The Alotian Club, a private golf club owned by Little Rock financier Warren Stephens, will host the 23rd Arnold Palmer Cup in 2019.
The annual Ryder Cup-style competition will take place June 7-9. It will mark the first time the event is played in the United States and expanded to include men's and women's U.S. collegiate golfers against international competitors from around the world.
"Many of the alumni of the Arnold Palmer Cup have become prominent professional golfers and have earned numerous victories around the world, including several of golf's major championships," said Kevin Bingham, CEO of Arnie's Army Charitable Foundation. "Arnold Palmer's vision for growing golf globally and perpetuating golf's positive character building attributes through the next generation of youth is something that was very important to Mr. Palmer.
"Arnie's Army Charitable Foundation is honored to continue Arnold Palmer's legacy of international team golf competition through this tournament," he said. "We're grateful to The Alotian Club for hosting our event in 2019."
Opened in western Pulaski County in 2004, The Alotian Club is ranked No. 27 on Golf Digest's biennial ranking of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses." In 2005, Golf Digest called the club the best new private course in the country. Designed by Tom Fazio, Alotian hosted the 111th Western Amateur in 2013.
"For generations, Arnold Palmer exemplified and embodied the spirit of golf and its guiding principles," Stephens said in a news release. "The Alotian Club is honored to continue his legacy by hosting the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2019. Since our inception, The Alotian Club has supported young golfers. We look forward to welcoming collegiate players from the United States and around the world to our course and our great state."
Palmer, regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time, visited The Alotian Club in 2009 as part of the Jackson T. Stephens Charitable Golf Tournament. He died Sept. 25.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was cofounded by Palmer and The Golf Coaches Association of America and began at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando in 1997. The event is supported by the Arnie's Army Charitable Foundation.