Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
You go, girls.
The United States wrested the Junior Ryder Cup away from Europe on Sept. 25 at the Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y., primarily because the American girls stormed to one victory after another in their singles matches.
Led by Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, Calif., who went 3-0-1 for the week, the U.S. beat Europe 17.5-12.5 to run its record to 8-4-1 in the matches, the prelude to the U.S. and Europe battling in the Ryder Cup.
That begins on Sept. 26 at the Bethpage State Park Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.
The U.S. trailed at one point in nine of the 12 singles matches, but fought back to win seven and tie one. The U.S. won five matches in succession at one point.
“We were down first thing this morning for a long time, and these kids just fought so hard and they got the job done,” U.S. captain Suzy Whaley told a PGA of America media official. “They saw a sea of blue on the leaderboard and knew exactly where they stood. They showed grit, perseverance and did not give up.”
Talley, playing in the first match of the day, beat Charlotte Naughton of England 1-up, after losing almost all of a 4-up lead with four holes to play.
Rayee Feng of nearby Short Hills, N.J., clinched the U.S. victory with a 4 and 3 decision over Louise Uma Landgraf of France.
Between the Talley and Feng victories, Anna Fang of San Diego beat Nagore Martinez of Spain 5 and 3 and Zoe Cusack of Potomac, Md., topped Benedicte Brent-Peterson of Denmark 4 and 3. Later, Lily Peng of San Ramone, Calif., topped Alice Kong of France 1-up.
The six girls players on the U.S. team went 5-1 in singles. The six boys went 2-3-1.
The U.S. entered the singles matches with a 10-8 lead and needed 15.5 points to win the Cup back from Europe, which had won 20.5-9.5 in 2023 in Rome.
First Coast players Miles Russell, Tyler Mawhinney lose in singles
Both First Coast boys players in the Ryder Cup lost their singles matches. Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, who was 1-0-1 with Talley in mixed doubles, lost to Hugo le Goff of France 4 and 3 and Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island lost 7 and 6 to Oscar Couilleau of France.
Hamilton Coleman of Augusta, Ga., the 2024 Junior Players Champion who is headed for the University of Georgia, beat John Doyle of Ireland 2 and 1 and Lunden Esterline, the 2025 Junior PGA champion from Andover, Kan., and an Auburn commit, topped Callixte Alzas of France 3 and 2.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: U.S. girls dominate in singles to lead Junior Ryder Cup victory over Europe
