Category - Member Events
Meet the 2024 United States PGA Cup Team
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The 31st PGA Cup gets underway this week in Sunriver, Oregon, and the United States Team comprised of 10 PGA of America Golf Professionals is seeking one of sports' most elusive accomplishments.
A three-peat.
After a comeback victory in 2019 at Omni Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, and their first win overseas since 2009 at Foxhills Resort & Club in 2022, the U.S. PGA Cup Team is looking for its 20th overall victory against its counterparts, the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Golf Professionals.
“These PGA of America Golf Professionals represent the best of our Association’s Members through their outstanding playing abilities, and I look forward to leading them,” said PGA of America Honorary President and U.S. Team Captain Jim Richerson.
First played in 1973, the PGA Cup is a biennial, Ryder Cup style event contested over three days, with four foursomes and four four-ball matches on each of the first two days, and 10 singles matches on the final day. Sunriver Resort's gorgeous Meadows Course will serve as host for this year's matches.
So who's on the U.S. squad in search of three consecutive wins? We've got your answers.
Michael Block
Club/Facility: Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo, Calif.
PGA Cup appearance & record: 3rd (7-2-0)
Southern California PGA Section
PGA Head Golf Professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club...Has played in six PGA Championships...Shot 70-70-70-71 (1-over 281) to finish T-15 in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill...Recorded a final-round ace on the 151-yard, par-3 15th...His 2018 PGA Championship appearance at Bellerive came in his hometown of St. Louis...Won the PGA Professional Championship in his 2014 debut following a two-hole playoff with Jamie Broce in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina...Finished T-2 at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship...Winner, 2023 and '22 PGA Professional Player of the Year; Southern California PGA Player of the Year for the 10th time (2013, '14, '15, '16, '18, '19, '20, '21, '22, '23); 2023, '22, '18, '17 Southern California PGA Professional Championship; 2023, '21, '17, '13 Southern California PGA Match Play Championship; 2019 Southern California PGA Stroke Play Classic; 2001 California State Open...Played for the U.S. Team at the 2022 PGA Cup in Surrey, England...Rallied from a four-hole deficit in the opening singles match on the final day to earn a crucial point and help the U.S. win its first overseas PGA Cup since 2009...Member of the 2015 U.S. PGA Cup Team (3-1-0 record)...Qualified for the 2007 (Oakmont) and 2018 (Shinnecock Hills) U.S. Opens...in 2007, made a 22-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a Sectional playoff...Has played in 32 PGA TOUR events.
Matt Cahill
Club/Facility: Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach, Fla.
PGA Cup appearance & record: Debut
South Florida PGA Section
PGA Head Golf Professional at Seminole Golf Club, succeeded Bob Ford in 2021...Made his
PGA Championship debut in 2023 at Oak Hill...Finished T-2 in the 2023 PGA Professional
Championship...Finished T-9 at the 2022 South Florida PGA Professional Championship...Competed in the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship...Attended Florida State and graduated from the school’s PGA Golf Management program...Played the Florida Junior Tour and Florida State Golf Association as a junior golfer...Played in 26 South Florida PGA junior tour events from 2003 - 2008. He was the 2008 South Florida PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year (4 rounds under par that year)..Won the 2008 Ed Ficker Sportsmanship Award - celebrating his dedication to the game of golf, and outstanding etiquette on and off the course.
Tyler Collet
Club/Facility: John's Island Club, Vero Beach, Fla.
PGA Cup apperance & record: Debut
South Florida PGA Section
PGA Assistant Professional at John's Island Club...Has played in three PGA
Championships...Finished T-6 in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship to earn a berth in the PGA Championship and position on the Corebridge Financial Team....Winner, 2023 and '22 South Florida PGA Player of the Year; 2023 South Florida PGA Professional Championship; 2023 South Florida PGA Stroke Play Championship; 2023 South Florida PGA Assistant Championship; 2020 South Florida PGA Professional Championship...Played in the PGA TOUR's 2024 Cognizant Classic; 2024 Puerto Rico Open, made the cut; 2023 Honda Classic and 2021 Puerto Rico Open...Graduated in 2017 from the PGA Golf Management program at Eastern Kentucky University...Helped Eastern Kentucky win the 2016 PGA Jones Cup at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Jared Jones
Club/Facility: River Oaks Country Club, Houston, Texas
PGA Cup appearance & record: 2nd (0-2-2)
Southern Texas PGA Section
PGA Director of Instruction at River Oaks Country Club...Has played in two PGA
Championships...Earned a spot in the 2024 PGA Championship through his T-2 finish at the 2024 PGA Professional Championship...Finished T-2 at the 2022 PGA Professional Championship, earning him a spot in the field at the 2022 PGA Championship...Played with the U.S. Team that won the 2022 PGA Cup...Winner, 2019 Southern Texas PGA Professional Championship; 2016 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant Player of the Year; 2015, '12 Southern Ohio PGA Assistants Championship...Played collegiately at Ohio State from 2004-07, where he was a member of the 2004 Big Ten championship team.
Brad Marek
Club/Facility: Corica Park, Alameda, Calif.
PGA Cup appearance & record: Debut
Northern California PGA Section
PGA Golf Instructor at Corica Park...Played in his second PGA Championship at Valhalla
in May 2024...Finished T-6 in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team...Finished T-8 at the 2021 PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot in the 2021 PGA Championship...One of two PGA of America Golf Professionals to make the cut at the 2021 PGA Championship, finishing in 78th place...Winner, 2023 Northern California PGA Tournament of Champions; 2021 Northern California PGA Player of the Year...Finished T-2 in the 2023 Northern California PGA Section Championship...Runner-up, 2021 Northern California PGA Section Championship and Match Play Championship...Played professionally for ten years on various tours, winning 17 times in that span...Played college golf at Indiana University, where he was a three-time NCAA Academic All-American...Grew up in Chicago and won the Illinois Junior Amateur and Illinois Amateur Championships as a youth...Co-founded Athlos College Coaching, a service designed to lead students through the college golf recruitment process.
