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THE KANSAS CUP

Note: A Super Senior Four-Ball Match (no handicaps; both players age 65 & older) will be added to the match format for 2023.

FORMAT AND PROCEDURES FOR 2023

The Kansas Cup is a team competition modeled after the popular Ryder Cup. Each team is comprised of fourteen players. Matches are conducted on the home course of one of the teams, with home-and-home round robins within designated divisions. Teams advancing to the single-elimination playoff bracket with matches to determine an overall champion.

SPIRIT OF THE COMPETITION:
The Kansas Cup is a team competition open to any Central Links Golf member club (its amateur members and bona fide golf professionals that are members or employees of the club). It is designed to foster healthy competition among golfers of the state of Kansas in a team format. The rules of the Competition are designed to promote a fair playing field for all participating clubs and players.

TEAM ELIGIBILITY:
The Kansas Cup is a team competition open to any Central Links Golf member club.

TEAM COMPOSITION AND INDIVIDUAL PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:
The team from each club is composed of fourteen (14) players, male or female (female team members may play from tees equivalent to 75% of the yardage used for their male opponent).

The team members may change from one round to the next, as not every player may be available to play in each round. The individual player is a member of the member club and on the GHIN handicap system at that club. No individual shall participate as a team member of more than one club in the Kansas Cup. Each club is advised to establish a fair method for team composition, whether by qualification tournament or other objective criteria.

Amateurs Eligibility:

Age. Amateur players can be any age with the following exceptions: Amateur golfers must not be in high school or currently a member of a collegiate golf team (at any level).
Limit on Number of Clubs Represented. No player (amateurs only) may compete for more than one Kansas Cup team during a particular calendar year.
Handicap Index. All players must have an active USGA/GHIN handicap established at the club they represent (this rule does not apply to golf professionals).
Maximum Handicap Index. The maximum course handicap any player may use during a Net Match is 18 strokes (24 total team handicap strokes in a Net Match). Players with a course handicap index higher than 18 are eligible to compete, but will have their handicap allocation reduced to 18 strokes. The maximum team course handicap a team may use during a Net Match is 24 strokes.
Number of Scores Posted. Team members must have posted 18-hole scores at the course they are representing pursuant to the following schedule:
- Between September 1, 2022 and date of first 2023 Kansas Cup Match played – at least 1 score posted
- By June 1 – at least 2 scores posted
- By July 1 – at least 3 scores posted
- By July 31 – at least 4 scores posted
- By August 21 – at least 5 scores posted

Professionals Eligibility:

Professionals may only participate in the Professional/Amateur Four-Ball Match.
Golf professionals must be either a member of the club or a bona fide employee/contractor of the club. Questions regarding eligibility for professionals should be referred to the office for resolution.
Professionals that are current applicants for amateur reinstatement are eligible to compete in any Kansas Cup match format while they are awaiting amateur reinstatement from the USGA (USGA Rules of Amateur Status).

FORMAT OF MATCHES:

Teams shall designate fourteen (14) players for each round, who shall play the following matches with eight points available:

Open Modified Chapman Alternate Shot Match (played at scratch and any age players)
Senior Modified Chapman Alternate Shot Match (played at scratch and both players age 50 & older)
Professional/Amateur Four-Ball Match (played at scratch and with any combination of professionals and amateurs representing the side… i.e. Professional/Professional, Pro/Amateur, Amateur/Amateur)
Open Handicap Four-Ball Match (24 handicap strokes team max, 18 handicap strokes player max - any age players)
Senior Handicap Four-Ball Match (24 handicap strokes team max, 18 handicap strokes player max - both players age 50 & older)
Open/Senior Mixed Four-Ball Match (played at scratch and one player on team must be age 50 & older)
Open Singles Match (played at scratch and any age player)
Senior Singles Match (played at scratch and player age 50 & older)

SCHEDULING OF DIVISIONAL MATCHES:
Matches are conducted on the home course of one of the teams, with home-and-home round robins within designated divisions. Divisions will be announced following the entry deadline along with the designated “play-by date” for each round of divisional play. Team captains should work together with the other team captains within your division to schedule the divisional matches in a timely manner while following the published play-by date schedules.

MATCH TIED AFTER COMPLETION OF MATCHES IN DIVISIONAL PLAY:
In the event of a 4 point to 4 point tie at the conclusion of the eight matches, playoffs will no longer be contested to determine the overall match winner. If a match ends tied at 4 points to 4 points, it will be posted as an overall halved match. Regular season divisional matches that end in a 4 to 4 tie will count as a half point win when calculating total wins when breaking ties for playoff qualification and seeding.

PLAYING MATCHES WITH SHORT ROSTERS:
Team matches must be played in the team size and match composition described in the Kansas Cup regulations (under Format of Matches). Short matches are allowed only if both captains agree to a halved match point prior to the day of the match and such agreement is communicated. No more than two match points may be halved by advanced agreement. Short roster matches may not be contested during the playoffs of the Kansas Cup.

TEAM CAPTAIN:
Each club team shall designate a team captain. The team captain shall be responsible for:

Communication with the other team captains in your division and Central Links Golf office regarding schedule and arrangements.
Submitting the team line-up to your opponent for each round.
Reporting the results of each round to the Central Links Golf office.
Representing the club team in matters of disputes or claims.
Verifying that each team member has an active GHIN Handicap Index number at the club they are representing (this rule does not apply to golf professionals).
Verifying that each team member has the appropriate number of scores posted in the GHIN Handicap System.
The team captain may be the club’s golf professional, but it is suggested that an amateur club member may be more appropriate so not to put the golf professional in a difficult position with his members concerning issues of team composition or match assignments.

