This article was produced in partnership with GOLFZON.
What began as a 12-team simulator-golf match-play competition for a $150,000 grand prize is now a 10-team battle to the finish.
Matches 1 and 2 have been completed on GOLFZON Tour — a new league in which regional teams of five players each from 12 selected GOLFZON host facilities (nine are in the U.S., three others are from London, Toronto and Mexico) compete against each other in a series of matches, with one team earning the grand prize payout.
The Format
Single-elimination bracket play is now in progress. Female competitors play 85 percent of the yardage of their male counterparts. Teams of three compete head-to-head by linking their simulators together over the Internet in a match-play format, with two of the best three player scores for each team counting on each hole.
If, after 18 holes, there’s a tie, the match goes into a sudden-death playoff where all three players’ scores count. The first team to score lower than the other on a hole wins.
GOLFZON Tour Match 1 Recap: Louisville vs. Orlando
Match 1 was contested at PGA West’s Stadium Course, with the teams competing against each other in real time from their regional simulator locations. Team Orlando started strong, winning four holes in a row on Nos. 3-6. But Team Louisville finally got one back on the 7th. Team Orlando remained 3 up through 9 holes, with the pressure mounting on Team Louisville as the teams made the turn.
Wins on the 11th and 12th holes cut Team Louisville’s deficit to 1 down, then a dramatic chip-in on par-3 13th hole from Team Louisville brought the match back to all square with five holes to go. Team Orlando bounced back with a win on No. 15, then Team Louisville answered with a win of their own on No. 16.
Next up: the iconic island-green 17th at PGA West, with the match tied. The teams tied the hole, so it all came down to the 18th. Team Orlando’s birdie meant Team Louisville had to make a lengthy putt to tie, and when they missed, it was over: Team Orlando won the match 1 up, and will continue on to the quarterfinal round, where they will face Team Toronto.
GOLFZON Tour Match 2 Recap: Minneapolis vs. Chicago
Match 2 was contested at Harbour Town Golf Links, and it was a back-and-forth battle from the start. Team Minneapolis won the first hole, with Team Chicago winning the second and third holes to go 1 up. Then, Team Minneapolis won four straight holes to take a 3-up lead through 7. Team Chicago bounced back with a win on the 8th hole, and after a tie on the 9th, Team Minneapolis made the turn with a 2-up advantage.
Team Chicago won the 10th to cut the deficit down to 1, while a win on the 12th for Team Minneapolis brought their advantage back to 2 up. On the 15th hole, a Team Minneapolis went 3 up with three holes to play, meaning Team Chicago needed to answer in a big way to stay in the game. And they gave a valiant effort, holing out on the 16th to cut the deficit to 2 down. But Team Minneapolis managed to grind out a 2 and 1 victory on the 17th with pars, and they will continue on in the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Team Los Angeles.
