Big Cedar Cup 2026
September 16–20, 2026Ryder Cup–style
The Matchup · Final
Stone wins the Cup
Stone led 2–1 after Friday and 4–2 after Saturday morning. Cedar took the singles 3½–2½ at Ozarks National, but came up half a point short.
In the Books
Every match, every result, and the Trophy Room stay here for good. It’s the group’s record, added to with every trip we play.
How It Finished
Cup Champion
Best Record · 3–0
Trip Low Net
Trip Low Gross
Dates
Location
Players
Format
Four days. Twelve players. Decided by a single point in Saturday’s singles.
Results
The permanent record. Every Cup, every champion, every record worth chasing, added to with every trip.
Reigning Cup Champions
Stone
6½–5½ over Cedar · Big Cedar Lodge, 2026
Matt Collins (C) · Pete Hollis · Greg Kowalski · Connor Walsh · Cole Bennett · Jake Morrow
Big Cedar Lodge · September 16–20. Trip-long honors count the three championship rounds: Payne’s Valley, Buffalo Ridge, Ozarks National.
The Anchor · Best Record
3–0–0. The only player to win all three of his matches.
Trip Low Net
Net 76, 74, 76 across the three championship rounds.
Trip Low Gross
84, 88, 84. Low gross at Payne’s Valley and Ozarks National.
Overs Pool
First in the overs pool. Matt Collins second.
Highlight Round
Best net round of the trip, at Payne’s Valley. Four birdies.
Longest Drive
Payne’s Valley, No. 13.
2026 · one contest hole per course. Hollis took two.
All-time marks, championship rounds only. Set to be broken.
Full match-by-match detail lives on .
Golf
The current course lineup and tee-time schedule. Pairings and tee groups for each round live on the Teams, Pairings & Tee Sheets page. Each course also hosts a side-game contest — tagged below and detailed on the Golf Pool / Side Games page.
A fun, scenic short course to kick off the trip with a relaxed opening-day vibe.
Tee Times: 4:30 PM, 4:45 PM, 5:00 PM
Players: 12
Confirmation #: CN••••••••1Y
Tiger Woods' first public-access design and one of Big Cedar's marquee experiences — wide fairways, dramatic Ozark views, and a memorable finishing stretch.
Tee Times: 7:50 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:10 AM
Players: 12
Confirmation #: CN••••••••71
A dramatic par-3 experience carved into the Ozarks — built for great views, fun shots, and a relaxed evening round.
Tee Times: 3:30 PM, 3:45 PM, 4:00 PM
Players: 12
Confirmation #: CN••••••••N7
A Big Cedar favorite — beautiful routing, strong shot values, and some of the most iconic scenery on property.
Tee Times: 7:30 AM, 7:40 AM, 7:50 AM
Players: 12
Confirmation #: CN••••••••2F
A bold, scenic championship course known for elevation changes, panoramic views, and a classic big-course feel.
Tee Times: 1:40 PM, 1:50 PM, 2:00 PM
Players: 12
Confirmation #: CN••••••••1Y
No scheduled tee times. Use the day for travel, relaxing, exploring the resort, or optional golf if anyone wants to set something up separately.
Golf
The main competition is a Ryder Cup–style team event: two teams of six. The official team competition begins Friday morning and is played across the three main 18-hole courses — Payne's Valley, Buffalo Ridge, and Ozarks National.
Players
Two teams of six
Main Event
Team match play
Total Points
First to 6½ wins
Scoring
Win = 1, Tie = 0.5
Teams are drafted live at the lodge — Thursday evening, September 17, after the opening round at Mountain Top.
The two lowest indexes captain the teams: Matt Collins (8.6) leads Stone and Kevin Tran (9.2) leads Cedar.
First pick: Collins, as the lower index, picks first overall
Draft order: Snake between captains — 1-2-2-1 — until all ten players are picked
Caps are handed out pick by pick. By the end of the night, both teams are set — and Friday morning, the Cup begins.
Pairings: Once teams are finalized, pairings may be set by the organizer, by captains, or through a blind lineup process — whatever works best for the group.
Format: Four-Ball / Better Ball Match Play
Matches: 3 two-man team matches
Points Available: 3
Each player plays their own ball; each two-man side uses its best net score on each hole.
Format: Four-Ball / Better Ball Match Play
Matches: 3 two-man team matches
Points Available: 3
Another team match-play round, each side using its best net score on each hole.
Format: Singles Match Play
Matches: 6 head-to-head matches
Points Available: 6
The final round decides the team competition, with each player matched against one player from the opposing team.
