Recruiting for this year’s Shaw Cup, the annual public vs. private team match event, has just begun. But word from some of the recruited players who have heard from the team captains of the event is that the tournament is lessening its focus as a fundraiser for the Edwin Shaw Hospital, and that it plans to step on the September dates of the Akron District Golf Association’s Golfer of the Year Tournament.
The Shaw Cup dates that were stated during one of those recruiting phone calls are for the fourball/foursome matches to be played on Saturday, September 29th at Raintree Golf Course in Uniontown and the individual head-to-head matches on Sunday, September 30th at Ohio Prestwick CC.
But the ADGA’s Golfer of the Year Tournament, the dates of which have been on the schedule since last year’s event was completed, will be played over all three of the courses at Firestone Country Club in Akron on September 28th – 30th. A direct conflict.
Further, it appears that the 2012 Cup event is no longer the primary golf-related fundraiser for the Edwin Shaw hospital rehab facility. According to statements made during the recruiting discussions, the hospital is hosting its own separate fundraising golf event earlier in the summer. The 2012 Cup Matches are now separate from that fundraising event — and the players are responsible to cover the cost of the $150 per man required to play on a team for the two days.
It was inferred during conversations that these decisions had been made by a “Shaw Cup Committee” and not the respective captains of the two teams, Joe Ungvary Jr. on the public-team side and Tim Edwards for the private team.
Given that this event is still more than four months away, perhaps common sense will prevail and the Committee will revisit these ideas and correct the errors in judgment.
