2008 River CupNovember 2, 2008: Captain Jim Nelson's Country Club of Virginia squad posted a convincing but hotly contested victory in this year's 20th Annual River Cup matches. The final margin of victory for CCV was 93½-74½ but the outcome was in doubt late into Sunday's concluding round of singles matches.
CCV Narrowly Triumphs in 20th Annual River CupIn fourball play at Willow Oaks on Friday, CCV took a commanding 30-15 lead after 5 of 8 matches. But Captain Langdon Moss' Willow Oaks' stalwarts came thundering back in the last 3 matches to draw within 3 points at 37½-34½ by the close of the day.
In singles play at the Country Club of Virginia's Tuckahoe Creek Course on Sunday, CCV again raced to an early lead with a 30-18 lead after 8 of 16 matches. That put CCV up by 15 points - 67½-52½ - in the overall match. But Willow Oaks again made a run and by the time the next four matches finished, Willow Oaks had made up all but one point and found itself trailing CCV 72½-71½. But CCV dominated in the final 4 anchor matches on Sunday and wound up with a 56-40 win in singles matches and an overall River Cup victory by a final score of 93½-74½.
The CCV win was a stinging defeat for Willow Oaks' Captain Moss, who predicted an easy victory this year after losing the last Cup matches in 2006, just prior to a renovation of Willow Oaks' home course which interrupted play last year. In post-match interviews, Moss announced plans to shake up the team and "declar[ed] open competition for every position. I will be examining the free agent market as well as making good use of the annual draft to put together a team that can bring back the River Cup to the south side of the river." Asked to comment on Moss' plans, CCV Captain Jim Nelson commented only that "winners smile and the losers say deal."
Click here for detailed match results from the 2008 River Cup
Click arrow above for on-course action from Willow Oaks Country Club during fourball matches in the 2008 River Cup or click here for more videos from the River Cup archives.
The River Cup is an annual golf classic in Richmond, Virginia, pitting teams from the Country Club of Virginia and Willow Oaks Country Club in a match play event for possession of the River Cup trophy. It is contested each fall with a round of singles matches at the "home course" for that year's event and a round of fourball matches at the "away course." River Cup matches are spirited, but always in the best of golf's sporting traditions. Tongues are advised to be planted firmly in cheek throughout River Cup weekend and we hope you will approach your visit to the River Cup Web site with the same good cheer!About the River Cup
The River Cup is the only golfing event in Virginia to receive recognition (grudgingly perhaps) from both of golf's ruling bodies. Take a look at the kind letters we've received from the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
The highly suspect lore of The River Cup holds that the event was first contested in 1848 over a 7 hole course in Moss-on-Thames, England, a course supposedly modeled after the historic links course at North Berwick, Scotland. The 10th Annual River Cup was contested during a ten day River Cup Tour of Scotland in celebration of this supposed historical connection to the birthplace of golf.
To put you in the proper frame of mind for your visit to the River Cup Web site, try a random golf joke or golf quote from the vast River Cup archive. Once you're in the proper frame of mind, take a look at some profiles of the interesting personalities who have played in the River Cup over the years. News articles about each year's event usually have some interesting tidbits about the players as well - and you might even find a grain of truth in them. If you just want the pure, unadulterated statistics, view the results from prior years or check the player records.
