2017 Newport Cup Matches at Talamore Resort (Pinehurst, NC)

[iacas]

The 2017 Newport Cup is set to kick off in just ONE WEEK, so before we forget, it's a great time to start this topic and get the discussion of matches kicked off.

The teams this go 'round:

East (Blue) Team

Captain: @iacas

• @coachjimsc - Jim Morgan (1.8)
• @DaveP043 - Dave Panich (2.4)
• @NCGolfer - Dave Koster (0.7)
• @jsgolfer - Jerry Scott (5.2)
• @cipher - Nate McPherson (6.6)
• @bkuehn1952 - Brian Kuehn (8.3)

West (Red) Team

Captain: @mvmac

• @Golfingdad - Drew Sebilian (5.4)
• @phillyk - Phil Kohnken (-1.0)
• @Pretzel - Tyler Faye (-1.0)
• @DeadMan - Daniel Prieve (5.1)
• @mchepp - Michael C. Hepp (5.4)
• @kpaulhus - Kyle Paulhus (5.3)

Schedule
Thursday, October 19th:
Morning - Foursomes at Mid-South
Afternoon - Fourball at Talamore

Friday, October 20th:
Morning - Foursomes at Talamore
Afternoon - Fourball at Mid-South

Saturday, October 21st:
Late Morning - Singles Matches

All matches will be a Nassau format with one point on the front nine, one point on the back nine, and one point total. That's three points per match, with three matches per session and six in singles.

Foursomes: 18 points available.
Fourball: 18 points available.
Singles: 18 points available.*

* In this year's edition we're making an additional six points available during the singles matches with a special Optic Yellow Get Sum. On any hole during the singles matches, each team can challenge the opposing team to play the hole with the Yellow Ball. If the challenged team makes a NET par or better they earn a point. If they make net bogey or worse, the challenging team earns a point.

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Before we get started, I'd like to thank the 2017 sponsors:

• Talamore Golf Resort - home to spacious and comfortable villas and lodging, a weekly pig roast, and two of the finest golf courses in the golf-centric Pinehurst area.
• Snell Golf - makers of a golf ball that offers tour caliber performance at an affordable price, and the company shaking up the golf ball industry.
• FlightScope - New in 2017, a pocket-sized launch monitor called Mevo, with a pocket-sized price and BIG performance for measuring and improving YOUR game.
• Mission Belt - No holes belts as seen on Shark Tank, now with a great new canvas strap option!
• Delilah Club Covers - Custom, hand-made driver, wood, hybrid, and putter covers, along with caddie bags and more.
• Frogger Golf - Developed the awesome Latch-It technology for rangefinders, phones, towels, and other accessories.
• PitchFix - Makers of the world's finest ball mark repair tools, customized with your own logos or designs.
• TRUE Linkswear - #EnjoyTheWalk with some of the best golf shoes on the market.

 

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I'd like to offer, too, a special thanks to @RandallT who will again be keeping track, either in person or off-site (but not off-"site" if you know what I mean ) of the current standings in a nice leaderboard that he'll post here in this topic throughout the rounds, as well as the likes of @nevets88, @billchao, and other members of the staff who will likely be monitoring our Twitter account @the_sand_trap and posting those Tweets and updates to this topic.

[Club Rat]

Hope to see lots of pics of the guys playing.

Good luck to all.

Let's go West Coast !!!

[RandallT]

So on Saturday, it’s possible that the teams have up to 24pts at stake (the 18 plus the 6 challenge). And I assume if any player in each match invoked the challenge, then that’s it for that match. 

Do I have that right?

Sorry if dumb question, just wanted to be sure I’ve got it so the “scoreboard” - whatever shape it takes this year- doesn’t lie and say X points until victory or something. This could be more fluid than that down the stretch obviously. 

Edited October 13, 2017 by RandallT
Fuxed sunday

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, RandallT said:

So on Sunday, it’s possible that the teams have up to 24pts at stake (the 18 plus the 6 challenge). And I assume if any player in each match invoked the challenge, then that’s it for that match. 

Do I have that right?

Yes. Ideally both teammates will agree on which hole they'd like to force their opponents to play. Also, the challenged team can decide who hits first.

Six singles Nassaus is 3 points each, or 6 * 3 = 18. Then Blue 1, Blue 2, Blue 3, and Red 1, Red 2, and Red 3 are six more points.

If a team forgets to use the yellow Challenge Ball, the opponents get the full point (so as not to guarantee half a point by not using it).

6 minutes ago, RandallT said:

Sorry if dumb question, just wanted to be sure I’ve got it so the “scoreboard” - whatever shape it takes this year- doesn’t lie and say X points until victory or something. This could be more fluid than that down the stretch obviously. 

I think we have 60 points available.

9 in the morning, 9 in the afternoon.
9 in the morning, 9 in the afternoon.
18 (6 matches x 3 points) + 6 Challenge Ball in singles.

So 30.5 points are needed to win the Cup this year. A team could have the win wrapped up on Saturday, but they'd have to go 30.5 to 5.5. So that's not gonna happen. Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama are not playing.

[GolfLug]

15 minutes ago, iacas said:

Yes. Ideally both teammates will agree on which hole they'd like to force their opponents to play. Also, the challenged team can decide who hits first.

Six singles Nassaus is 3 points each, or 6 * 3 = 18. Then Blue 1, Blue 2, Blue 3, and Red 1, Red 2, and Red 3 are six more points.

