"This is Shooter's Tour"
The Shooter McGavin Golf Classic is a two day tournament that matches Team Europe against Team USA in a Ryder Cup style shootout. The winning team gets to take home The Shooter Cup. It's a magnificent piece of hardware that could only be found at your local thrift store. The captain of the winning team must display the Cup for an entire year, after which time, it will be passed on the new winning captain.
September 2014 - Shooter Cup VI - The 2014 edition of the Shooter Cup was a back and forth battle. For the first time, the cup would be decided in a never before seen 3rd round. Day 1 was played at Sandpiper Bay and Team Raleigh Captain, Dan Merritt, led his team to an early 6 to 3 lead. Day 2 saw Team Rest of World Captain, Jeff Casterline, bring his team back in a major way and the ROW team took a commanding 10.5 to 7.5 lead into the final round. The Cup would have to be decided on the final day during individual matchups. Team Raleigh would capture 4 of the final 6 matches and lock up the Cup 19.5 to 16.5. The Cup, and bragging rights, will stay with Team Raleigh until Shooter Cup VII in the fall. Brad Tomlin secured his first Gold Jacket, putting the way the competition with a Shooter Cup record 75 on the 2nd day. Jeff Casterline (aka The Sandbagger) would go on to win his 2nd consecutive Da Tweed Jacket.
July 2013 - Shooter Cup V - Day 1 was played at the Legacy in Aberdeen. Despite some pretty good play on the American
side, the Europeans were able to take a 7.5 to 4.5 lead on the strength of sub
80 rounds by Trevor McDaniel and Jason Petty.
Day 2 saw Team USA come strong out of the gate at Seven Lakes, winning the first 3
matches to take an early Day 2 lead. The
Europeans were able to come back, winning the next 4 matches, and locking up
the Cup (15.5 to 12.5) for Team Europe Captain, Steve Habicht. Trevor McDaniel won his first Gold Jacket with
a two day score of 167. Jeff Casterline won the inaugural Tweed Jacket with a
two day net score of 157.
July 2012 - Shooter Cup IV - The 4th annual Shooter McGavin Golf Classic saw it's numbers increase back up to 20, new technology implemented, and a few format changes. For the first time ever, a live leaderboard was installed. It was again hot and humid throughout the 2-day tournament. The first day was played at SMGC favorite, The Legacy in Aberdeen. After 2 versus 2 match play, Team USA held a slight lead of 8-7. After much deliberation, the 2nd day matches were set and the competition was moved to Tobacco Road in Sanford. One of the more interesting and difficult of the courses that have been played. Team USA came out strong and won several matches in a row to secure the Cup before the last group had even finished. The final score saw the Europeans and captain Will Stewart victorious by a 22 to 13 margin. Jason Petty took home his second consecutive Gold Jacket
August 2011 - Shooter Cup III - The 3rd installment of the Shooter McGavin Golf Classic saw the venue switch to Carthage for 2 rounds at Little River. Little River was a nice, but difficult course. After the tough conditions of Shooter Cup II, some competitors decided not to return in the summer and take a hiatus from the Cup. The numbers dipped down to 14. The Americans started strong and put a beating on the Europeans the 1st day. The Europeans fought back with a strong performance winning Day 2, but fell short in a chip-off. Captain Dave Hedrick and Team USA took home their 3rd straight cup after the Americans proved to be better with the short game than their counterparts. Jason Petty won his 1st Gold Jacket.
March 2011 - Shooter Cup II - The 2nd annual Shooter McGavin Classic saw an increase in the number of participants to 20 and a change in venue. For the 1st time, the battle would wage on two separate courses. Day 1 was at Longleaf in Southern Pines and Day 2 was at Whispering Woods in Whispering Pines. The 2nd SMGC saw competitors battle sub-par course conditions and some of the worst sleep deprivation in the history of the Cup. The Americans won the 1st day by the slimmest of margins. Heading into Day 2, the Europeans needed a victory to force a playoff. In the final match, the Captain of the European squad, Rob Schabinger, defeated his counterpart and sent the teams into a chip-off. Scott Butner of Team USA hit a beautiful match-saving chip that gave the Americans the victory. Team USA and Captain Jason Casterline would take home their 2nd consecutive Shooter Cup. Dave Hedrick won his 1st Gray Jacket.
July 2010 - Shooter Cup I - The 1st annual Shooter McGavin Golf Classic took in July of 2010. Both rounds were played at The Legacy in Aberdeen. There were 11 competitors playing, with only 10 competing for the Cup. The temperatures nothced triple digits both days, but the scorching heat wasn't about to slow down the competition. Team USA jumped out to a lead after Day 1. Day 2 saw the closest match play rounds in the events history. 3 of the 5 matches were pushed. The Europeans were held scoreless as Steve Habicht and Jason Casterline were able to secure a point each for the Americans, which was enough to earn the Day 2 victory. After two gruelling days playing in what felt like a sauna, the Cup was going home with Team USA and Captain Jason Casterline. Rob Schabinger won the first ever Gold Jacket.