Hudson Cup Matches: Pros are victorious
FALL CITY, Wash. (October 24, 2008) – The Northwest PGA Professionals dominated the single matches on Friday to capture both the Hudson Cup and Senior Hudson Cup Matches, played at The Members Club at Aldarra in Fall City, Wash.
The amateurs were tied with both the Professional and Senior Professionals after the foursome and four-ball matches on Thursday. It was the PGA Professionals that took over during the single matches on Friday, winning 6 of the 10 matches in the Hudson Cup Matches, and 5 of the 10 matches in the Senior Hudson Cup Matches. Two matches were all square in the Senior Hudson Cup, and one was all square in the Hudson Cup.
In 1949, two PGA Professionals from Oregon, Larry Lamberger and Al Zimmerman, thought the Pacific Northwest Section, PGA should pay tribute to Robert A. Hudson, Sr. Hudson, a successful businessman from Portland, Ore, is renowned in the golf world as the savior of the Ryder Cup Matches by restoring it two years removed from World War II. Because of Hudson’s generosity, the Ryder Cup was restored in 1947 at Portland Golf Club after Hudson came forward and covered most of the Ryder Cup tab, including the cost of the British team to come to the United States.
The first Hudson Cup matches were held at Portland Golf Club in 1949. The format was patterned after the Ryder Cup with 36-hole foursome matches the first day and 36-hole singles the second day. The professionals, led by Bud Ward, Stan Leonard and Chuck Congdon, posted a 12 ½ to 2 ½ victory. When Hudson learned of the Matches, he immediately insisted on footing the bill, and he continued to do so through 1972. Today, the Pacific Northwest Section, PGA is assisted by funds contributed by the Washington State Golf Association, the Oregon Golf Association, and the Pacific Northwest Golf Association.
The format was changed in 1966 when the foursome matches were shortened to 18-holes and four-ball competition was added for the first afternoon. Second day singles, at 18-holes, complete the event, with a total of 20 points available.
In 1992, the Senior Hudson Cup Matches were added. It features the leading senior amateur players against the senior PGA Professionals.
The Hudson Cup Matches and Senior Hudson Cup Matches are conducted by the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA of America in cooperation with the Oregon and Washington State Golf Associations. The matches are conducted over two days each autumn and pit the region's top professionals and senior professionals against the region's top amateurs and senior amateurs in both team and individual match play formats.
--Courtesy WSGA