Rob McClellan

Rob McClellan has played a lot of golf in his lifetime — but never like this.

The Butler Country Club head professional represented the United States in the 25th PGA Cup — a Ryder Cup-like format involving club pros — over the weekend at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif.

He was one of 10 American club pros facing the best golfers from Great Britain and Ireland in an event the U.S. has never lost on American soil.

The Americans kept it that way, winning the three-day competition 17.5-8.5.

“Being able to wear the red, white and blue in an intimate setting like this was really cool,” McClellan said. “This has definitely been a unique experience.”

The first two days of competition featured four-ball play — with teams of two playing the better ball — and foursome play, in which teams of two alternated shots.

McClellan teamed with Marty Jertson of Phoenix, Ariz., for a total of three rounds Friday and Saturday. The duo won all three rounds.

“It felt great being able to consistently score points for our team,” McClellan said.

“In this format, you’re allowed to mix up your teams from round to round, but our captain decided to stay with the same matchups. That really worked out for us. Marty and I got to know each other’s games.”

McClellan had never played alternate shots with another player at this level of competition before.

“That format was a lot of pressure,” he said. “It’s one thing if you hit a bad shot into the rough or trees or something, when you have to go play your own shot.

“When you know someone else has to play your shot, you want more than anything to make it a good one.”

The Americans took a 10-5 lead into the final round Sunday, which consisted of one-on-one match play. Needing only three points to clinch victory, the U.S. went 6-2-2. McClellan halved with Simon Edwards of England.

Jertson went 4-0 for the tournament. McClellan and Faber Jameson finished 3-0-1 for the Americans.

McClellan qualified for the PGA Cup — held every two years — by his finish in the National Club Pro Championship the past two years. He was 15th in 2010 and fifth this year. That average was seventh among club pros nationwide, making him the seventh of 10 players to make the team.

“There were maybe 50 or 60 people watching each match,” McClellan said. “When you’re playing alternate shots, the round moves a lot faster because when one guy is teeing off, the other guy is already headed to the fairway getting ready to hit.

“That took some getting used to.”

The United States is now 17-5-3 in PGA Cup play and has won the last three.

“I thoroughly enjoyed all of this,” McClellan said. “The opening ceremony included the national anthem, bagpipes were playing ... It just hits you. You’re playing for your country. That was a privilege I’ll never forget.”