Poplar Creek Challenge 2014
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Michael Bradley wins the third installment of the Poplar Creek Challenge by performing well on the away tournaments.
2014 PCC Leaderboard Finals (pdf)
2014 PCC Leaderboard thru 8/2/14 (pdf)
2014 PCC Leaderboard thru 6/21/14 (pdf)
2014 PCC Leaderboard thru 5/17/14 (pdf)
2014 PCC Leaderboard thru 3/29/14 (pdf)
2014 PCC Leaderboard thru 3/1/14 (pdf)
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[tab title=”Prior Winners”]
2013 – Mike Eurkus
2012 – Randy Gubert
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[tab title=”Quick Facts”]
Format
Play your absolute best on the designated holes in the designated tournaments to turn in a "scorecard" at the end of the season.
The home tournaments will have designated holes. Your goal is to score your best on these holes.
The away tournaments will have a designated par 3, 4 and 5. Your goal is to score your best 3-4-5 combined score. If you have a combined score of 15 in one event, your goal is to score 14 in the next event.
Mininum to play to remain eligible
1 home tournament out of 3 designated tournaments.
3 away tournaments out of 4 designated tournaments.
Maximum you can play
All of the designated tournaments. The more you play, the more chances you have to better your scores.
Prizes being awarded
A pool of $500 will be given to the top 10 low-net scores.
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[tab title=”Payouts”]
| 1 | Michael Bradley | 125.00 |
| 2 | Scott Rehn | 75.00 |
| 3 | Mike Eurkus | 65.00 |
| 4 | Randy Gubert | 55.00 |
| 5 | John Harris | 45.00 |
| 6 | Thomas Kmak | 35.00 |
| 7 | Henry Wrigley | 25.00 |
| 8 | Al Miyake | 25.00 |
| 9 | Martin Lambrechts | 25.00 |
| 10 | Steve Hildebrand | 25.00 |
Total Payout: $500
Payable in Poplar Creek gift certificates.
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[tab title=”Format”]
| Basic Info | 2012 | 2013-2014 |
| Total Tournaments in the PCC | 7 | 7 |
| Home Tournaments | 4 | 3 |
| Home Tournaments You Must Play | 1 | 1 |
| Away Tournaments | 3 | 4 |
| Away Tournaments You Must Play | 3 | 3 |
| Prize Pool * | $90 | $500 |
| Payout Spots | 1 | 10 |
* The prize for 2012 was a membership renewal for one player. The prize pool for 2014 will be gift certificates for ten spots.
Home Tournaments
Your best net score on the designated holes is the goal for the home tournaments.
Total of 9 designated holes.
Away Tournaments
Each away tournament will have a designated par 3, par 4 and par 5.
Your score for the PCC will be your best 3-4-5 combo from three of the four away tournaments.
Confused?
Example, if you play all four away events then this is a possible scenario based on your net scores:
| Course | Par 3 | Par 4 | Par 5 | Total | Eligible? | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Positas | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | no | 0 |
| Franklin Canyon | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | yes | 11 |
| Boundary Oak | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | yes | 12 |
| Da Laveaga | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | yes | 11 |
| Total | 34 |
As you can see, you had a net hole-in-one at Las Positas but the tournament's 3-4-5 combo score of 13 does not count towards the PCC. That net hole-in-one may help you win your flight in the tournament but it will not be used for your scores in the PCC.
Your score for the away events is your THREE BEST 3-4-5 combo to come up to 9 holes to complement the 9 holes for the home tournaments.
Scorecard
The "scorecard" for the PCC will be the front nine being the away tournaments and the back nine being the home tournaments. This is to have the home scores be the tie breaker should there be any.
