The U.S. Putting Tour today announced that the format for its December 26th event at Encinitas Ranch in north county San Diego will be a 36-hole medal play tournament, in which all participants, men and women, will compete for one qualifying spot in the 2011 USPT National Championship.
"The 36-hole medal play format for the December qualifying event will give every golfer an opportunity to show who the best putter is," said USPT president, Jim Hartley. "We'll use a card-off to break ties, as golfers will be competing all day long and may not be around when the tournament ends at 4:00 p.m."
The winner will receive an exemption directly into the second round of the USPT's
national putting championship in September, which will take place in Carlsbad, California at The Crossings. Golfers who enter the national championship directly will have to advance out of the first round.
The USPT plans to use multiple formats for its
putting tournaments over the course of the year, including match play and a "make or miss" one-putt competition. PGA club professionals, men's and ladies' club tournament directors and individuals who hold USPT
putting events throughout the year can determine the format they want to use for their respective tournaments.
Similarly, at the USPT National Championship, different formats will be used from round to round throughout the competition. The putting championship will consist of three rounds in total, with golfers being able to compete in the first round on any one of the first five days. Round 2 will take place on September 29 and the final round will happen on September 30.
More information on how to hold a USPT qualifying event and how to enter the national championship is available at the USPT website. To compete in the December tournament, golfers simply have to come to Encinitas Ranch between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and should plan on allowing 75 minutes for their round. The entry fee is $20.
