manessero, 6 and 5, while Peck beat Stanislaus Gautier, 5 and 4. Thompson, who at the age of 12 in 2007 became the youngest competitor to ever qualify for a U.S. Women's Open, edged Lisa Maguire, 1 up.

Other members of the U.S. team included 2007 U.S. Junior runner-up Anthony Paolucci; 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur semifinalist Erynne Lee; 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links semifinalist Tiffany Lua; Jeffrey Kang; Sarah Brown; and Jordan Spieth.

Going into the singles matches, the U.S. owned an 11½-1½ lead.

"It was a great moment for the United States and the PGA of America," said U.S. Captain Ken Lindsay, the 30th president of the PGA of America. "We knew we had a wonderful team to play in Europe but our United States players came here to win and they proved they were the quality players we knew they could be when we announced the team."

Participants in the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup were to play a nine-hole "friendship" match Wednesday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., which is the site of this weekend's Ryder Cup Matches.

The Junior Ryder Cup, like the Ryder Cup, is a biennial competition that takes place a few days before the top professionals from the U.S. and Europe take the stage in an international team competition.

David Shefter is a writer for the USGA's Digital Media department. E-mail him questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.