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Rules At-A-Glance
| How to Enter | Every player is automatically entered as long as they play the designated tournaments. |
| Designated Tournaments (in order played) |
Beat the Pro – 3/1/14 Breakdown: |
| Designated Holes | See the Rules Detail below |
| Total Tournaments | 7 |
| Total Rounds |
8 Club Championship is two rounds. |
| Total Holes | 18 |
| Minimum # tournaments to play to be eligible for the title |
4 3 away tournaments + 1 home tournament |
| Scoring |
Net score per hole on the designated holes inclusive of any incurred penalties. Best cumulative 18 hole scores will be the winner. Ties will be determined by the standard back nine, back six, back three, etc. |
| Prize Pool |
1st – $125 Total Payout: $500 Payable in Poplar Creek gift certificates. |
Rules in Detail
- The Poplar Creek Challenge ("PCC") will be held during SEVEN tournaments at designated holes in each tournament.
- Home Tournaments at Poplar Creek – holes 1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18
- Beat the Pro
- NCGA Net Amateur
- Club Championship (both rounds)
- Away Tournaments (each away event will include a par 3, par 4 and a par 5):
- Franklin Canyon: 3,17,18
- De Laveaga: 3,10,14
- Boundary Oak: 6,10,14
- Los Positas: 4,7,13
- Qualifications
- Initial Entry – The player does not need to do anything to enter into the PCC. All players qualify as long as they play the minimum number of designated tournaments.
- Away Tournaments – a player must compete in THREE of the four away tournaments to remain qualified during the PCC. If the player does not play THREE designated away tournaments then they are out of the PCC.
- Home Tournaments – a player needs to compete in only ONE of the home events to remain qualified during the PCC. If the player plays only ONE home event then they will qualify for the PCC but they get only ONE shot at making your best score on a designated hole. Thus, the more home events the players plays the better the odds.
- Eighteen Holes – players must play all 18 PCC holes throughout the season to compete for the Poplar Creek Challenge title.
- Minimum Tournaments
- The player must play a minimum of FOUR tournaments to qualify for the PCC – THREE away tournaments and ONE home tournament. A player’s odds are improved by playing more home tournaments.
- If a player does not play the minimum tournaments or all 18 holes required then they are out of the PCC regardless of their current standing in the PCC, accrued score or subsequent participation and scoring.
- Net Scoring
- A player’s lowest net score on the PCC holes, made during an official, designated competition round, will be recorded.
- A player’s best 18 PCC holes will make up their PCC score. The player with the lowest cumulative net score wins the title.
- Penalties
- Penalties assessed on their respective holes will count towards a player’s net score during the PCC just as they do during the tournament itself.
- If a player is DQ’d from a tournament, then the holes played during that tournament will not be considered during the PCC. The player will remain qualified for the PCC if they meet the minimum FOUR tournaments defined above.
- Scorecard
- The PCC "scorecard" will be setup as follows:
- Front 9 – Away tournaments. The three best 3-4-5 combo scores will be your front nine score.
- Back 9 – Home tournaments. The best score from the nine designated holes.
- The PCC "scorecard" will be setup as follows:
- Ties & Disputes
- In determining the champion and payouts at the end of the PCC, all ties will be handled in our normal fashion using the USGA recommended method of back 9, back 6, back 3, etc. using the Back 9 (home) scores of the PCC scorecard (as defined above).
- Scoring disputes during the PCC will be handled by the Tournament Committee appointed by the PCGC Board at the beginning of the tournament season.
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Number of Tournaments Equals How Many Rounds
The number of rounds played over all SEVEN designated tournaments is eight (3 away + 5 home) because the Club Championship is played over two rounds.
Play More to Increase Your Odds
Even though a players needs to play only THREE away tournaments and ONE home tournament to qualify, their odds of getting a best score are increased by playing more of the home tournaments.
For example, if the players plays…
- only Beat the Pro then they have ONE chance to make their best score on hole #18 (a designated hole).
- only the Club Championship then they have TWO chances on #18 because the tournament is two rounds.
- all three of the home tournaments, then they will have FOUR chances on #18.
The more you play, the better your odds.
