If you think the Ryder Cup is competition at its peak, think again. The Thompson Cup, which holds its sixth-annual matches this fall, might put the Yanks and Euros to shame.
The Thompson Cup is a Ryder Cup-style event pitting two courses owned by Arkansas trucking magnate Lew Thompson: Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Michigan, and The Bridges in Montrose, Colorado.
Like the Ryder Cup, each team has 12 players. Nine qualify via year-round tournament performance at their respective clubs, and each team’s general managers, club pros and head superintendents play each other, rounding out the other three team spots.
The visiting team pays its own airfare, room, board and meals, while the clubs sponsor uniforms, and players wear a different color daily. The home team handles the competition and nightly banquet arrangements. Each team has its own scoreboard, upon which daily results and pairings are posted. The winning team gets a wooden, four-foot-long tractor-trailer-truck trophy made by a Forest Dunes member who works at a dealership from where Thompson purchases his trucks.
According to Thompson, a similar kind of tournament would be perfect for competing clubs either in the same town or close geographically. “I can’t believe more don’t do it,” he says. “It’s a huge amenity for members to represent their club. It’s special. For those who are really serious about golf, it’s bragging rights. They’ll talk about this all year.”