Thursday and the par-3 style rounds do not count toward the official Ryder Cup team score. These are meant to be relaxed — side games, closest-to-the-pin contests, optional action, and getting the group settled in.
Side-game details and payouts are listed on the Golf Pool / Side Games page once finalized.
| Round | Course | Format | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday AM | Payne's Valley | Four-Ball / Better Ball | 3 |
| Saturday AM | Buffalo Ridge | Four-Ball / Better Ball | 3 |
| Saturday PM | Ozarks National | Singles Match Play | 6 |
| Total | 3 Main Rounds | Team + Singles | 12 |
Match Win
Match Tie
Winning Team
Tiebreaker: If the competition ends 6–6, the tiebreaker is the best total team net score from the Ozarks National singles round.
Golf
Everyone is in the standard pool, tied mostly to the Ryder Cup–style team competition, with a portion reserved for side games and closest-to-the-pin contests. Eight players are in the optional overs pool for extra individual action.
Standard Pool
All 12 players are in the standard pool.
Optional Overs Pool
Optional higher buy-in for extra individual action.
Important: The $250 overs option is a total buy-in, not $250 on top of the $100. Overs players are in for $250 total.
With 12 players each contributing $100, the standard pool totals $1,200.
$900 — Winning Ryder Cup Team
$300 — Side Games / Closest-to-the-Pin / Individual Prizes
If the winning-team payout stays at $900, each player on the winning team receives $150.
The main team pool is tied to the official Ryder Cup–style competition, which begins Friday morning and runs across Payne's Valley, Buffalo Ridge, and Ozarks National.
$300 of the standard pool is set aside for side games — closest-to-the-pin contests, a longest-drive, and trip-long individual prizes. None of it touches the Ryder Cup team payout.
Five contests, one per round — $25 each, one on every course.
One contest — No. 13 at Payne's Valley.
Low Net ($100) and Low Gross ($50) across the championship rounds.
Five contests, one per round, $25 each — one on every course.
| Course | Hole | What Makes It |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Top | No. 7 | Replica of Pebble Beach's par-3 7th — short, downhill, infinity green over the valley |
| Payne's Valley | No. 19 — The Big Rock | 114-yard island green; the signature moment of the trip |
| Cliffhangers | No. 14 | Signature peninsula-green complex; the golden-hour content hole |
| Buffalo Ridge | No. 17 | Rated the best par 3 on the course; pond-guarded green |
| Ozarks National | No. 12 | Signature long par 3; the closing-day marquee |
| Prize | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trip Low Net | $100 | Championship rounds only; also collects any orphaned carry. |
| Trip Low Gross | $50 | Championship rounds only. |
| Total Side Game Pool | $300 | CTP $125 + Longest Drive $25 + Net $100 + Gross $50. |
Championship rounds = Payne's Valley, Buffalo Ridge, and Ozarks National. The par-3 courses (Mountain Top, Cliffhangers) are fun rounds — each carries only its closest-to-the-pin contest and doesn't count toward Low Net or Low Gross. Payne's Valley is scored on the 18-hole card; the bonus 19th is the CTP only.
The overs pool is optional — for players who want extra individual action. Players who opt in are in for $250 total.
Since everyone is already in the $100 standard pool, the overs pool is effectively an additional $150 from each overs player.
Overs Buy-In: $250 total
Extra Amount Added: $150 per overs player
Confirmed Entrants: 8
Overs Pot: $1,200
The overs pool is an individual net scoring contest among only the players who opt in.
| Place | Share | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 70% | $840 |
| 2nd | 30% | $360 |
| Total | 8 entrants × $150 | $1,200 |
Locked with 8 confirmed entrants — a 70/30 split between first and second on cumulative net across the three championship rounds. See the Player Roster for who's in.
Golf
Two teams of six, drafted live at Mountain Top on Thursday night. Below: the team sheet, and each round’s Ryder Cup pairings and tee groups as they’re set.
Cedar
Capt. Kevin Tran
Stone
Capt. Matt Collins
All three Cup rounds are set: Friday four-ball at Payne’s Valley, Saturday four-ball at Buffalo Ridge, then Saturday singles at Ozarks National to decide it.
Match 2 is played one-on-one this round. Connor and Drew play in the group but not in the match — Connor scores for the overs pool and trip-long prizes.
Match 3 is played one-on-one this round. Drew and Matt play in the group but not in the match. Match numbers follow the scoring app.
Two matches share each tee time — both go off as one foursome. Match numbers follow the scoring app. The Cup is decided here: first team to 6½ points.
Match results and the running team score post on the Results and Standings pages as each round finishes.