ROCHESTER, N.Y. (FLX) — FLX Tour officials sent pros and fans alike into a frenzy Tuesday morning when they announced locked in dates for the first two tournaments of the 2024 season.
The first-ever Commissioner’s Cup will take place in Rochester, New York at the world-famous Genesee Valley Golf Course on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 with the first groups set to tee off at 8 a.m. both days.
The first major of the season, and perhaps the most consequential tournament of the year, The Grand Open, will commence on Saturday, June 1 starting at 7:30 a.m. and, as is tradition, will be held at the historic Durand Eastman Golf Course, in Irondequoit, New York.
According to sources, FLX Tour leadership are expecting up to 40 participants for this year’s Grand Open, which would be the largest field in Tour history. The Grand Open is, of course, a singles tournament and an FLX major with enshrinement for the winner in the Hall of Champions, as well as some pivotal Young Man of the Year points up for grabs.
There will be no prize money or YMOTY points up for grabs at the Commissioner’s Cup, just honor and pride on the line. The two-day event will be Ryder Cup Style with FLX Tour Co-Commissioner’s Matt and Shane Driffill serving as captains to draft two teams; 8 vs. 8 with two alternatives per team.
According to FLX Tour leadership, the draft will be live-streamed on Instagram and shared with pros eligible for participation, as well as fans and bell-ringers who aren’t expected to make an appearance on either roster.
IMPORTANT
If you are interested in participating in the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup, or the 2024 Grand Open, please fill out this brief survey (takes 1 minute)
The Commissioner’s Cup will be team best ball for day 1 and singles on day 2. Captains will pick 10 total members of their team (8 starters and two alternatives). The draft will take plce two weeks before the event online. The survey link above will be conducted to see who is available for both days of the tournament, or just one of the days.
Team pairings will be done the night before the first round for “extended drama.” This will be done in a snake-style selection setting.
A new technological wrinkle for this innaugural event is that Golf Game Book will be the featured app, not the traditional 18 Birdies app that is the official app of the FLX Tour (whether they know it or not yet). GGB has the capabilities for live scoreboard for the format being played, which is match play and points. Handicaps are played at USGA percentage reccomendations for best ball and singles.
Another fun wrinkle for the Commissioner’s Cup, captains will pick one hole on the front nine and one hole on the back nine in which players will tee off forward or backward from the standard white tees.
Unfortunately, not all Tour pros will be able to participate in this event.
“Not everyone is going to get picked, but anyone call buy a ball marker,” said FLX Tour Head of Content and Rules Czar Joey Mortillaro.
Players who aren’t selected for the Commissioner’s Cup are encouraged to attend and show support should they wish to do so.
Another fun idea, that is not confirmed according to sources, is a secondary singles tournament to be held on the Genesee Valley South Course at the same time and dates with the top two finishers in that automatically qualifying as a co-captain for the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup. Again, this is not yet confirmed, but accourding to an internal memo that was leaked, this secondary singles tournament would be called The Old Belle.
Unlike the Commissioner’s Cup, the Grand Open is, well, open. Players need only to make sure they have logged at least 10 rounds on the 18 Birdies for an official handicap setting. Players interested in playing in either event should fill out the survey ASAP. There’s a lot of new interest in the Tour this year, according to leadership, and the faster they have their reigns on the rosters, the better equipped they’ll be to make adjustments for tee times or expansions with the hosting course.
“Spring has sprung and we’re so excited to get the ball rolling with the highly anticipated 2024 FLX Tour season,” said FLX Tour Co-Commissioner Shane Driffill. “We expect to see some new players as well as some familiar faces and with getting these two tournaments locked in, it’s a really exciting time at FLX headquarters. We can’t wait to get going.”
While other dates for the Tour’s other tournmaents aren’t locked in as of publication, officials say pros and fans alike can expect the usual rotation of majors on schedule: The Churchville Classic in late June or early July, the Genesee Invitational in late August, and the FLX Cup in late September.
The only other new wrinkle for this year is the new Ott Shot Challenge, which is scheduled to take place in late July at Durand Eastman Golf Course, where Tour leadership is currently working behind the scenes to fund a memorial bench for Danny.
More info to follow on other upcoming events.
FLX Tour officials also say “excuse our dust” as they begin work on rebuilding and modernizing the FLX Tour website and launching the tour’s new Instagram profile.
It’s been a busy off season of getting through paperwork from the Disciplinary Action Committee, but with most of the issues in the rear-view mirror, the focus again turns on Tour enhancements and overall fun meters being boosted.
“We simply cannot handle another scandal right now,” said FLX Tour Co-Commissioner Matt Driffill. ” We just can’t, OK?”
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