The motivational quote reminds us that there’s
no ‘I’ in
the word ‘Team’.
A competitive golfer would change that well-
known
quote to suggest that there’s also no ‘I’ in
‘Four-Ball’.
As the competitive schedule across the
country ramps
up, focus turns to
regional,
state and invitational team
competitions. While the two-man team
format has been
a popular one in recent years, the upcoming
U.S. Four-
Ball Championship sure has put it in focus this
season.
In the month of May, alone, there are at least
50 two-
man team events being held across the
country. State
association four-balls were slated in Alabama,
Colorado,
Virginia, Massachusetts and Texas, just to
name a few,
while regional associations like the Carolinas
Golf
Association, Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan
Golf
Association, Palm Beach County Golf
Association and
the Northern California Golf Association hold
their
annual two-man events.
The month of May is also host to numerous
invitational
four-balls, including many filled with elite
fields.
Just last weekend, the
Champions Cup was
played
at
Champions Golf Club in Houston. Kenny Ebalo
and
Gregory Horodesky won over a solid field but
perhaps a
deeper look at the teams in the field lend an
eye to
what we might expect May 2-6 next year at
The
Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Dan Crockett and Parker Smith, who’ve won
multiple
titles at the Anderson Memorial Four-Ball,
finished
second alongside the Texas duo of Brad Kropp
and
Randy Lance. Brady Exber and former U.S.
Mid-
Amateur
champion Kevin Marsh tied for sixth.
Throw in the recently-completed National
Invitational
at Whisper Rock and even our own
AmateurGolf.com
Two-Man Links Championship, there is
undoubtedly a
major focus on four-ball and team events. And
the list
goes on and on...
With the
lengthy qualification process
beginning
as soon as Aug. 13 at Hackensack Golf Club in
Oradell,
N.J., registration has already begun and
teammates, no
doubt, being sided.
With another 70 two-man team events (at
least) slated
from today through the start of qualifying, you
can be
we’ll know a bit more about the potential
fields
at the
Four-Ball by mid-summer.
Are you planning on trying to qualify for the
U.S. Amateur Four-Ball? Have you picked out
a
partner yet? Let us know in the comments
below.
ABOUT THE U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, the newest USGA
championship, was played for the first time in
2015 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.
The event, which has no age restriction, is open
to those with a Handicap Index of 5.4 or lower.
It is one of 14 national championships conducted
annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly
for amateurs.
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