32nd edition of biennial match play competition against Great Britain & Ireland begins Friday at The K Club
FRISCO, Texas – The United States Team travels to Ireland this week in search of its fourth consecutive victory in the PGA Cup. The Americans aim to extend their winning streak in the biennial match play competition against Great Britain & Ireland with a fresh lineup as eight of the 10 PGA of America Golf Professionals are making their Cup debut.
The 32nd PGA Cup will be played Oct. 2-4 on the South Course at The K Club in County Kildare, Ireland. The Ryder Cup-style event will begin with four foursomes and four four-ball matches on Friday and Saturday and conclude with 10 singles matches on Sunday.
First played in 1973, the PGA Cup is a biennial contest between PGA Professionals from the Professional Golfers’ Association (Great Britain & Ireland) and the PGA of America.
Ben Polland, PGA Director of Golf at Shooting Star of Jacksole Hole, will captain the American team. Polland, a two-time PGA Professional Player of the Year, owns a 7-4-3 career record in three previous PGA Cup appearances as a player. He went 5-0-0 in 2024 to power the U.S. Team to a 17.5 – 8.5 victory at Sunriver Resort.
Polland is “very thankful” for the opportunity to lead the U.S. Team and has enjoyed getting to know the new faces on the team.
“I took some extra time to give the guys individual calls to get to know them more and learn about their preferences, their games and to start working on pairings,” explained Polland. “I was really impressed with all of them, and the more you dive into their histories and their playing histories, the more impressive it gets, which makes me excited.”
Tyler Collet (Vero Beach, Florida) and Ben Kern (Columbus, Ohio) are the two team members with previous Cup experience. Collet, PGA Assistant Golf Professional at John’s Island Club, went 4-0-0 in his 2024 Cup debut. Kern, PGA General Manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club, posted a 2-1-1 record as a member of the 2019 U.S. Team.
The eight U.S.rookies are: Brian Bergstol (Nazareth, Pa.); Brandon Bingaman (Plano, Texas); Jesse Droemer (Houston, Texas); Zach Haynes (Bowling Green, Ky.); Austin Hurt (Bainbridge Island, Wash.); Michael Kartrude (Port St. Lucie, Fla.); Ryan Lenahan (New Hudson, Mich.) and Garrett Sapp (Cypress, Calif.).
Lenahan, PGA Director of Instruction at Walnut Creek Country Club, called qualifying for the team “the ultimate honor” and is thrilled for the opportunity to compete as a team in match play.
“It’s such a different element and there is a lot of strategy involved,” said Lenahan. “The team aspect of it is something I’m really looking forward to because when you have a team environment, it’s encouraging. It’s fun. You’re rooting each other on. We don’t get to do that too often and then when you add the match play element to it, it’s just a whole different ball game. It’s something that’s really fun and really cool to get to share with other PGA Professionals.”
Beyond learning each player’s background and preferences, Polland briefed the team on what to expect during the matches.
“It’s a different kind of golf,” said Polland. “I’ve been telling them to be prepared. Ben and Tyler are the only guys that have done it before and they have reiterated what I’ve been saying, which is that it’s one of, if not the most, intense competition you’ll ever play in. I think the team element puts some pressure that maybe guys aren’t familiar with.
“It’s a different feeling when you’re representing not just yourself but everybody else on the team and also our entire Association. We’re all wearing the flag out there and you really don’t want to let anyone down.”
The U.S. Team has a 20-7-4 all-time record in the series and earned a 15.5-10.5 victory in 2022 at Foxhills Resort in Surrey, England, the most recent PGA Cup contested overseas.
“We want to win and we’re fully aware that Great Britain and Ireland maybe didn’t play or perform as well as they would have liked to when they were over in the States last time,” said Lenahan. “We know that they’re going to be coming for us, but at the same time we have some really good players on our side and it’s one of those things where we just need to prepare, come up with some strategies, pair us up in a strategic way and honestly just perform the way that we’re capable of.”
2026 U.S. PGA Cup Team
Brian Bergstol (Nazareth, Pa.) – Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, Philadelphia Section
Brandon Bingaman (Plano, Texas) – Maridoe Golf Club, Northern Texas Section
Tyler Collet (Vero Beach, Fla.) – John’s Island Club – South Florida Section
Jesse Droemer (Houston, Texas) – Riverbend Country Club – Southern Texas Section
Zach Haynes (Bowling Green, Ky.) – The Club at Olde Stone – Kentucky Section
Austin Hurt (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) – Wing Point Golf & Country Club – Pacific Northwest Section
Michael Kartrude (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) – NOKOSI – South Florida Section
Ben Kern (Columbus, Ohio) – Hickory Hills Golf Club – Southern Ohio Section
Ryan Lenahan (New Hudson, Mich.) – Walnut Creek Country Club – Michigan Section
Garrett Sapp (Cypress, Calif.) – San Gabriel Country Club – Southern California Section
The U.S. Team was determined through a two-year point system, which included the 2025-26 PGA Professional Championships and 2025-26 PGA Championships. Points qualification concluded with the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Philadelphia, this past May.
Match Schedule (All times listed Irish Standard Time):
Friday, Oct. 2: A.M. Foursomes – 7:50, 8:05, 8:20, 8:35 a.m.
P.M. Four-Ball – 12:40, 12:55, 1:10, 1:25 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3: A.M. Foursomes – 7:50, 8:05, 8:20, 8:35 a.m.
P.M. Four-Ball – 12:40, 12:55, 1:10, 1:25 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4: Singles – 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. (10 min. intervals)
For additional information on the PGA Cup, visit here.