Maryland Native Shines in Junior Ryder Cup Debut

GLEN COVE, NY – SEPTEMBER 25: Zoe Cusack of Team United States looks on from the fifth hole tee box during the fourth round of the 2025 Junior Ryder Cup at Nassau Country Club on Thursday, September 25, 2025 in Glen Cove, New York. (Photo by Ryan Lochhead/PGA of America)

Lutherville, Md. – Zoe Cusack, the 2024 and 2025 Maryland Girls’ Junior Amateur champion from Potomac, Md., played a crucial role in this week’s Junior Ryder Cup, where the U.S. team triumphed over the European team by a score of 17.5 to 12.5. The 13th Junior Ryder Cup was held at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y., from September 23 to 25.

Each team consists of 12 junior golfers, comprising six boys and six girls. The event was held over three days, starting with foursomes and mixed foursomes matches on Tuesday. This was followed by mixed Four-Ball matches on Wednesday, and the tournament concluded with singles matches on Thursday.

Cusack secured her place on the team after finishing as the runner-up at the 2025 Girls’ Junior PGA Championship. Although this was her first appearance in the Junior Ryder Cup, Cusack demonstrated exactly why she belongs on the team, winning three out of her four matches. In both the mixed foursomes on Tuesday and the mixed Four-Ball on Wednesday, she partnered with Lunden Esterline from Andover, Kan., who had won the 2025 Boys’ Junior PGA Championship.

The Cusack-Esterline duo achieved a decisive victory in their Tuesday mixed foursomes match. They only lost one hole during the match, but quickly rebounded by winning the next four holes in a row. This impressive performance led to a match victory of 6 and 4, earning a point for the U.S. team.

Wednesday’s mixed Four-Ball match proved to be more challenging for Cusack and Esterline, but still, they never trailed or lost a hole. The match remained tied through the first nine holes until Cusack gave the U.S. side the 1-up advantage with a birdie on hole 10. Ultimately, the U.S. duo went on to win the match 2 and 1, securing another point.

Heading into Thursday’s singles matches, the U.S. team held a two-point lead. Cusack was set to face off with Benedicte Brent-Petersen from Denmark, who was also making her Junior Ryder Cup debut. Brent-Petersen currently sits seventh in the European Women’s Amateur Golf Rankings and was coming into the Junior Ryder Cup after winning the European Nations Cup – Copa Sotogrande.

Brent-Peterson put pressure on Cusack early in the match by winning the first two holes. However, Cusack responded by clinching holes four and five, only for Brent-Peterson to take hole six. That would be the last hole she would win. Cusack then went on to win three consecutive holes, establishing a 2-up lead. She extended her advantage by winning holes 12 and 14, ultimately winning the match 4 and 3, which earned her a third point for the U.S. team.

Cusack’s point contributed to the U.S. team earning a total of 7.5 points during the singles matches, resulting in a five-point victory over the European team. With this victory, the U.S. has improved its overall Junior Ryder Cup record to 8-4-1.

Results for the 13th Junior Ryder Cup can be viewed HERE.

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