Poplar Cup 2019
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Here are the 2019 season results.
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The Poplar Cup is the season-long friendly competition replacing the Poplar Creek Challenge which ended its run after the 2016 season. The Poplar Cup is designed to involve every member who plays in any tournament they choose to play.
The Poplar Cup is all about points. The more you play, the more points you earn.
Start & Stop Dates
The Poplar Cup will start at the first tournament of the season (NCGA Zone Qualifier) and will end after the conclusion of the last tournament of the season (Club Championship).
Eligibility
There are no eligibility requirements for the Poplar Cup. You are automatically entered just by playing in any event throughout the season except for the three exempt tournaments (see below).
Tournaments
All tournaments during the season will be part of the Poplar Cup. However, Match Play, 2-Man NCGA Senior and the TOC will not be part of the Poplar Cup since these events have limited fields and would not be fair to those who are not eligible for these events.
Majors
There will be five majors throughout the season handing out DOUBLE points.
- Beat the Pro
- Las Positas
- NCGA Net Amateur
- Moffett Field
- Club Championship
Points
Points will be awarded to every player for simply completing an event – 10 points for normal events and 20 points for the majors.
Points will not be awarded if the player is a no-show, withdraws or is disqualified from an event.
Players who finish 1st thru 7th in their flight will be awarded extra points. What this amounts to is the higher you finish in your flight, the more points you can earn. Not all is lost if you don’t finish 1st thru 7th, you will still earn 10 or 20 points for completing the event.
Here’s an example of how points will be awarded in an average flight containing fifteen players.
| Points Awarded | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flight Rank | Normal Events | Major Events |
| 1 | 100 | 200 |
| 2 | 90 | 180 |
| 3 | 80 | 160 |
| 4 | 70 | 140 |
| 5 | 60 | 120 |
| 6 | 50 | 100 |
| 7 | 40 | 80 |
| 8 | 10 | 20 |
| 9 | 10 | 20 |
| 10 | 10 | 20 |
| 11 | 10 | 20 |
| 12 | 10 | 20 |
| 13 | 10 | 20 |
| 14 | 10 | 20 |
| 15 | 10 | 20 |
If there are more players in a flight then each player will receive 10 or 20 points. For team events, the points are awarded to each player. Points are awarded at each tournament except for the three events excluded from the Poplar Cup – Match Play, 2-Man NCGA Senior and the TOC.
Payouts
At the end of the season the top ten players in the final points standing will receive a payout.
| 1st | 125.00 |
| 2nd | 75.00 |
| 3rd | 65.00 |
| 4th | 55.00 |
| 5th | 45.00 |
| 6th | 35.00 |
| 7th | 25.00 |
| 8th | 25.00 |
| 9th | 25.00 |
| 10th | 25.00 |
The $500 prize fund will be funded by a $1.00 surcharge to the entry fee for the five major events. In the event of a tie, the payouts will be combined and then split evenly. For example, if two players tie for 4th, the 4th and 5th places will be combined and then split ($55 + $45 = $100. $50 to each player). The next payable spot will be 6th place.
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[tab title=”FAQs”]
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happened to the Poplar Creek Challenge?
A. The Poplar Creek Challenge lasted five seasons and we saw a continuing pattern where players dropped off the leaderboard throughout the challenge because they did not play the required tournaments which is not what we prefer. We want to see as many players as possible vying for the prize fund. Further, the Poplar Creek Challenge was a challenge (pun intended) to setup and maintain throughout the season.
Q. How many tournaments must I play to stay eligible?
A. There is no minimum tournaments to play. You pick your schedule but obviously, the more you play, the more points you earn.
Q. What’s the difference between the Gilliam Points and the Poplar Cup? Players who play well will be at the top on both lists.
A. That’s true for the Gilliam Points but let’s look at it another way for the Poplar Cup. Let’s take a player who doesn’t play often due to scheduling or who doesn’t play well enough to cash throughout the season. If they play well in only a few events including the majors then their points could vault them up the leaderboard. Remember that the majors have double points and points are awarded for entering an event. So a player could be rather silent on the Gilliam list but be a ninja in the Poplar Cup.
| Poplar Cup | Poplar Creek Challenge | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Points | Best par 3-4-5 score on designated holes |
| # of eligible events | 20 approx. | 8 |
| Minimum # events to play | None | 3 away + 1 home |
| Entry eligibility | None | None |
| Requirements to stay eligible throughout the season |
None No players are removed from eligibility |
Player is removed if they do not play the minimum # of events. |
| Prize Fund | $500 | $500 |
| Highlights |
All players get points for completing an event and more points for finishing 1-7 in their flight. Majors are double points. Players can make big jumps on the leaderboard by placing 1-7 and playing well in the majors. No players are DQ’d from the competition. The leaderboard is automated at Golf Genius. |
Players score their best score on designated holes throughout the season. |
| Lowlights |
Players can drop out of competition once they don’t play the minimum # of events. Cumbersome to setup and manage. |
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