Mr. Ryder was just a golf fan who didn't even play the game until age 50, but had the money to commission a trophy. Simple... sort of odd... but it's been around so long it works.
But we now have, for better or worse, "The Moses." There are a lot of great Moses related events to reference, like the time he became the first human to ever successfully converse with a plant. While it was on fire, no less. But the "Burning Bush Brouhaha" sounds a little too scandalous.
So we're going to take a slight Biblical side-step and call it "The Rapture." Here's a brief explanation for heathens like Faz:
The Rapture (first written about in 1830!) is a belief that during the 2nd coming of Christ, all believers will ascend to Heaven, leaving all non-believers left on Earth to await the end of the world. The idea has sparked countless "end of the world" prophecies, including the more recent and widely reported May 21, 2011 prediction by evangelist Harold Camping.
[Side Note: Harold wasn't "wrong." He suffered a stroke 19 days later and died in 2013 after falling in his home. Taking into account margin of error, it was a pretty accurate prediction of his final day on Earth. The rest of us, however, are stuck here.]
So how is this related to our event? Well... once a year the good golfers will be drafted into the competition, while the terrible golfers are left behind. It also rolls off the tongue:
Gary: "Hey, Gorecki! You going to The Rapture this year?"
Gorecki: "No, I didn't qualify. Probably because I don't understand that OB is a stroke AND distance penalty."
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Sorry, Mike. Maybe next year. |
As in previous years, qualifying will be based on your "Official Golf Ranking," locking after the 1st Major of the Summer season. To get on that list, you need at least 8 events in the previous rolling 18. This means even the rookies can qualify if they play in 8 of the next 12.
I'll start asking everyone for availability soon (August dates). We will also be moving to a 3 day event, playing one round per day starting on a Friday. We've been lucky in the past, but rain and darkness have almost ruined the first day every year. The plan is for an Ocala/Inverness trip in 2017, and will hopefully include Black Diamond... one of the best courses in Florida, and a place that won't find any of this amusing.
So play often... play well... and get selected.