Iowa Cup Matches: Pros sneak by amateurs
PELLA, Iowa (May 2, 2013) -- The Iowa Section PGA Professionals won the Iowa Cup on Wednesday 16 to 14. The win broke a four-year winning streak by the IGA Amateur team. The matches were shortened to one day due to the snow/rain/wind forecasted for Thursday at Bos Landen Golf Course in Pella. The Tournament Committee made the decision to forgoe the Foursomes (alternate shot) matches and play the twenty Singles matches in the afternoon. Four-Ball matches were played in the morning.
The IGA amateur team took a slight 1 point lead, 5.5 to 4.5, after the morning Four-Ball matches. The Professionals then controlled the singles matches 11.5 to 8.5 to earn the cup for the first time since 2008.
The 46th Iowa Cup Matches were played at Bos Landen Golf Resort in Pella. These matches bring together a team of 20 Iowa Golf Association amateurs to compete against 20 Iowa Section PGA professionals in a Ryder Cup style competition. After the PGA won back-to-back in 2007 & 2008 the IGA team has reeled off four straight after a narrow win at The Preserve at Rathbun Lake last year.
The Iowa Cup Matches began in 1968 at the “brand new” Des Moines Golf & Country Club. At that time the format was much like a college or high school event. It was played at stroke play and each side had 12 players with the low eight scores counting. They played 36 holes in a single day and Bob Leahy made a ten foot putt to capture the cup for the amateurs, 1,252 strokes to 1,253. The past few years have produced more close finishes, with the IGA winning by a single point in 2010, two points in 2011 and four in 2012. Since 1993 the series has been a draw. Each squad has nine wins while there was one tie (2000) and one rainout (1999). Unfortunately records are incomplete prior to 1993.
The usual format has the teams playing Four-Ball Matches (1 Best Ball of 2 for 18 holes) on the morning of day one, with Foursomes play (alternate shot) on the afternoon of day one. Then morning of day two consists of Single Matches. This year, due to extreme weather forecasted for Thursday (day two), play will consist of Four-Ball matches Wednesday morning and Singles matches in the afternoon. All matches count for 1 point, with 30 points total.
View results for Iowa Cup Matches
ABOUT THE Iowa Cup Matches
Team matches between the amateur team of the
Iowa Golf Association (IGA) and the professional
team of the Iowa PGA Section.
Iowa Cup Match Format:
Round 1 – Four-Ball Matches – 18 Holes, 1 point per
match
Round 2 – Foursome Matches (Alternate Shot) – 18
Holes, 1 point per match
Round 3 – Singles Matches – 18 Holes, 1 point per
match
TOTAL POINTS – Round 1 = 10 + Round 2 = 10 +
Round 3 = 20 = 40 Total Points
View Complete Tournament Information