For the third year in a row, Ohio was the middle ground for turfgrass students from Penn State (PSU) and Michigan State (MSU) to test their skills of golf against one another in a match play format. The Sharon Golf Club was the immaculate venue for the 2009 Cutter Cup. The 18th anniversary of the competition fell under the care of General Manager and Superintendent Frank Dobie. Following a first rate tour of the grounds maintenance facilities, the group headed to the clubhouse for lunch prior to the match.
The five players from each university had the luxury of caddies, a welcome treat from having to carry their own clubs. The weather was indeed kind and the slight bite to the late morning air was soon lost with the walk down the first hole. The Sharon Golf Club has two nines different from one another. The front nine had tree-lined fairways, while the back nine offered several water hazards to test the skills of all. With smooth, slick, undulating greens the matches were challenging.
The first group was led by professors from both PSU and MSU. Their match was taken to the 17th hole before MSU took the opportunity to finish the match 2 and 1. The turfgrass students were fighting their own battles with matches finishing on various holes. As the final group putted out on the 18th green it was announced the final score was PSU 4 to MSU 1. Penn State defended their victory in 2008 and brought the mighty Cutter Cup back home to University Park. The record now stands at PSU 7 and MSU 6, with matches ending in a draw on five occasions.
A special thanks to The Sharon Golf Club, Mr. Frank Dobie, and the PSU and MSU teams for making it all happen. We would also like to give a warm thanks to Mr. Dobie and Mr. Bruce Williams for treating PSU and MSU to lunch, respectively. Congratulations to all the players and caddies for participating in such a great day of golf and networking.
Check out more photos from this year's Cutter Cup
James Seisun
The Cutter Cup, which pits students from Penn State and Michigan State's turfgrass programs, will happen this Sunday. This year's event is being hosted by Golf Course Superintendent Frank Dobie and The Sharon Golf Club located in Ohio.
Students from the 2 and 4 year turfgrass programs competed last Saturday for a chance to participate in the event. This year's competitors teed off on the Penn State White Course at 8:30AM. The winners finished about four and half hours later shooting between 74 and 83. The five qualifiers and their caddies will head to Ohio Sunday morning at 6:30AM.
The Cutter Cup mimics the Sunday rounds of Ryder Cup. Five individuals tee off against one another in the match play event. The winner of each match is awarded 1 point, with a half a point going to a match that ends all square. The first team to 3 points wins the cup. Should the teams split the match with 2.5 points each, the cup would be retained by Penn State who won the event last year.