SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's golf junior Sara Kjellker (Hollviken, Sweden) was listed 18th among international players in the initial Arnold Palmer Cup rankings released by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) following the completion of the fall collegiate schedule.
The Arnold Palmer Cup, which was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the GCAA, is a Ryder Cup-style event featuring the top men's and women's collegiate golfers matching the United States against a team of international players.
The top six men and top six women from the final ranking in the spring for both the United States and international rosters (12 total players) will be among the 24 individuals selected to compete in the Arnold Palmer Cup, scheduled for July 3-5, 2020 at Lahinch Golf Club in County Clare, Ireland.
The rankings are compiled using Golfstat's NCAA Player Ranking as a base. Bonus points are awarded for wins and high finishes, while a player is penalized in the ranking for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.
The remaining six men's and women's spots for the United States will consist of five committee selections, including at least one non-Division I golfer and a coaches pick. Conversely, the balance of the International team will include the men's and women's winners of The R&A Scholars Tournament, four committee selections and a coaches selection.
Kjellker, who garnered Mountain West Women's Golfer of the Month accolades for September, logged top-10 placements in three tournament appearances, posting a team-best 71.44 scoring average to help the Aztecs to a trio of top-five team finishes.
At the Golfweek Conference Challenge outside of Vail, Colorado, Kjellker tied for fourth out of 96 golfers after carding a career-best 7-under-par 209, highlighted by a season-low 68 in the second round.
A native of Hollviken, Sweden, Kjellker is the lone Mountain West women's golfer on either the U.S. or international side of the Arnold Palmer Cup rankings.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was established in 1997 and originally featured the top eight collegiate men's golfers from the United States against Great Britain and Ireland. Following the 2002 tournament, the American opponent was enlarged to include all European players, while roster size for both sides was increased to 10 competitors in 2013.
In 2018, the Arnold Palmer Cup was expanded once again to include United States men's and women's teams against collegiate golfers from around the world.
The next Arnold Palmer Cup rankings will be announced Feb. 20, 2020.
Kjellker and her SDSU teammates open their spring schedule by hosting the Lamkin Invitational, Feb. 10-11, at The Farms Golf Club in nearby Rancho Santa Fe, California.