Jesse Mueller
Club/Facility: Grand Canyon University Golf Course, Phoenix, Ariz.
PGA Cup appearance & record: 2nd (2-1-1)
Southwest PGA Section
PGA General Manager at Grand Canyon University Golf Course...Has competed in two PGA
Championships...Recorded a T-4 finish at the 2024 PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team in the PGA Championship...Won the 2022 PGA Professional Championship...Mueller's caddie all week at the 2022 PGA Professional Championship was his wife, Jessie, and the couple even celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary during the opening round...During the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, he recorded an eagle on the par-4 10th - his very first hole of the championship...Winner, 2023 Southwest PGA Player of the Year; 2023 Southwest PGA Match Play Championship; 2020, '17 Southwest PGA Section Professional Championship...Made the cut at the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, where he finished T-51...Also played in the 2022 U.S. Open...In 2024, he became the first Southwest PGA Professional since 2005 to make the cut at the WM Phoenix Open...Played golf collegiately at Arizona State from 2001-05, earning Academic All-America honors...Guided his team to three state championships at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona...In addition to his full-time role as the GCU Golf Course general manager, he has served for nine seasons as a Volunteer Assistant Golf Coach at Grand Canyon University where his brother, Mark, is the head coach...He has three brothers who all played college golf, including Mark.
Ben Polland
Club/Facility: Shooting Star of Jackson Hole, Teton Village, Wyo.
PGA Cup appearance & record: 3rd (2-1-1)
Rocky Mountain PGA Section
Played in his fourth PGA Championship in 2024 at Valhalla...Winner, 2024 PGA Professional Championship...Finished as the runner-up in the 2015 PGA Professional Championship followed by a T-13 in 2016 and a fifth place finish in 2021...Winner, 2016 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship...Member of victorious U.S. 2022 PGA Cup Team...Member of 2015 PGA Cup Team...Winner, 2021 Rocky Mountain PGA Player of the Year; 2021 Rocky Mountain PGA Assistant Championship; 2014 Metropolitan PGA Professional Championship; 2020, '16 Metropolitan PGA Assistant Player of the Year...2013 graduate of Campbell University's PGA Golf Management University Program...Played a vital role as his Campbell squad won the 2012 PGA Jones Cup...At Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y, he worked under Darrell Kestner, the 1996 PGA Professional Champion and 2017 National PGA Golf Professional of the Year…As a young assistant at Deepdale, he stayed in the dorms on property for assistants and were on property almost 24/7. Sometimes after work, he would pull his car next to the driving range, turn on his bright lights and hit balls until midnight.
John Somers
Club/Facility: Southern Hills Plantation Club, Brooksville, Fla.
PGA Cup appearance & record: Debut
North Florida PGA Section
PGA Head Golf Professional at Southern Hills Plantation Club...Played in his second
career PGA Championship in 2024 at Valhalla...Registered a T-4 finish in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship to claim a berth in the field and on the Corebridge Financial Team...Finished T-4 in his PGA Professional Championship debut in 2023, earning a start in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill...His wife gave birth to their daughter two days before he left for the 2023 PGA Professional Championship in New Mexico...Winner, 2023, '22 North Florida PGA Professional Championship...Played golf for Elon University, earning Team Most Valuable Player honors in 2013...Grew up on a farm in Elon...Earliest golf memory was playing in a parent-child golf tournament with his grandmother...His grandmother, Helen Hartman, was the first woman to play in the Greater Greensboro Open, now the Wyndham Championship...Completed the PGM program at Elon University in 2.5 years... His wife
Catherine and daughter, Colbie Jean, attended the 2024 PPC, just over one year after her early arrival two days before the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.
Andy Svoboda
Club/Facility: Butler National Golf Club, Oak Brook, Ill.
PGA Cup appearance & record: Debut
Illinois PGA Section
PGA Head Golf Professional at Butler National Golf Club...Played in his first PGA
Championship last May at Valhalla...Finished T-2 at the 2024 PGA Professional Championship to earn a berth in the Championship and spot on the Corebridge Financial Team...Winner, 2023 Connecticut PGA Professional Championship; 2023 Connecticut PGA Player of the Year; 2023 Connecticut PGA Match Play Championship; 2022 Metropolitan PGA Assistant Player of the Year; 2022 Metropolitan PGA Assistants Championship...Has qualified for six U.S. Opens...Won three events on the Korn Ferry Tour...Played collegiately at St. John's University, where he won 14 collegiate tournaments, including the 2001 Big East Conference Championship...He started caddying at Winged Foot G.C. at 10 years old.
Jeremy Wells
Club/Facility: Cypress Lakes Golf Club, Fort Myers, Fla.
PGA Cup appearance & record: Debut
South Florida PGA Section
PGA Director of Player Development at Cypress Lake Golf Club...Competed in his second
career PGA Championship last May at Valhalla where he shot 69-71-75-75 to finish 77th...Finished T-8 in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship to clinch a spot in the field and on the Corebridge Financial Team...Seventh place finish in his PGA Professional Championship debut in 2023, earning a start in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill...Finished T-3 in the 2021 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship...Finished T-3 in the 2022 South Florida PGA Professional Championship...Winner, 2020 South Florida PGA Assistant Championship...Played collegiately at William & Mary.