5 Tournaments with Weird Names (That You Should Play)
17 Mar 2019
by Chris Brauner of AmateurGolf.com
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THE EGG INVITATIONAL
The Mayfield Sand Ridge Club, Chardon, Ohio
From the name to its logo, the Egg Invitational is unique. The tournament was hatched in 2014 and has built a loyal following of two-man teams that come from the Midwest and beyond to gather each September for 54 holes of team competition. The Mayfield Sand Ridge Golf Club is a 1998 Tom Fazio Course situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and running through scenic wetlands and mature hardwoods.
The Egg aims to bring together players from the nation’s finest facilities for two days of great golf and camaraderie. 36 holes are played on day one, with the final round one day two. The format is Four-Ball and Chapman on the first day and Four-Ball on the second, but given the tournament's name we wonder why they didn't make at least one round a Scramble.
More information about the Egg Invitational
THE FOX PUSS
Boonsboro Country Club, Lynchburg, Virginia
Whatever theory you might have for how this tournament was named, you are wrong. The Fox Puss has been played since 1971 and honors two of Boonsboro Country Club's most influential members, H. M. “Fox” Blankinship and Charles “Puss” Hancock. While one can argue which one got the better nickname, no one can argue with their devotion to amateur golf and to their home club. Both men served as President of the Virginia State Golf Association, and Mr. Hancock was the long-serving President of Boonsboro Country Club.
The course is a classic, dating from 1929 and originally designed by Willie Park, Jr. The 54-hole stroke play tournament draws a strong field from around the region, and its roll of champions includes 6-time champions Vinny Giles (winner of both the U.S. and British Amateurs) and Keith Decker.
More information about the Fox Puss
CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO INVITATIONAL
Council Fire Golf Club, Chattanooga, Tennessee
In 1941, the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was written by Mack Gordon, and would go on to become the first-ever gold record with over a million copies sold. The Chattanooga Choo Choo Invitational didn't pull into the station until 2013 but has quickly established itself as an important tournament in a crowded summer calendar.
54-year-old Tennessee legend Tim Jackson took the lead in the first round ever played in the tournament, but since then the younger set has dominated, with 54 universities represented last year. The format was 72 holes of stroke play with a halfway cut like a tour event, but now all 90 players play 54 holes without a cut. Council Fire has proven to be a terrific tournament host site, well-conditioned and set against a backdrop of scenic Tennessee mountains. Indeed, six years in, it certainly looks like the Chattanooga Choo Choo is on the right track.
More information about the Chattanooga Choo Choo
THE GOBBLER AMATEUR
Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Arizona
The Gobbler Amateur was founded in 2016 and is part of the Saguaro Amateur tournament series that includes other cleverly-named tournaments like The Sizzler and the Agave. The Gobbler is played on the three days leading into Thanksgiving Day, and while the Arizona desert isn't exactly reminiscent of the original Puritan Thanksgiving traditionsof the 1600s, one does find himself thankful to be playing desert golf in warm sunny weather.
The Gobbler is a 54-hole stroke play tournament with no cut, and draws a diverse field looking to escape school and colder weather. Priority is given to highly-ranked players and recent USGA qualifiers. So if you're looking for a place to get away and a convenient excuse for stuffing yourself on Thanksgiving Day, you might try The Gobbler.
More information about The Gobbler
THE HORNBLOWER
Plymouth Country Club, Massachusetts
The Hornblower may conjure images of Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, or other famous trumpeters, but in fact it is the tournament's namesake Henry Hornblower who is honored by this long-running invitational. In the early 1900s, Hornblower was instrumental in the creation of Plymouth Country Club, and would later guide the club through expansion and the Great Depression.
In 1932, his idea was to create a tournament that would attract high-caliber players from all over New England, and for over eight decades the tournament has done exactly that. The current champion is Matt Parziale, who won the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur and was the low amateur at last year's U.S. Open. The tournament is played on a classic Donald Ross course, and the hospitality of the Plymouth Country Club membership is well-known. There is also a Senior Hornblower played in the summer which has carried on the tradition.
More information about The Hornblower
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