U.S. Team seeks third consecutive victory in event’s third playing
SUNRIVER, Oregon – The United States Team of five female PGA of America Golf Professionals is headed to Sunriver, Oregon, in search of its third consecutive victory in the Women’s PGA Cup, Oct. 3-5, at Sunriver Resort.
PGA of America President John Lindert will captain the American team, comprised of Sandra Changkija (Daytona, Fla.), Joanna Coe (Haverford, Pa.), Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (Fleming Island, Fla.), Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) and Allie Knight (Knoxville, Tenn.).
This will be the third playing of the Women’s PGA Cup, a biennial international team competition. The 2024 edition features teams of women PGA 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 on Sunriver’s Meadows course. The low three of five scores per team each round count toward the team total per round.
For Lindert, captaining a talented U.S. Team is “an honor,” and he plans to draw on his experiences from observing past U.S. captains.
“When you haven’t done it, there is probably an art form to it so you go through the previous years and watch the previous captains,” said Lindert, the PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). “I’ve watched Suzy (Whaley) and I’ve watched Jim (Richerson) and I’ve been able to take away some of the things they utilized and some of the things they did during their captancies. Hopefully, I can learn from what they did and I can follow in their footsteps.”
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,” said Lindert. “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.”
Coe, the PGA Director of Instruction at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., is coming off a memorable summer in which she gave birth to a daughter, Jenny, in June and three months later won the 2024 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship.
“I’ve done everything this summer to try to get ready for the Cup,” said Coe. “It was my number-one goal to get everything physically and mentally ready. I tried my best. We have a really great team, too, and I know I can obviously contribute, but I’m also going to give myself a little grace too because I’ve been through a lot.”
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,” said Connelly Eiswerth. “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,” said Coe. “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.”
2024 U.S. Women’s PGA Cup Team
Sandra Changkija (Daytona, Fla.) – LPGA Foundation, North Florida Section
Joanna Coe (Haverford, Pa.) – Merion Golf Club, Philadelphia Section
Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (Fleming Island, Fla.) – San Jose Country Club, North Florida Section
Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) – Yinglings Golf Center – Middle Atlantic Section
Allie Knight (Knoxville, Tenn.) – Fairways and Greens Golf Center – Tennessee Section
The U.S. Team was determined through a two-year point system, which included the 2023-24 Women’s Stroke Play Championship (Championship Division), the final money lists of the 2022-23 PGA Tournament Series and the 2023-24 KPMG Women’s PGA Championships. The 2023-24 LPGA Professionals Championship, 2023-24 U.S. Women’s Opens and the 2023-24 PGA Professional Championships also earned points. Additionally, a weighted PGA Section points system was utilized to award points.
Women’s PGA Cup Schedule (All times listed PST):
Thursday, Oct. 3 1st Round of Play 9:00 – 10:39 a.m. (11 min. int.) #1 Tee Meadows Course
Friday, Oct. 4 2nd Round of Play 9:00 – 10:39 a.m. (11 min. int.) #1 Tee Meadows Course
Saturday, Oct. 5 Final Round of Play 9:00 – 10:39 a.m. (11 min. int.) #1 Tee Meadows Course
