The tournament format is two-man team best-ball match play within flights. Flight assignments are determined by team handicap. Each flight includes six (6) teams, requiring five (5) nine-hole head-to-head matches over the two-day championship. A Shootout of flight winners determines the overall MSGA Team Championship.
Initial entries are limited to the first thirty (30) teams entered to create five (5) flights. Should less than 30 teams enter, some flights will be made up of five (5) teams rather than six (6) teams. Should more than thirty teams enter, those additional teams will be placed on a waiting list. If additional teams enter, another flight will be added after six (6) teams are entered to complete a full six (6) team flight. The maximum is 36 teams (72 players).
Players may choose to play the forward tees if eligible (Handicap Index + Age = 85) and have played the forward tees in previous events during the year. Since both players play their own ball, a team may be composed of a player playing the regular tees and a player playing the forward tees. Player handicaps are determined by the Rating/Slope of tees played.
Handicaps for a match foursome are based off the lowest handicap player in the foursome who is assigned zero (0) handicap strokes for the match. Players receive one-half their regular handicap for both the matches and the shootout. Other players in the foursome are assigned strokes based on the difference of their handicaps and that of the lowest handicap player (strokes are assigned to holes based on the course scorecard). Official MSGA score cards are prepared with the handicap holes indicated.
For match play scoring, ten points are awarded for each match. Each hole winner is awarded one point (half-point each for holes tied), and one point is awarded for winning the match (half-point each for matches tied). For flights with less than six teams, each team in the flight plays one match against par.
For each flight, the team with the most total points after completion of match play advances to the shootout to determine the overall Championship winners. Should two teams tie, the head-to-head match shall determine the winner; if the head-to-head match was tied, the winner will be determined by going backward on the scorecard beginning on the last hole played until one team wins a hole; that team will advance to the shootout. If the teams remain tied, the winner will be determined by a coin flip. Should three or more teams tie, the total points won by each team in the head-to-head matches shall determine the team that advances to the shootout. Should a tie remain between two teams, the winner shall be determined by the same method as two teams tying. Second place winners in each flight will be determined in the same manner.
In the shootout, handicaps are again based off the lowest handicap player in the shootout field. Both players on each team play their own ball for the team’s net best-ball score. One team is eliminated after each hole. The highest net best-ball score for the hole is eliminated. For ties on a hole, a chip-off is used to eliminate one team. On the first playoff hole, only four (4) teams will advance to the second playoff hole; all others will be eliminated. If the final two teams tie the final hole, the final playoff hole will be re-played to determine the winner. Should the teams remain tied, a chip-off will be used to determine the overall champions.
The shootout is managed by the Director of Golf and/or the Course Professional whose rulings will be final.
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