The Shadow
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia head men’s golf coach Bowen Sargent will be one four assistant coaches for the Team USA at the Arnold Palmer Cup at Tralee Golf Links in the summer of 2026.
The Ryder Cup-style competition, which features U.S. men’s and women’s collegiate golfers playing side-by-side against a team of their international counterparts, will be played July 3-5 at Tralee Golf Links in Barrow County Kerry, Ireland. Of the 29 all-time matches since 1998, USA holds a 15-13-1 edge against the international team all-time.
Current Cavalier Ben James played for Team USA in 2023 and 2024. Former Cavaliers Derek Bard (2016) and Jimmy Stanger (2017) have also participated in the competition during their collegiate careers.
Sargent will join assistants Emily Fletcher (Northwestern), Beth Miller (Northwestern) and Thomas Sutton (Arizona State) with head coaches Laura Ianello (Texas) and Trey Jones (Florida State) to lead Team USA.
Sargent and the Cavaliers are coming off the best season in program history after they finished runner-up at NCAA Championships and captured the program’s first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. Through four competitions this fall, Sargent and the Cavaliers are ranked No. 1 in the country in the Scoreboard by Clippd and Golf Coaches Association of America. The Cavaliers return most of its contributors from last season including three-time First Team All-American Ben James. The senior is ranked No. 1 in the PGATourU rankings and No. 2 in the current World Golf Association Rankings (WAGR). The 2025-26 Cavaliers also feature Bryan Lee (No. 30 WAGR) and Paul Chang (No. 38 WAGR) who each garnered All-America honors last spring.
The 2025-26 season is Sargent’s 22nd at the helm of Virginia’s golf program. His Cavaliers have made 10 trips to the NCAA Championship, including each of the last three. Virginia is the only program in the country to reach match play competition in each of the last three seasons. UVA has appeared in 18 NCAA Regionals and 17-straight dating back to 2008. Under Sargent’s watch Virginia has produced 10 All-Americans, 26 All-ACC selections, three ACC Champions, two ACC Players of the Year and two ACC Rookies of the Year.
Sargent was named ACC Coach of the Year for the second time in his tenure last season and was named the 2025 Golf Pride Grips East Region Coach of the Year for the first time. Virginia has captured 30 tournament championships, including two this fall under his watch.
The Cavaliers’ spring schedule starts Feb. 9-11 at the Puerto Rico Classic. The three-day tournament will be played at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