If a team forgets to use the yellow Challenge Ball, the opponents get the full point (so as not to guarantee half a point by not using it).

I think we have 60 points available.

9 in the morning, 9 in the afternoon.
9 in the morning, 9 in the afternoon.
18 (6 matches x 3 points) + 6 Challenge Ball in singles.

So 30.5 points are needed to win the Cup this year. A team could have the win wrapped up on Saturday, but they'd have to go 30.5 to 5.5. So that's not gonna happen. Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama are not playing.

Can each team ask the other to play the Challenge Ball on the same hole? If so how would the hitting order be settled since the challenged team can decide who hits first. Coin toss?

[RandallT]

24 minutes ago, iacas said:

If a team forgets to use the yellow Challenge Ball, the opponents get the full point (so as not to guarantee half a point by not using it).

Ah, got it. I didn't grasp that it was mandatory to do the challenge at some point. I mistakenly thought it was optional, and that there were anywhere between 18 and 24 available for the day. 

I'm still working on my upcoming week plans- sorry for the delay and thanks for the flexibility. Let's just say for now, I may need a beer or two. 

Looks like a great setup the way the points can be made on the final day. Very cool.

 

Edited October 13, 2017 by RandallT
grammar

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Can each team ask the other to play the Challenge Ball on the same hole? If so how would the hitting order be settled since the challenged team can decide who hits first. Coin toss?

The Challenge Ball is an alternate shot challenge, so when I said the "hitting order" I meant the challenged team can decide who tees off on the hole. Challenge Ball play will be after all singles tee shots have been played. The first team Challenged, if both are, tees off first.

Yes, both teams can challenge on the same hole. A Challenge must only be issued before the teams leave the tee. Once the teams start to leave, a Challenge is no longer possible on that hole.

7 minutes ago, RandallT said:

Ah, got it. I didn't grasp that it was mandatory to do the challenge at some point. I mistakenly thought it was optional, and that there were anywhere between 18 and 24 available for the day.

Required.

7 minutes ago, RandallT said:

Looks like a great setup the way the points can be made on the final day. Very cool.

Remember we wanted to try to get more points for the final day, because in the past they were 1/3, while at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup it was a higher percentage.

16-12 at the Ryder Cup (43%), and 18-12 (40%) at the Presidents Cup. Now it's 36-24 (40%).

[Pretzel]

The points distribution makes sense, it'll make sure that those East of the Mississippi can still dream of a final day comeback the night before.

The challenge balls will be an interesting exercise in strategy, thinking about where people are least likely to make par.

[GolfLug]

57 minutes ago, iacas said:

The Challenge Ball is an alternate shot challenge, so when I said the "hitting order" I meant the challenged team can decide who tees off on the hole. Challenge Ball play will be after all singles tee shots have been played. The first team Challenged, if both are, tees off first.

Yes, both teams can challenge on the same hole. A Challenge must only be issued before the teams leave the tee. Once the teams start to leave, a Challenge is no longer possible on that hole.

Required.

Remember we wanted to try to get more points for the final day, because in the past they were 1/3, while at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup it was a higher percentage.

16-12 at the Ryder Cup (43%), and 18-12 (40%) at the Presidents Cup. Now it's 36-24 (40%).

Awesome. Gosh, I am getting excited for all of you!!

I am obviously pulling for blue but wanted to wish the visiting red team a great time. Talamore is an absolute treat and it will be the most fun they will ever have while loosing badly. 

 

 

[coachjimsc]

2 days...

[dennyjones]

Let's go Blue!

[Buckeyebowman]

Interesting format to say the least! We scramble two against two quite often. I've tried suggesting foursomes (alternate shot), but every else seems scared of it. Have a good time! Looking forward to future posts.

Also noticed that Pitchfix is a sponsor. In reference to the ball mark repair thread, I bought one of these two years ago, and it's the best repair tool I have ever owned! I still have a nice Callaway tool, but it doesn't close like the Pitchfix, and I got tired of holes being punched in my pocket as well as my thigh!

OK, wandering OT so I'll say goodbye now. Good luck!

[CarlSpackler]

Driving through NC this afternoon on my way back to FL, I was only an hour or so away from there. 

Best of luck to all!

[RandallT]

17 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

OK, wandering OT so I'll say goodbye now. Good luck!

Hey any positive mention of a Newport Cup sponsor, complete with exclamation points, earns you some latitude in the thread! 

[coachjimsc]

After 6 long months we are now 24 hours away from a golfing weekend unlike any other.

Safe travels to all.

[RandallT]

And dawn of the big day has arrived at the Talamore Golf Resort. Or it will soon, anyway. Sand Trappers everywhere are rising to catch sight of the first scoreboard of the day, so we won't disappoint you and make you wait any longer than necessary. Teams for the morning foursomes are set.

 

I was able to zip south in time to catch the end of dinner at the Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst, as the coaches squared off to announce the teams. Sorry no group photo yet, and just a candid, but you can already sense that the East has more gray hair, but the West needs to do more stretching!

I'll refrain from posting pics yet about some of the bling the teams received last night, but let's just say we should all hope for a tie in this Newport Cup match, to be decided by a sudden death fashion show: the all-red Pizza Delivery men vs the Jet Blue flight attendants. 

 

[RandallT]

ok now it’s dawn. 

[woodzie264]

Go BLUE!! Good luck, hit 'em long & straight!