Fightmaster Cup

The Fightmaster Cup is a match play golf tournament involving players from North America and Europe. It is an event which involves golfers with the use of one arm only, with it being the first international tournament in history for one-armed golfers.The Cup Experience (2007).] City of Louisville (2007).] The Cup is named after Don Fightmaster, described by "Time" magazine as "an Arnold Palmer of the one-armed-golf world".Gregory (2007), 36.]

The tournament is played between one-armed golfers from the North American One-Armed Golfer Association, formed in 2000, and the Society of One-Armed Golfers, formed in 1932 and based in Glasgow.Gregory (2007), 37.] As a team event, the winner will be one of the two continental organisations and not individual players.

The inaugural meeting in 2008 will be held just prior to the Ryder Cup, at The Cardinal Club in Simpsonville, Kentucky, near Louisville.Shafer (2007).] The new tournament's requirements on participants are still being debated and discussed, with the exclusion of "assisted players" being a prominent issue.

Format

The 2008 Fightmaster Cup will consist of two teams, selected by each of the two competing associations. Both teams will consist of twelve competitors, selected primarily from annually-held and end-of-season championships within their continental associations.

The tournament will take place over three days, from September 11 through to September 13. The match play format follows that of the Ryder Cup, with the tournament consisting of eight foursomes matches, eight fourball matches and twelve singles matches.

The winner of each match scores a point for their team, with ½ a point each for any match that is tied after 18 holes. The winner of the Fightmaster Cup will be the association who scores the most points following the twenty-four matches over the three days.

Rules

According to the rules of the tournament, only players who just use one arm to play and do not use the second during golfing in any way are allowed to compete. The exclusion of "assisted players" from the event is currently being debated; that is, players who use a second arm (or prosthetic substitute) to support the club despite the arm not being functional and responsive. The North American association has a division to accommodate assisted players, while the European association does not.

Notes

References

*cite news
title = Louisville Will Host Festival During 2008 Ryder Cup
url = http://www.louisvilleky.gov/Mayor/News/2007/09-20-07-thecup.htm
author = City of Louisville
date = 2007-09-20
accessdate = 2007-11-03
*cite news
title = Swinging Singles
author = Gregory, Sean
date = 2007-11-05
publisher = "Time"
pages = 36-7
*cite news
title = Officials Tee Up Events For 2008 Ryder Cup
url = http://www.kysportsauthority.com/sports-news-events/news-announcements.asp?id=618
author = Shafer, Sheldon
date = 2007-09-20
accessdate = 2007-11-03
publisher = "The Courier-Journal"
*cite news
title = The Fightmaster Cup
url = http://www.thecupexperience.com/fightmastercup.php
author = The Cup Experience
date = 2007
accessdate = 2007-11-03