Tres Marias team wins 22nd Nicklaus Cup Matches

The Tres Marias team won the Nicklaus Cup Matches with a total 277 points. Pictured from left to right: Julio Gallástegui, Luis Aréchiga, Ignacio Gómez, Juan Manuel Romero Photo by Pattie Melnyk.

For the first time in the 22-year history of the event, a first-year entry into the Jack Nicklaus Cup Matches walked away victorious when the team from Tres Marias in Morelia, Mexico, edged out Desert Mountain--Apache (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and The Country Club of Castle Pines (Castle Pines, Col.). The tournament was held at the Desert Mountain courses of Cochise, Geronimo and Outlaw, and featured 38 teams representing Nicklaus Design courses from around the world.

The Jack Nicklaus Cup Matches is an annual event that features teams comprised of a professional and three members battling against other Nicklaus Design courses for three days of competition and camaraderie. The Cup Matches are held at a facility with 36 or more holes of Nicklaus Design golf, and have included world-renowned facilities such as Lake Las Vegas, Grand Cypress, Kauai Lagoons, and Cabo del Sol. Desert Mountain, which features six Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses, has now hosted the event four times, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005.

The event uses a modified Ryder Cup format, and once again it produced another close finish. Tres Marias, which opened for play last November, took top honors with 277 points, followed by Desert Mountain--Apache and the Country Club of Castle Pines at 273. Apache won a scorecard playoff to claim runner-up honors.

Prior to the second round of competition, a "shootout" was held on the Outlaw course between 21 teams which had qualified the day prior. The team from Richland Country Club in Nashville, Tenn., captured first place in a chip-off over the team from Barrington Golf Club in Aurora, Ohio. Legends West at Diablo Grande Resort from Patterson, Calif., survived until the final hole to finish third.

Congratulations to each club and competitor in the 22nd annual Jack Nicklaus Cup Matches and a special thanks to the Desert Mountain Club for a great job hosting the tournament.