The Tavistock Cup is a team golf event played in Florida that features the top-ranked golf professional members of four international golf clubs; Albany, Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and Queenwood Golf Club. The two-day tournament is an officially sanctioned PGA Tour event that was established in 2004.
Through 2010, the Tavistock Cup was contested by the Isleworth and Lake Nona clubs. For 2011, the Tavistock Cup has been expanded with the addition of teams representing Albany and Queenwood. Each team consists of six golf professional members who play for prize money, team hole-in-one prizes and the title of World Golf and Country Club Champion. Member of the four clubs have collectively won more than 825 tournaments worldwide, including 59 major championships.
Tickets are not sold to the public; only club members, residents, sponsors and invited guests are able to attend the event. Spectators wear the official team colors of Albany Pink, Isleworth Red, Lake Nona Blue or Queenwood Green to show their support for Team Albany, Team Isleworth, Team Lake Nona or Team Queenwood.
Since the tournament's inception, Tavistock Cup has donated millions of dollars to organizations around the globe. Some of the beneficiaries of the 2011 Tavistock Cup include Audubon of Florida, The First Tee, Health Central Foundation, Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, University of Central Florida Foundation and Valencia College.
The Tavistock Cup is televised each year on the Golf Channel in the U.S., Canada and Japan. Sky Sports and other international affiliates also air the live broadcast throughout the United Kingdom, Latin America and South Africa.
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The Tavistock Cup began in 2004 as a friendly crosstown rivalry between Isleworth and Lake Nona. Each year, the clubs' golf professional members, all of whom are members or residents at either club, compete for the title of World Golf and Country Club Champion.
Isleworth clinched the inaugural victory of the Tavistock Cup in 2004 at Lake Nona. In 2005 the event was played at Isleworth, where each team earned 8 ½ points out of a possible 17 at the end of regulation play. After three holes of sudden death, play was called due to darkness and the teams finished in a tie. Since a winner was not declared, the captains decided the competition should return to Isleworth in 2006. That year Team Isleworth secured another victory.
In 2007, Team Lake Nona claimed their first Tavistock Cup by defeating Team Isleworth with a final score of 22-8. Tiger Woods shot 8-under-par (64) on Tuesday and took home the Payne Stewart Salver Award for low medalist. Retief Goosen was awarded a brand-new 2007 Cadillac Escalade after his shot landed closest to the pin on Hole #17 on Tuesday, one foot and 10 inches from the hole. Besides leading his team to victory, Ernie Els also secured an additional $100,000 for his team by winning the Old Mutual Long Drive Challenge on Monday at Hole #11.
In 2008, the Tavistock Cup returned to Isleworth where the home team defended their turf and beat Team Lake Nona with a final score of 19½ - 11½. J. B. Holmes swept the competition by winning the Old Mutual Long Drive Challenge, the Cadillac Closet to the Pin and the Payne Stewart Salver Award for low medalist with a score of -4 (68).
In 2009, Isleworth took a 6 to 4 point lead into the second day singles matches, but Lake Nona rallied and won 11 points outright and halved four matches. Isleworth scored seven points in singles play. This left Lake Nona with 17 points and Isleworth 13. The Old Mutual Long Drive Challenge was won by Retief Goosen, who hit a 325-yard drive on Hole #9, and by Tiger Woods, who hit a 320-yard drive on Hole #15. The closest to the pin shot of the tournament was hit by Ben Curtis who landed his tee shot on Hole #4 four feet and two inches from the cup. The Payne Stewart Salver Award went to Graeme McDowell, who shot a 6-under-par (66) during Round 2. It was the second Tavistock Cup win for Lake Nona and the first Payne Stewart Medalist for the team.
In 2010, Lake Nona claimed its second consecutive Tavistock Cup title and third overall win over Isleworth with a score of 17-13. Team Isleworth's Nick O'Hern claimed the low medalist for Day Two posting a score of -7 (65). He took home the Payne Stewart Salver Award and the $300,000 prize. Team Lake Nona's Graeme McDowell was runner-up with a score of (-5) 67. Team Lake Nona's Retief Goosen claimed the closest to the pin challenge on Hole # 2, Team Isleworth's Robert Allenby on Hole #5, Team Isleworth's J.B. Holmes on Hole # 11 and Team Lake Nona's Ben Curtis on Hole # 15. The past seven matches have left Isleworth and Lake Nona tied in the series. Each club has claimed three Tavistock Cup titles, with the 2005 matches ending in a tie following a sudden-death playoff.
In 2011, Tavistock Cup introduced a new format, adding two additional clubs to the interclub matches, Albany and Queenwood Golf Club. Tavistock Cup's 24-man field hails from all corners of the globe, making this year's tournament the most internationally diverse one yet.
The 2011 Tavistock Cup was contested at Isleworth Golf & Country Club, March 14 and 15.
Team Albany will be made up of Arjun Atwal, Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods, who have amassed a total of 198 worldwide victories among them. Five of Team Albany's players are ranked in the top 30 in the world.
Team Isleworth's lineup features Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Brian Davis, J. B. Holmes, Sean O'Hair and Lee Janzen, who have notched 244 worldwide wins. Isleworth's players include four of the top 70 in the world.
Team Lake Nona has assembled Ross Fisher, Retief Goosen, Peter Hanson, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson and Oliver Wilson, with a total of 319 worldwide wins. Each player on Team Lake Nona is ranked in the top 100 in the world.
Team Queenwood's competitors include Thomas Bjørn, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Søren Kjeldsen, Paul McGinley and Adam Scott, who have secured 64 worldwide victories. Queenwood features four players in the top 110 in the world, as well as a number of Ryder Cup veterans. Queenwood is the first club outside of Tavistock Group to participate in the tournament.
The Lake Nona club won the title.[1]
Purse:
Team Prize Breakdown:
Individual Prize Breakdown:
| Year | Location | Winning Team | Score | Payne Stewart Medalist | Longest Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Isleworth | Lake Nona | -43 | Oliver Wilson | Adam Scott |
| 2010 | Isleworth | Lake Nona | 17 to 13 | Nick O'Hern | Retief Goosen |
| 2009 | Lake Nona | Lake Nona | 17 to 13 | Graeme McDowell | Retief Goosen and Tiger Woods |
| 2008 | Isleworth | Isleworth | 19½ to 11½ | J. B. Holmes | J. B. Holmes |
| 2007 | Lake Nona | Lake Nona | 22 to 8 | Tiger Woods | Ernie Els |
| 2006 | Isleworth | Isleworth | 17½ to 12½ | Tiger Woods | Tiger Woods |
| 2005 | Isleworth | Tie* | 8½ to 8½ | Tiger Woods | Ernie Els |
| 2004 | Lake Nona | Isleworth | 14½ to 9½ | Stuart Appleby | n/a |
(*In 2005, both teams earned 8½ of the possible 17 points after 18 holes. After three holes in a sudden death tie-breaker, play was called due to darkness. Each player on both teams took home $87,500 each.)