Sunriver Meadows to host Women’s PGA Cup Thursday through Saturday

Published 9:25 am Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth led the charge for the U.S. Team in 2022 and returns for the 2024 Women's PGA Cup.

The United States Team of five female PGA of America club professionals will vie for its third consecutive victory in the Women’s PGA Cup, Thursday through Saturday at Sunriver Resort’s Meadows course.

PGA of America President John Lindert will captain the American team, which includes Sandra Changkija (Daytona, Fla.), Joanna Coe (Haverford, Pa.), Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (Fleming Island, Fla.), Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) and Allie Knight (Knoxville, Tenn.).

This marks the third playing of the Women’s PGA Cup, a biennial international team competition. The 2024 edition features teams of women PGA club professionals from the United States, Australia, Canada, Great Britain & Ireland, South Africa and Sweden. The teams will compete in a 54-hole stroke play format at Meadows. The low three of five scores per team each round count toward the team total per round.

Three U.S. Team Members have previous Women’s PGA Cup experience, including Coe and Grier, who have represented the U.S. in all three Cups. Connelly Eiswerth will be playing in her second straight Women’s PGA Cup, while Changkija and Knight are making their debuts.

“They’re all great players,” Lindert said. “There is no replacement for experience. I think the rookies are going to experience that. They’ve all played in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and they’ve all played in some Major Championships. When you play for your country, it adds a little bit more of an impact and pressure.”

Connelly Eiswerth led the charge for the U.S. Team in 2022 by recording the team’s lowest score in the second and third rounds. The PGA Teaching Professional at San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla., is thrilled for another opportunity to represent the U.S.

“It is such a unique honor and we don’t get to do it very much,” Connelly Eiswerth said. “We represent our club when we play in our local, sectional and national PGA events, but to represent your country on top of your organization is a huge honor.”

The inaugural Women’s PGA Cup was played in 2019 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, where the U.S. secured a four-stroke victory over runner-up Canada. The Americans captured a two-stroke win over Canada in 2022 at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

Coe and the U.S. Team aim to keep things simple as they pursue their third straight title.

“We have a few players on our team who do keep it very boring,” Coe said. “The leaderboard is so volatile that if you just get pars, or if you’re in a tough spot, get out of there with a bogey. You have to keep grinding for every single shot because it’s stroke play. I’d say boring golf is the goal in stroke play, especially in an event like this where it can shift so quickly.”

Tee times run from 9 a.m. to 10:39 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and spectators are welcome.

The Women’s PGA Cup is the third PGA of America event at Sunriver Meadows in the past three weeks. The course hosted the Senior PGA Professional Championship, Sept. 26-29, and the Men’s PGA Cup, Sept. 13-15

For more information, visit pga.com.

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