COMPETITION:
Match Play, 18 holes. Each match is contested for one point. When matches are tied after 18 holes, each team receives one-half point. The club team with 4.5 points or more wins the match. In the event of a 4 point to 4 point tie at the conclusion of the eight matches, playoffs will no longer be contested to determine the overall match winner. If a match ends tied at 4 points to 4 points, it will be posted as an overall halved match.

The following matches are played in each round:

Open Modified Chapman Alternate Shot Match (played at scratch and any age players)
Senior Modified Chapman Alternate Shot Match (played at scratch and both players age 50 & older)
Professional/Amateur Four-Ball Match (played at scratch and with any combination of professionals and amateurs representing the side… i.e. Professional/Professional, Pro/Amateur, Amateur/Amateur)
Open Handicap Four-Ball Match (24 handicap strokes team max, 18 handicap strokes player max - any age players)
Senior Handicap Four-Ball Match (24 handicap strokes team max, 18 handicap strokes player max - both players age 50 & older)
Open/Senior Mixed Four-Ball Match (played at scratch and one player on team must be age 50 & older)
Open Singles Match (played at scratch and any age player)
Senior Singles Match (played at scratch and player age 50 & older)

In the two Net Four-Ball Matches, the total team course handicap may not exceed 24 strokes, and no individual player’s course handicap may exceed 18 strokes. Reductions may be made in the manner determined by the team captain.

STARTING TIMES & ORDER OF PLAY:
The home team shall set aside approximately one hour for starting times. The order of the Matches shall be as follows unless mutually agreed upon by both team captains involved the match:

Open Scratch Modified Chapman Alternate Shot Match
Senior Scratch Modified Chapman Alternate Shot Match
Scratch Singles Matches (Open and Senior)
Scratch Professional/Amateur Four-Ball Match
Open Handicap Four-Ball Match
Senior Handicap Four-Ball Match
Open/Senior Mixed Scratch Four-Ball Match

TEES & FORMAT:
The following matches shall be played from the back or championship tees: Professional/Amateur Four-Ball Match and the Open Singles Match.

All other matches shall be played from the middle tees.

Modified Chapman match (alternate shot): Each team member plays a stroke from the tee of each hole. The partners then play a stroke at their partner’s ball. The team then selects the ball to be played out for the remainder of the hole, alternating the strokes made with the ball selected. Penalty strokes do not affect the order of play.

On the day of the competition, the team captain shall complete a team roster in the form contained herein, and exchange the roster with the opposing team captain. The listing of team members on the roster shall determine the pairings for the round.

FORFEITS:

Any Kansas Cup team that wins a round in divisional play by forfeit (no matches played) shall be deemed to have won six (6) match points including the two (2) singles match points. The team that forfeits the round will not receive any match points for that round. Forfeited points will be counted when determining the playoff teams.

Any Kansas Cup team that forfeits more than one divisional round is subject to removal and suspension from future Kansas Cup competitions.

CARTS AND GREEN FEES:
During the divisional rounds, players may walk or use carts (or caddies). If carts are requested, it is customary that the host club provides the carts at no cost to the visiting team. No green fee or guest fee is to be charged by the host clubs.

PLAYOFF INFORMATION

QUALIFICATION:
Each division winner shall qualify for the playoffs. In addition, following the Kansas Cup entry deadline and announcement of the divisional assignments, we will announce the number of wild card teams (or number of overall teams) that will qualify for the playoffs.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY IN PLAYOFFS:
When a club qualifies for the 2023 Kansas Cup playoffs, it must use only club members that had previously played in at least one 2023 Kansas Cup match (during the home-and-home divisional play). Note: Players that were scheduled to play in a forfeited match are eligible for playoffs.

Regular season divisional matches that end in a 4 to 4 tie will count as a half point win when calculating total wins when breaking ties for playoff qualification and seeding.

SEEDING:
All teams that advance to the playoffs shall be seeded, but in no event shall a wild card team be seeded higher than a division winner. Seeding procedures will be announced following the Kansas Cup entry deadline and divisional assignments. Wild card and/or quarterfinal playoff rounds will be hosted by the team with the better seed.

SEMIFINAL ROUND:
The four quarterfinal winners will advance to the "final four weekend" championship Date, site and starting time schedule are TBA.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND:
The two clubs advancing to the championship match of the Kansas Cup shall compete for the title the day following the semifinal matches. Date, site and starting time schedule are TBA.

PLAYOFF MATCH TIED AFTER COMPLETION OF INDIVIDUAL MATCHES (IN PLAYOFFS ONLY):
In the event of a tie at the conclusion of the nine matches, a playoff shall be conducted according to the following procedures and matches involved:

The Open (non-Senior) Singles Match players, the Senior Modified Chapman Match teams, and the Open/Senior Mixed Four-Ball Match teams. There will then be three matches played, each at sudden death starting from hole #1. This means there will be three points at stake in sudden death. The team that wins two points shall win the match. Note: all three sudden death matches must be contested against the same opponent. In the interest of time and as a convenience to the players involved, the sudden-death points for the Senior Modified Chapman Match and Open Singles Match may be contested prior to the conclusion of other matches.

ADMINISTRATION AND RULES:
USGA Rules of Golf apply. The local rules (which are not in conflict with USGA rules) of the host club apply. For all rounds prior to the semifinals and the finals, no rules official will be in attendance unless one is conveniently available. Any dispute or claim which cannot be resolved by the team captains in applying the Rules of Golf shall be referred to the Central Links Golf Competitions Committee.