Just this past weekend, with the PGA Tour golf season soon coming to a close, the President’s Cup golf tournament took place at the Muirfield Village Golf Course in Columbus, Ohio. The President’s Cup is a golf tournament that is played every two years, showcasing a four day battle between the U.S. team and the International team. Naturally, the U.S team includes only players from America, while the International team has players from every other part of the world. Both teams have selected captains, who choose certain players to be on the team, while other players earn their spot on by achieving a certain goal. For the four day event, players play matches against the other team 2 on 2 or head to head. If one team gets a better score on a hole than the other, they win the hole, and go 1 up in the match. However, if the other team gets a point on another hole, the match goes back to all square. If both teams get the same score for the hole, neither team gets points. At the end of the 18 hole match, whichever team is up, whether they’re 1 up or 5 up, wins the match, and if a match is all square at the end, both teams receive .5 points. At the end of the four days, the team with the most total points from winning or tying matches wins the tournament. This year, as the rain came pouring down and delayed play many times, the U.S. prevailed, beating the International team 18.5 to 15.5. Tiger Woods sealed the deal for the U.S., securing his match down the stretch and earning the U.S. a very valuable last point.
Personally, I am a big golf fan and player, and I believe tournaments like this, and just the game of golf overall, are looked at by most as kind of a sissy and lame sport. But I don’t feel this way at all. Golf is a game against your mind: if you are completely calm, and focused on every shot, but not overly stressed, you can play great most times. But if you are doubting yourself, your swing, or you just have one bad thought as you’re playing, there is a very good chance you won’t play well. Plus, when you are playing well, it feels really good and can be very rewarding. However you are playing, though, it doesn’t matter: it is still a fun game. Also, as I have been to a PGA Tour golf tournament myself, I can freely say that it can be suspenseful and exciting to watch one live or on TV. Sitting by the 18th green with the best seat in the house, I’ve witnessed two tournaments that have been decided in the last few holes. I’ve witnessed Bubba Watson, now a star on the Tour, hit a miraculous shot to clinch to his 1st Tour victory, and be reduced to tears after the emotional win. Events like the President’s Cup and the Ryder Cup (a very similar tournament to the PC besides the fact that it is played every four years and instead of an International team, there is just a European team) are even more special, because it’s when most of the best players in the world come together and play against each other. Also, fans from all over the world attend, as ones from all countries and cultures come to cheer on the International squads. Lastly, the PGA Tour does one thing none of the other sports/leagues in our country do: raise the largest sums of money for charities around the world. And as we are in October, which is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we can appreciate of all the great work the PGA of America does for our country.
~Mark