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PGA OF AMERICA: Europe retains the Junior Ryder Cup trophy after a 6-6 draw with the USA

For the first time in Junior Ryder Cup history, the biennial matches ended in a tie, allowing the European team to retain the trophy.

/noticias.info/ NEWPORT, WALES -- For the first time in Junior Ryder Cup history, the biennial matches between 12-player teams from the United States and Europe were halved, with a 6-6 draw on Sept. 19, 2006, at Celtic Manor Resort.

With one match remaining, the Americans held a slim lead, following a 1-up victory by the team of Tony Mapu Finau of Salt Lake City, and Cassandra Blaney of Rochester, N.Y. They defeated Germany's Maximilian Kieffer and Belgium's Laura Gonzales-Escallon.

In that final match, however, the 2006 Westfield Junior PGA Boys' and Girls' Champions, Joe Monte of Chantilly, Va., and Brittany Altomare of Shrewsbury, Mass., fell short to France's Victor Dubuisson and Italy's Giulia Molinaro, 4 & 3.

The United States and European Junior Ryder Cup Teams were evenly matched, with each recording three victories on both days of competition.

The format of the first day was four-ball competition, where two-player boys' teams and two-player girls' teams from the United States and Europe competed. Highlights of the first day included three victories by the U.S. Team, which helped the Americans gain momentum going into the final day.

Philip Francis, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., the No. 1-ranked male junior golfer in the country, teamed with No. 4-ranked Drew Kittleson, 17, also of Scottsdale. Francis-Kittleson defeated the Norwegian duo of Anders Kristiansen and Are Friestad, 3 & 1.

The second victory for the U.S. Team occurred when the No. 5 and No. 6 girls' golfers in the country -- Isabelle Lendl, daughter of former professional tennis star, Ivan Lendl, and Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla. -- earned a 1-up victory over the Spanish pairing of Carlota Ciganda and Marta Silva.

The Americans' fourth match featured Esther Choe, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Kristen Schelling of Mesa, Ariz., the 2006 Westfield Junior PGA Championship runner-up. They defeated Scotland's Carly Booth and Molinaro, 1-up.

Once first-day play was complete, the Americans found themselves deadlocked with the Europeans for the first time since the inception of the Junior Ryder Cup in 1995. After lackluster performances in the previous two Junior Ryder Cups, the 2006 United States Team was determined to keep the momentum.

The Americans lost the first mixed four-ball match of the final day. Needing a victory, the U.S. team of Lendl and Kittleson then topped Germany's Sean Einhaus and Saskia Hausladen, 3 & 1.

In the third match of the final round, Andrew Yun of Tacoma, Wash., and Schelling had a difficult time against Friestad and Booth, who prevailed, 3 & 2.

Countering that setback, the U.S. team of Hurst and Bud Cauley, of Jacksonville, Fla., defeated Silva and Portugal's Pedro Figueiredo, 3 & 2, before the drama played out.

The Junior Ryder Cup began in 1995 with the vision of encouraging friendship, exchanging cultures and enhancing the enjoyment of golf. The United States Junior Ryder Cup Team is comprised of six boys and six girls who are American Citizens and 2007 high school graduates and younger. Team members qualified through their performances in the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series, Westfield Junior PGA Championship, as well as various tournaments throughout the country.

PGA Past President Jack Connelly captained the 2006 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not for profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing the game and the business of golf. notas_de_prensa_archivo