AJGA alumnus Mateo Fernández de Oliveira, from Argentina, completed a 4-0 week at the Arnold Palmer Cup, July 1-3, to help bring home the victory for Team International with a 33-27 result over an all-AJGA-alumni Team USA at Golf Club de Geneve in Switzerland.
As the first Palmer Cup participant from Argentina, Fernández de Oliveira went unbeaten during the week. The Arkansas rising junior teamed with Julia Lopez Ramirez to defeat Gurleen Kaur and Walker Lee in Friday mixed four-ball, 1 up.
Fernández de Oliveira joined fellow AJGA alumnus Josele Ballester in Saturday morning foursomes to defeat Team USA's Jake Doggett and Travis Vick 1 up, and then notched another point with Lopez Ramirez for Team International with a 2-and-1 victory over Calynne Rosholt and Cole Sherwood in Saturday afternoon mixed foursomes.
In the final single matches, the Argentinian wrapped up his first Arnold Palmer Cup with a 4-and-3 victory over Johnny Keefer to complete his unbeaten week. Team International defeated Team USA 33 to 27 to capture the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Fernández de Oliveira competed in two AJGA tournaments during his junior career, including the 2017 Thunderbird International Junior and the 2017 Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex.
Happy Gilmore, of Bloomfield, Indiana, has been honored with the 2022 Pepsi Little People’s John Howerton “Spirit of Giving” Award, at his 11th Pepsi Little People's Golf Championship.
The 16-year-old started to give back to the community eight years ago. Gilmore has been donating toiletry supplies that he, his family and friends collected to homeless shelters, school nurse offices and local missions. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he donated meals and birthday boxes to children who couldn't afford them.
Gilmore's contribution to society kept happening in 2022. He donated toys to Susie’s Place, which protects children from abuse, neglect and sexual assault, and to IU Health at Bloomington Hospital emergency room.
Gilmore competed in the AJGA Junior All-Star at Quail Creek presented by City of Robinson Qualifier in 2021. Gilmore understands the importance of giving back. In 2022 he received an AJGA Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, which provides financial assistance to young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf.