INAUGURAL CONCESSION CUP AT BRADENTON, FLORIDA

Mid-Amateur and Super Senior players announced for United States and Great Britain and Ireland teams for inaugural event – The Concession Cup.

Officials from The Concession Cup announced today the selection of competitors for the two, eight-man Mid-Am (age 25 to 54) teams and the two, two-man Super Senior (age 65 and older) teams from the United States (US) and Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I). With today's announcement the teams are now set for the inaugural Concession Cup, to be held biennially at The Concession Golf Club, located in Bradenton, Fla., during the week of April 28th, 2014.

Vinny Giles and Garth McGimpsey, previously released, will serve as team captains for the United States (US) and Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) respectively. Together, Giles and McGimpsey bring more than 80 years of competitive experience to the amateur team match-play competition.

Players will compete over three days through the traditional team match-play formats of foursome, fourball and singles. Each team will be comprised of 18 players separated into three categories: eight (8) Mid-Am members (age 25 to 54), eight (8) Senior members (age 55 and older) and two (2) Super Senior members (age 65 and older).

The Concession Cup will deliver a world–class experience for its participants, sponsors, volunteers, attendees and members of The Concession Golf Club while showcasing top amateur golfers from around in the true spirit, character and competitiveness of amateur golf, all for the benefit of charity. 

In addition to the focus on amateur golf and worthwhile charities the event will feature a number of the greats in the game, who have come together through the Concession Cup in an effort to support the effort of giving back. 

Lending their names to the event and committed to attend the opening celebration are Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin (Honorary Captains), Paul Azinger (Honorary Chairman) and Gary Koch (Opening Celebration MC & Host).

“We are very pleased that Mid Amateur Golf Tour members Martin Young and James Bunch have been selected for this new international event and look forward to them bringing home the trophy in May,” commented Jason Morris, Director of Golf at the Mid Amateur Golf Tour.

More information relating to this event can be found at www.concessioncup.com

GB and I TEAM

MID-AMATEURS

 James Bunch (St Andrews, Scotland)

• Mid-Am Stroke Play Championship of Scotland Champion (2012)
• Welsh Mid Amateur Stroke Play Champion (2013)

Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm)

• Scottish Mid-Amateur at Duddingston champion (2007)
• SGU Order of Merit Newlands Trophy (2012)

Robbie Cannon

• Irish Amateur Open Championship champion (2013)

Harry Diamond (Belfast, Ireland)

• West of Ireland Amateur Open champion (2012)
• The Spirit International team Ireland member (2011)

Eoghan O'Connell (Cork, Ireland)

• Walker Cup team member (1989)
• Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur team (1988)
• United States Amateur Medalist (1989)
• Two-time Coleman Invitational at Seminole champion (2005 and 2006)

Edward Richardson (Brighton, England)

• Hong Kong Open Amateur Championship champion (2012)

Ben Westgate (Llandaff, Cardiff, UK)

• Walker Cup team member (2008 and 2009)
• Eisenhower Trophy team member (2008 and 2012)
• Two-time Duncan Putter champion (2009 and 2012)
• Two-time Trubshaw Cup champion (2008 and 2009)
• Welsh Amateur champion (2008)
• Tucker Trophy champion (2008)

Martin Young

• Two-time Micklem Cup winner (2011 and 2013)
• Two-time Solent Salver winner (2011 and 2013)
• Three-time Hampshire Mid-Am winner (2011, 2012 and 2013)
• Mid-Amateur Golf Tour Order of Merit winner (2012)

SENIOR

 Richard Latham (Lincolnshire)

• English Men's Senior Championship champion (2013)
• Scottish Seniors Open champion (2013)
• Winner of the Titleist/FootJoy England Golf Seniors Order of Merit (2013)

Richard Partridge (Kent)

• Scottish Seniors Open runner-up (2013)
• Senior Home Internationals team (2013)
• English Seniors' County Championship team (2013)

Previously released GB&I Senior Team members

• Garth McGimpsey (Playing Captain)
• Ian Brotherston
• Maurise Kelly
• Adrian Morrow
• Arthur Pierse
• Andrew Stracey

SUPER SENIOR

 Peter Hedges (Kent)

• Walker Cup team member (1973 and 1975)
• Eisenhower Trophy team (1974)
• English Stroke Play Championship champion (1976)
• Three-time Berkshire Trophy winner (1973, 1976 and 1978)

Ian Hutcheon (Angus, Scotland)

• Scottish Amateur champion (1973)
• Scottish Open Amateur Stroke-play champion (1971, 1973 and 1977)
• Eisenhower Trophy team member and individual winner (1976)
• Walker Cup team member

US TEAM

MID-AMATEURS

 Gene Elliott (West Des Moines, IA)

• Crump Cup champion (2013)
• Two-time Coleman Invitational champion (2007 and 2009)
• Member of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame (2012 inductee)
• Four-time Iowa Mid-Am champion

Scott Harvey (Greensboro, NC)

• Three-time Carolinas Player of the Year (2011, 2012 and 2013)
• Two-time Carolinas Mid-Am champion (2012 and 2013)
• Four-time United States Amateur qualifying medalist
• North Carolina Open champion (2011)
• Carolinas Amateur champion (2011)

Tim Jackson (Germantown, TN)

• Walker Cup team member (two-time)
• Two-time United States Mid-Am champion(1992 and 2001)
• Tennessee State Amateur champion (2012)
• 2009 United States Senior Open – became first amateur to have the lead, or a share of it, after any round of a Senior Open. Set amateur record in First Round with a 66. Lead after 36 and went on to finish T11.
• T5 finish in 2012 Northeast Amateur as the oldest player in the field

Trip Kuehne (Westlake, TX)

• Walker Cup team member (1995, 2003 and 2007)
• Ben Hogan Award winner (1995)
• Member of NCAA Championship team – Oklahoma State (1995)
• United States Amateur runner up (1994)
• Two-time Masters participant (1995 and 2008)
• Four-time U.S. Open participant (1996, 2003, 2005 and 2007)

Mike McCoy (West Des Moines, IA)

• United States Mid-Am champion (2013)
• 11-time Iowa Player of the Year
• Two-time Trans-Mississippi champion (2000 and 2008)

Gary Nicklaus (Jupiter, FL)

• Seven-time United States Amateur participant
• Porter Cup champion (1991)
• PGA TOUR member (2000 – 2002) Best finish second place at 2000 BellSouth Classic
• Regained amateur status in 2007
• Palm Beach Kennel Club County Amateur champion (2008)

Nathan Smith (Pittsburgh, PA)

• Walker Cup team member (2009, 2011 and 2013)
• Four-time United States Mid-Am champion
• Sunnehanna Amateur champion (2011)
• The Spirit International team member – Medalist

Todd White (Spartanburg, SC)

• Walker Cup team member (2013)
• United States Mid-Am semi-finalist
• Three-time South Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year (2004, 2010 and 2012)
• U.S. Open participant (1995)

SENIOR

 Previously released US Senior Team members

• Vinny Giles (Playing Captain)
• Dr. Doug Hanzel
• Chip Lutz
• John "Spider" Miller
• Pat Tallent
• Paul Simson
• Martin West
• George Zahringer

SUPER SENIOR

 Jim Holtgrieve

• Walker Cup team (1979, 1981, 1983)
• Walker Cup captain (2011 and 2013)
• Eisenhower Trophy team (1980 and 1982)
• United States Mid-Am champion (1981 [inaugural event])
• British Amateur runner-up (1983)
• Turned professional and played on Champions Tour beginning in 1998 (best finish was T2 at The Home Depot Invitational 1999)
• Regained amateur status in 2007

Robert Lewis (Pepper Pike, OH)

• United States Amateur runner-up (1980)
• Two-time United Stated Mid-Am runner-up (1981 and 1984)
• Walker Cup team member (1981, 1983, 1985, 1987)
• Two-time Walker Cup Captain (2003 and 2005)
• Seven-time Masters Tournament participant – low amateur in 1987
• Three-time U.S. Open participant (1978, 1983 and 1986)
• Two-time Senior Division Coleman Cup champion (2003 and 2005)