NORMAN, Okla. – Western Carolina junior J.T. Poston remains among the top 25 American-born golfers listed on the updated Palmer Cup ranking, which was released Wednesday. Ranking as high as sixth on the initial list, Poston is currently ranked 11th.

This is the next-to-last ranking before both the United States and European Palmer Cup teams are announced on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” on April 17. The top six golfers in the final ranking from both the United States and Europe will be among the 10 individuals selected to compete in the Palmer Cup at Walton Heath Golf Club in England on June 26-28, 2014. 

Using the Golfstat NCAA Player Ranking as a base, the Palmer Cup Ranking awards bonus points to golfers for individual wins and overall high finishes, and includes a negative demerit for poor finishes. The ranking also contains an overall strength-of-schedule component.

For the United States, the remaining four players will be selected using three committee picks and one coaches pick. The selections by the committee may take into account a number of factors, including the current college season, results in amateur events since the last Palmer Cup, match-play record and performance in previous international team events. One of the U.S. committee picks must be a non-Division I golfer.

Poston, who ranks fifth in the most recent GolfStat Cup standings, is the only Southern Conference men’s golfer listed among the top 50 ranked between the United States and European teams. All told, 11 of those golfers listed play collegiately in the SEC with nine from the Pac-12, six from the ACC, four from the Big XII and three from the Big Ten.

According to available research, no Catamount men's golfer has ever been selected to play in the Palmer Cup competition or even listed on the annual watch list.

With a seasonal stroke average of 70.21 through 24 seasonal rounds, Poston currently leads both the Catamount men’s golf team and the SoCon. The Hickory, N.C., product has seven top-10 finishes this year with six top-five showings, including three individual championships. He currently ranks second on WCU’s career scoring chart with a 72.13 stroke average in 88 career rounds over his first three seasons.

Earlier this spring, Poston was listed on both the Ben Hogan Award and 2014 Haskins Award Watch Lists.

Poston started his strong year back during the summer, placing in a fourth-place tie in the 99th Annual Carolina’s Amateur before winning the prestigious 98th Annual Southwestern Amateur, closing the tournament with a final-round 65. He qualified for the 113th U.S. Amateur Championship by finishing second in his qualifying round with rounds of 69 and 70.

The final four spots on Team Europe shall consist of the champion of The R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament, two committee picks and one coach pick. European Palmer Cup Selection Committee and coaches picks will use the same criteria as their U.S. counterparts and may select college golfers competing both in the United States and Europe.

Created in 1997 by golfing great Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) - and expanded in 2013 - the Ryder Cup-style format features the top collegiate players from the United States against their counterparts from Europe on 10-golfer teams. The event will continue to feature 24 matches, with every player required to compete twice. Players must participate in either the four-ball or foursomes matches and in one of the two rounds of singles matches.