The 2019 Iowa Cup Matches are moving to the fall.

The Iowa Golf Association and Iowa PGA approved a plan over the offseason to move the date of the traditional matches between the state’s top amateurs and professionals to late in the season.  2019 will mark the 52nd playing of the matches and will be staged at Crow Valley Golf Club in Davenport on September 26 & 27.

The Iowa Cup began in 1967 and, for quite some time, the matches were always played in the fall.  It is unknown when they were moved to the spring.  The most notable driving forces for moving the event back to the fall were the weather and golf course availability.

“Three of the last six Iowa Cup Matches have had sessions wiped out due to weather while another one – Geneva G&CC in Muscatine – was very cold, windy and miserable.” stated IGA Executive Director Chad Pitts. “So moving to the fall dates should help with that. Not to mention that golf courses are looking for business much more in the early fall than in spring, which makes securing top venues a bit easier.”

The format of the event remains the same.  Four-Ball and Foursome (alternate shot) matches will take place in the morning and afternoon, respectively, of day one while Singles matches will be held on day two.

PICKING THE TEAM

In 2019, the IGA will use a point structure that mimics the Ryder Cup system.  50% of the points earned toward the 2018 IGA Player of the Year race will be added to 100% of the points earned in the 2019 race through July 28th (final day of the Iowa Amateur).  The top 14 players in the Open division and the top 4 players in the Senior division will be invited to play.  Reigning IGA Player of the Year J.D. Anderson will receive two captains picks to round out the 20 person squad.

You can view the standings for making the team here