Women’s Golf: Cleary up to No. 10 in Palmer Cup rankings, Lillie debuts at No. 19

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia women’s golfers Jennifer Cleary (Wilmington, Del.) and Beth Lillie (Fullerton, Calif.) are ranked No. 10 and 19, respectively, in the latest Arnold Palmer Cup Rankings for the United States team. The ranking is the second of three announced this spring prior to the selection of the rosters for the teams.

The Arnold Palmer Cup is an annual Ryder Cup-style competition between men’s and women’s American college golfers and European college/university golfers.

The top six golfers from the spring’s final ranking from both the United States and International men and women shall be among the individuals selected to compete in the Palmer Cup. Using Golfstat’s NCAA Player Ranking as a base, the Arnold Palmer Cup Ranking awards bonus points for wins and high finishes and a penalty for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.

The remaining six spots for the United States will consist of five committee picks, including at least one non-Division I golfer, and a coaches pick. The balance of the International team also includes five committee selections, including at least one representative from The R&A Student Tour Series, and a coaches pick.

Cleary moves up in the Palmer Cup rankings from the No. 22 spot she occupied in the last ranking released on March 3. Cleary leads the No. 7 Cavaliers with a 72.39 stroke average. She has four top-10 finishes this season. Lillie debuts in the ranking after posting back-to-back runner-up finishes in her last two outings. She currently sports a 73.05 stroke average. Cleary is ranked No. 35 in the current Golfstat standings while Lillie is No. 57.

This year’s Arnold Palmer Cup will be held at the Golf Club de Genève in Switzerland from July 1–3.