- The minimum number of tournaments to qualify is FOUR.
- Four tournaments = 18 designated holes being played
- The player has 18 chances of scoring a best score.
However, if the player plays in all SEVEN of the tournaments then the number of designated holes played is 54 (12 away holes, 36 home holes).
54 chances vs 18 chances = better odds
Don't Get DQ'd
If a player gets disqualified from a tournament, the holes they played during that tournament will be omitted for inclusion in the season-long tabulations.
This includes the Club Championship. If the player completes the first round and is disqualified for an infraction in the second round, then the player is disqualified from the entire tournament meaning BOTH of their rounds are omitted for inclusion in the season-long tabulations.
Don't Get Penalized Either
A player's net score for the designated holes will be the official tournament score for that hole – including penalties.
Now here's where it may sting a little.
There are certain penalties that get tacked on outside of the actual play.
- Showing up late – the new rule starting in 2012 for showing five minutes late (or later) to a starting time is two strokes assessed on the FIRST hole. Hole #1 happens to be a designated hole for the home tournaments.
- Pace of Play Policy – The pace of play penalty at Poplar Creek can be either one or two strokes depending on the total time a foursome plays the round or how far back the foursome finishes behind the group in front (see the Pace of Play Policy). This penalty is assessed on the EIGHTEENTH hole at Poplar Creek which is again, a designated hole.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are there any changes from the 2013 season?
A. The format has remained the same. The only change was to clarify how ties are going to be handled which is using the home tournaments as the back nine scores on the PCC "scorecard".
Q. Am I disqualifed if I miss just one away tournament?
A. Good news is no. During the PCC's first year in 2012, we saw how quickly a number of members lost eligibility because they could not play the first away tournament. This year, a player can miss an away event and not lose their eligibility. However, keep in mind you can miss only one of the designated away tournaments. You have to play in three of the four designated tournaments.
Q. How do I enter the Poplar Creek Challenge?
A. You don't need to do anything. You are automatically entered into the PCC if you play the designated tournaments.
Q. Do I need to play in all SEVEN of the designated tournaments?
A. No. The minimum is THREE of the four away tournaments and ONE home tournament for a total of FOUR tournaments. Playing in all SEVEN tournaments is not required but it will increase your odds of getting a best score.
Q. I can't play one of the designated AWAY tournaments. Can I play holes in a different away tournament?
A. Sorry. You cannot designate a different tournament. However, the good news is that you need to play just THREE of the four away tournaments so you are not out of the PCC if you miss an away event.
Q. I can't play one of the designated HOME tournaments. Can I play holes in a different home tournament?
A. Sorry, you can't switch to a different tournament. The good news is that missing a home tournament does not put you out of the PCC. There are THREE home tournaments that you can play in. You can play in one, two or three of the home tournaments. Obviously, the more you play at home, the better your odds.
Q. How will the prize payouts be paid?
A. Gift Certificates for the Poplar Creek Golf Course.
Q. Does the value of the gift certificates count towards the Gilliam Points?
A. No.
Q. The Gilliam Points is a season-long points race. The PCC is also a season-long race. Does the winner of the PCC get free entry into the TOC?
A. No.
Q. Does the champion get their name engraved on the wall plaques at Poplar?
A. No. There is no plaque for the PCC.
Q. This format sounds vaguely familiar.
A. You may remember the Kodak Challenge played on the PGA Tour which had a similar format and the winner received a cool $1 million. Sadly, the Kodak Challenge ended its run in 2011.
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[tab title=”About”]
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The Poplar Creek Challenge (aka "PCC") was started in 2012 as a season-long race to encourage players to perform their best on certain holes throughout various tournaments.
The Poplar Creek Challenge is held over seven designated tournaments throughout the year with certain holes in each tournament played as the "PCC" holes. The challenge is for the player to score their best (net) score on these holes for a season-long scorecard of eighteen holes.
The player with the best cumulative score is the Champion.
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