Cathy Panton-Lewis and her GB&I team secured a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Women’s PGA Cup, held at the scenic Sunriver Resort in Oregon. While the USA clinched the title in a week of challenging golf, Panton-Lewis and her team walked away with fond memories and a sense of pride in their performance.
It's been a huge honour and the experience as a whole was brilliant.
- Cathy Panton-Lewis, GB&I captain
"The whole team performed great throughout, and I am really proud of them all,” Panton-Lewis continued.
"They should all be proud of themselves. After a bit of a nervous start on the first day, we moved up the leaderboard on the second day when the conditions were the toughest all week."
The USA team started strong, posting an impressive 5-under on the first day and maintaining their dominance throughout, securing their third consecutive win. Panton-Lewis acknowledged the strength of the US team, praising their early surge and consistency across all three rounds.
"USA were brilliant and after a really good start, they didn't let up. Following that first round, they set a huge target for the rest of the teams to reach for and in the end, nobody could catch them, which is a testament to their skill and how consistent they are as a team. They've got some really great players several of whom used to play on the LPGA Tour.
"It wasn't the result we were hoping for but I am really pleased with how the team played across the week.
“I know they are disappointed not to take home the trophy but they are all so grateful for the opportunity to represent their country and their association, and so am I.
"Not just the experience on the golf course, but off it too. The camaraderie and team spirit amongst these players was great to see. They all stuck with one another and made sure they enjoyed the experience too, which was really important.
“It's been a huge honour and the experience as a whole was brilliant.”
Women’s PGA Cup veteran and seasoned competitor, Heather MacRae echoed the sentiment, recalling the nerves she felt stepping up to the first tee.
She said: “I was nervous as I got to the first tee, the heart rate was pumping and the first drive went a long way – with the nerves I found myself three-over pretty quickly. Playing for your country is a big thing but we just had to adjust to that. We were just so happy to be there.”
Debutant Holly Morgan shares insight on the tough conditions faced, and despite managing the wind exceptionally well, the altitude urged their players to take a little more time to prepare for each shot.
She said: “Conditions were really tough but with that in mind, we played really well. The wind was swirling on day two in all sorts of directions and it was so strong. It was into our face, then across us, and combining that with the difference in altitude made it really hard in terms of clubbing.”
Alison Gray’s final round performance was a particular highlight, as her 2-under 69 was the fourth-lowest score of the day. While GB&I didn’t leave with the trophy, Alison felt a strong sense of pride for her contributions.
“I was just happy to contribute to the team – better late than never I suppose but very happy nonetheless,” she said.
“It’s been a fantastic opportunity for all of us and I think it gets better every time we take part. We did well overall – we’d like to have done better but we didn’t get off to the start that we were hoping for. We got better day by day but overall, we did well.
“We’ve got a brilliant group of girls. The camaraderie, the banter and the team spirit was fantastic. The whole experience of the week was great.”
