The 74th edition of the Hudson Cup Matches concluded today at Tacoma Country and Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash. The matches ended with the Professionals defeating the Amateurs with a two-day point total of 13.5 to 6.5 points.
In the 31st edition of the Senior Hudson Cup, held concurrently, the Senior Professionals defeated the Senior Amateurs with a two-day point total of 10.5 to 9.5.
The Charles Congdon Award went to Paul Mitzel (voted on by the professional team) and the Larry Lamberger Award was presented to Ryan Benzel (voted on by the amateur team). In the Senior Matches, The Bill Eggers Award was presented to Greg Chianello (voted on by the senior professional team) while Jeff Gove was bestowed the Bob McKendrick Award (voted on by the senior amateur team). Jeff Gove, Tony Robydek and Greg Chianello are the only three who were undefeated in their matches this year.
Played in a format similar to the Ryder Cup, the Hudson Cup pits 10 of the best amateur players from Washington and Oregon against the top 10 Pacific Northwest Section PGA professionals. The Senior Hudson Cup, matches the top-10 Pacific Northwest Section PGA senior members against the top-10 senior amateurs from Washington and Oregon.
Washington Golf (WA Golf) and the Oregon Golf Association (OGA) work together to select a total of 10 amateurs and 10 senior amateurs to compete against the professionals. Of the 10 players on each team, five represent WA Golf and five represent the OGA. Team members are selected based on season-long performance points earned through each respective Association.
The Pacific Northwest Section PGA also selects their professional team members based on performance points earned throughout the season.
Each player competed in three matches – a foursome match, a four-ball match and a singles match. Upon completion of the matches, awards are presented to the outstanding player on each team as decided by votes of the opposite team. The awards honor Chuck Congdon, Larry Lamberger, Bob McKendrick and Bill Eggers, four great players with outstanding Hudson Cup records and a strong tie to the event’s rich history.
Professional team captains are appointed by the president of the Pacific Northwest Section PGA, and amateur team captains are appointed by WA Golf and the OGA.
This year, the amateur Hudson Cup team was captained by Karl Smith from WA Golf; and the professional team was captained by Chris Griffin, PGA. In the Senior Hudson Cup, the senior amateur team was captained by Jim McNelis from WA Golf; while the senior professionals was captained by Mike Gove, PGA.
History of 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., a successful businessman from Portland. Hudson is renowned in the golf world as the savior of the Ryder Cup matches after resurrecting it just 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 expenses of conducting the competition, including the cost of transporting the British team 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 12.5 to 2.5 victory. When Hudson learned of the matches, he immediately insisted on footing the bill, and continued to do so through 1972. Today, the Pacific Northwest Section PGA is assisted by funds contributed by Washington Golf, 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.
