FORMBY, England – The first-round foursomes pairings are out for the 2016 Arnold Palmer Cup at Formby Golf Club, and Chico State's Alistair Docherty will help kick off the Ryder Cup-style competition, which pits the USA's top collegiate golfers against their European counterparts, Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. in England (11:30 p.m. tonight in the Pacific time zone).
 
Docherty and Will Gordon will play in the first match of the competition against David Boote and Sam Horsfield of Team Europe.
 
Afternoon four-ball matches are scheduled begin at 1:30 pm with pairings to be determined.
 
The United States leads the all-time Arnold Palmer Cup series 10-8-1.
 
"I am honored and humbled to be selected to represent the United States in this outstanding competition," Docherty said upon his selection in April. "This will be the cherry on top of the amazing collegiate experience I've had at Chico State. I plan to do all I can to represent my University and the U.S. to the best of my ability."
 
Docherty joins J.J. Jakovac among Wildcats selected to compete in the Palmer Cup, named for legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. Jakovac was selected to the team in 2004 after winning his second NCAA Division II title in three years.  
 
"I'm just ecstatic for Alistair," Chico State Head Coach T.L. Brown said. "He's had an amazing collegiate career and I couldn't be more proud of him."
 
Fans can follow live scoring of the action HERE.
 
Arnold Palmer Cup
Formby Golf Club
June 24
First Round Foursomes Pairings
Foursomes Matches Pairings
Match 1: 7:30 am
David Boote/Sam Horsfield, Europe vs. Alistair Docherty/Will Gordon, USA
Match 2: 7:44 am
Adrian Meronk/Matthias Schwab, Europe vs. Doug Ghim/Will Zalatoris, USA
Match 3: 7:58 am
Antoine Rozner/Robin Sciot-Siegrist, Europe vs. Rico Hoey/Nahum Mendoz III, USA
Match 4: 8:12 am
Stuart Grehan/Lars van Meijel, Europe vs. Derek Bard/Michael Johnson, USA
Match 5: 8:26 am
Mathias Eggenberger/Robin Petersson, Europe vs. Charlie Danielson/Zach Wright, USA
 
About The Palmer Cup
In 1997 Arnold Palmer was approached by the Golf Coaches Association of America regarding lending his name to an international collegiate event between the United States and Great Britain and Ireland. The event would use a Ryder Cup-style format and bring together the top eight collegiate players in the United States against their counterparts from GB&I. Palmer, a former collegiate player himself, has been called America's greatest Ambassador for the game of golf. With his blessing and the support of the Arnold Palmer Golf Company, the inaugural event was played at his own Bay Hill Club in Florida in June 1997.

"I had long thought that an international competition such as this would enrich the lives of young men through the universal bond of the great game of golf. This year is particularly significant since it comes on the centennial anniversary of the founding of golf on the college level," said Mr. Palmer.

Great venues have highlighted the competition since its inception in 1997. After Bay Hill, the Palmer Cup was next contested in Scotland in 1998 on the Old and New Courses at St. Andrews. In subsequent years the matches have been played at such historic venues as The Honors Course, Royal Liverpool, Baltusrol, Doonbeg, Cassique, Ballybunion, Whistling Straits-The Irish, Prestwick, Caves Valley, Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links, Cherry Hills, Royal Portrush Golf Club, The Stanwich Club, Royal Country Down Golf Club, Wilmington Country Club and, most recently, Walton Heath Golf Club in 2014.

Upon conclusion of the 2002 event at Doonbeg in Ireland, a decision was made to alter the team composition by including European players with those from Great Britain and Ireland. The affects of this decision has significantly changed the Palmer Cup in its international appeal and competitiveness of the matches. Teams were expanded to 10 players each starting in 2013. Currently the United States leads the all-time series 9-8-1.

The list of outstanding collegians that have participated include such names as; 2016 U.S. Open Champion Dustin Johnson, Luke Donald, Rory Sabbatini, Russell Henley, Charles Howell, III, Jonas Blixt, Jonathan Byrd, Ben Curtis, 2009 U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover, Bryce Molder, 2010 U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Ryan Moore, D.J. Trahan, Alejandro Canazares, Gonzalo Castano, J.B. Holmes, 2006 USGA Amateur Champion Richard Ramsey, Open de Portugal winner Pablo Martin, and Billy Horschel.