Indiana University Athletics
Overton to Represent U.S. in Palmer Cup
4/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
NORMAN, Okla. - Indiana men's golfer Jeff Overton was one of four golfers named to represent the United States in the 2005 Palmer Cup presented by Monster. The annual Ryder Cup-style competition between American collegiate golfers and their counterparts from Europe will be played June 8-9 on the 7,201 yard, par-72 Whistling Straits Irish Course in Kohler, Wis. Team USA leads the series, 4-3-1.
Joining Overton is Matt Every of Florida, New Mexico's Spencer Levin and Pepperdine's Michael Putnam.
A senior from Evansville, Ind., Overton will be representing his country for the second straight season after winning two matches while leading the United States to victory at the USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship last summer. He fired an 11-under-par 61 - one stroke behind the NCAA record of 60 - en route to his sixth-career championship at the Xavier Invitational in the fall.
A semifinalist for The Ben Hogan Award, Overton has also carded three runner-up finishes and two other top-five showings this season. The Big Ten Player of the Year and a second team PING All-America selection last season, Overton advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur, placed second at the Porter Cup and won the New Year's Invitational and Indiana State Amateur.
The lone returnee from the 2004 U.S. Palmer Cup team, Every was a first team PING All-America and All-SEC selection last season. Every won the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate - the third victory of his career - in the fall and has five top-10 finishes this season. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Public Links and qualified for the U.S. Amateur. A junior from Dayton Beach, Fla., Every ranks fifth at Florida in career wins and ninth in top-10 finishes.
The low amateur at the 2004 U.S. Open with a tie for 13th - the best by an amateur at the Open since 1971, Levin has earned two individual titles - the Topy Cup and a first-place tie at The Nelson - as well as three runner-up, one fourth-place and a sixth-place finish this season.
A junior from Elk Grove, Calif., Levin was a second team PING All-America selection last season and currently ranks second in the nation with a 69.70 stroke average. In amateur competition last summer, Levin won the California State Amateur, Porter Cup and Scratch Players Championship while finishing second at the Pacific Coast Amateur, Southern Amateur and U.S. World Amateur Team Championship. He was named a semifinalist for The Ben Hogan Award.
The MVP of last summer's USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship, Putnam has earned medalist honors once this season along with two second-, three fifth- and an eight-place finish this season. A Tacoma, Wash., native, Putnam is Pepperdine's leader in career stroke average and is on pace to break his own single-season record of 71.00.
A semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award, he was named second team PING All-America last season as well as All-West Coast Conference, Cleveland Golf Academic All-America and West Coast Conference All-Academic. Putnam captured the 38th Annual Pacific Coach Amateur last summer.
The remaining four United States Palmer Cup participants will be named Tuesday, April 12.
(Golf Coaches Association of America contributed to this story)
Joining Overton is Matt Every of Florida, New Mexico's Spencer Levin and Pepperdine's Michael Putnam.
A senior from Evansville, Ind., Overton will be representing his country for the second straight season after winning two matches while leading the United States to victory at the USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship last summer. He fired an 11-under-par 61 - one stroke behind the NCAA record of 60 - en route to his sixth-career championship at the Xavier Invitational in the fall.
A semifinalist for The Ben Hogan Award, Overton has also carded three runner-up finishes and two other top-five showings this season. The Big Ten Player of the Year and a second team PING All-America selection last season, Overton advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur, placed second at the Porter Cup and won the New Year's Invitational and Indiana State Amateur.
The lone returnee from the 2004 U.S. Palmer Cup team, Every was a first team PING All-America and All-SEC selection last season. Every won the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate - the third victory of his career - in the fall and has five top-10 finishes this season. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Public Links and qualified for the U.S. Amateur. A junior from Dayton Beach, Fla., Every ranks fifth at Florida in career wins and ninth in top-10 finishes.
The low amateur at the 2004 U.S. Open with a tie for 13th - the best by an amateur at the Open since 1971, Levin has earned two individual titles - the Topy Cup and a first-place tie at The Nelson - as well as three runner-up, one fourth-place and a sixth-place finish this season.
A junior from Elk Grove, Calif., Levin was a second team PING All-America selection last season and currently ranks second in the nation with a 69.70 stroke average. In amateur competition last summer, Levin won the California State Amateur, Porter Cup and Scratch Players Championship while finishing second at the Pacific Coast Amateur, Southern Amateur and U.S. World Amateur Team Championship. He was named a semifinalist for The Ben Hogan Award.
The MVP of last summer's USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship, Putnam has earned medalist honors once this season along with two second-, three fifth- and an eight-place finish this season. A Tacoma, Wash., native, Putnam is Pepperdine's leader in career stroke average and is on pace to break his own single-season record of 71.00.
A semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award, he was named second team PING All-America last season as well as All-West Coast Conference, Cleveland Golf Academic All-America and West Coast Conference All-Academic. Putnam captured the 38th Annual Pacific Coach Amateur last summer.
The remaining four United States Palmer Cup participants will be named Tuesday, April 12.
(Golf Coaches Association of America contributed to this story)
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, August 12
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Tuesday, August 11