The Florida men’s golf duo accounts for two of the six male selections.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Ricky Castillo and Yuxin Lin have been tabbed as initial committee selections for the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced Wednesday in conjunction with the Golf Channel.
Three men and three women per side were named. Castillo will tee it up for the United States, while Lin will represent the International side alongside Florida head coach J.C. Deacon. Deacon was named a 2021 Arnold Palmer head coach back in September.
Both Castillo and Lin will compete in this event for the second year in a row. In last year’s contest, Lin helped propel the International side to victory behind two mixed foursome match wins. Castillo picked up a win for the United States in the singles matches when he defeated Angus Flanagan 6&5.
Ricky Castillo has recorded two top-15 finishes within three tournaments to kick off spring competition with Florida. The sophomore is coming off of a historic freshman season where he set the program record for single-season scoring average, logging a 70.08 through seven tournaments. Castillo was named the 2020 SEC Freshman of the Year and received the NCAA DI Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award.
All-American transfer Yuxin Lin enrolled at Florida in the spring of 2021 and made an immediate impact in the Gators lineup. The sophomore has finished atop the leaderboard for the Gators in all but one tournament this fall and has recorded two top-15 finishes. At the Gators Invitational, Lin set a new career-best in both his low round (65) and low score (202) to tie for sixth place individually.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the GCAA in 1997. A Ryder Cup-style tournament, the event features the top men’s and women’s collegiate golfers. Co-ed since 2018, it is one of the only events in the sport of golf that features men and women competing side-by-side.
The 2021 tournament will be hosted by Rich Harvest Farms on June 11-13, 2021. For both the men and women, the remaining members of the team will be selected the week of May 3.
For more information on the Arnold Palmer Cup, visit arnoldpalmercup.com.
Head Coach J.C. Deacon’s Take
On Ricky Castillo…
“This will already be Ricky’s second Arnold Palmer Cup. That’s an incredible accomplishment for a sophomore. Ricky has played as well as any amateur over the past two years and the milestones continue to add up. This one will be extra special for Ricky and I because, for the first time, we will compete against each other on the golf course. I can’t wait to watch him shine at such a special event honoring Arnold Palmer, who defined everything that is great about the game of golf. As Babe Ruth once said, ‘Heroes get remembered, but legends never die!’ Arnold Palmer is a true legend!”
On Yuxin Lin…
“When I was named Captain of the International Arnold Palmer Cup team, Yuxin Lin was one of the first names that came to mind. Yuxy is a pure ball striker with the touch to match. He is the ultimate competitor and will be a great addition to our team room as well. He has some unfinished business from this event in 2020. It’s going to be really special for us to team up for the International squad to take on the United States in Arnold Palmer’s honor.”
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