(Franklin, TN) – Lamar Mills, PGA, Chattanooga Regional Director with the Tennessee Golf Foundation and Tennessee Section President, will serve as the captain of the Tennessee Professionals Challenge Cup.
The popular Ryder Cup style event, the Tennessee Challenge Cup, is set for its 56th installment. The Challenge Cup, which annually pits the top 16 amateur golfers in the state against the top 16 Tennessee PGA professionals, is scheduled for October 3oth and 31st, 2023 at Council Fire Club in Chattanooga.
The Challenge Cup matches are an invitation-only event. Each team is comprised of 16 players, six of which are seniors. The professional team is selected using the Tennessee Section PGA’s season-ending Professional and senior Professional Player of the Year rankings. The amateur team is chosen based on the Tennessee Golf Association’s season-ending amateur and Senior Amateur Player of the Year rankings.
“I’m truly humbled to be selected as the Captain for the 2023 Challenge Cup,” said Mills. “To be honest when I was informed by Clayton was at a loss for words.”
“It will be a true honor to lead 16 of my fellow TPGA professionals against the amateurs in late October at a Council Fire. To know that I’ll be part of the storied history of the Challenge Cup Matches that date back all the way to 1968 is something that I’m looking forward to and will always be able to look back on this as a cherished memory. I am ready to defend our 2022 title,” said Mills.
The professional team has built a 31-23 advantage in the overall series, though the amateurs have won seven of the last 10 meetings. The event went to its current format in 1975, with one round each of four-ball, foursomes and singles matches played over the two-day tournament. The Professionals won last year’s showdown at Holston Hills Country Club. The Professionals will look to retain the cup this year.