BOWLING GREEN, KY. – The Coomer Cup returns Wednesday, Oct. 28, to The Club at Olde Stone. The Kentucky Golf Association arrives defending a hold on the Cup that has lasted a decade.

The Ryder Cup-style competition pits the top amateurs in the Commonwealth against the top professionals of the Kentucky PGA. Long known as the Challenge Cup, the event was renamed in 2022 to honor Bill Coomer, PGA, who ran the competition every year of his 26-year tenure as Golf House Kentucky’s Director, Amateur-Professional Competitions. This year marks the fifth playing under Coomer’s name, and the KGA has kept the Cup in every one of them.

The amateurs’ run goes back even further. The KPGA last won in 2015, a 16-8 victory at Valhalla Golf Club. Since then, the KGA has won eight times and retained the Cup twice through ties, in 2018 and 2025.

Last year’s matches at Valhalla came down to the final putt. Andrew Stephens, PGA, narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 27th hole that would have won the Cup for the KPGA. Evan Cox (a) then rolled in his par putt to halve the last four-ball match and complete a 75-75 tie. As defending champion, the KGA kept the Cup.

Phil Armbruster returns to captain Team KGA after leading the amateurs through last year’s tie. Charles Whelan, PGA, takes the helm for Team KPGA for the second time, having captained the professionals in 2024. Justin Tereshko (a), Ben Kendrick (a), Matt Epperson (a) and Davis Boland (a) are back from last year’s KGA side. Daniel Iceman, PGA, Brad Maynard, PGA, and Dan Utley, PGA, return for the KPGA.

The format matches the last two editions: 27 holes, with nine holes each of scramble, Chapman alternate shot and four-ball. With 150 points available, the KGA needs 75 to retain the Cup, while the KPGA needs 75.5 to win it back.

Olde Stone has been a good venue for the amateurs. The Bowling Green club also hosted in 2016, 2019 and 2023, and the KGA won all three. The 2023 matches ended in a 16-8 decision after severe weather delayed the start.

The KGA roster is made up of the top eight players from the 2025 John C. Owens Player of the Year standings and the top two from the 2025 Tom Musselman Player of the Year standings. The KPGA team draws from the current-season standings. It takes the top four from the Larry Gilbert Player of the Year race, the top four from the Assistant/Associate Player of the Year standings and the top two from the KPGA Senior Player of the Year standings.

2026 TEAM KGA

Captain: Phil Armbruster

Denver Haddix
Justin Tereshko
Ben Kendrick
Matt Epperson
Alex Wright
Kevin Waldie
Rafe Blakenship
Luke Bryant
Davis Boland
Greg Laswell

2026 TEAM KPGA

Captain: Charles Whelan, PGA

Zach Haynes, PGA
Daniel Iceman, PGA
John Mullendore, PGA
CJ Jones
Nathan Hincks, PGA
Kyle Smith
Matt McCrady, PGA
Brad Maynard, PGA
Dan Utley, PGA
Mitchell Moore, PGA

For the professionals, Wednesday is a chance to end a 10-year drought, and last fall showed how thin the margin has become. For the amateurs, it is a chance to extend a run that has come to define the event. Whichever side leaves Bowling Green with the Cup, the day will carry on what Coomer built over more than a quarter century: Kentucky’s best amateurs and PGA professionals sharing the same fairways, playing for pride and for each other. 

About the KPGA

The Kentucky PGA (KPGA) is one of the 41 sections that comprise The PGA of America. Formed in 1925, the Kentucky PGA has a professional membership of more than 350 men and women professionals across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, each of whom is dedicated to promoting the game in Kentucky. The Kentucky PGA is dedicated to the promotion of the game of golf and providing ongoing education and professional development of Kentucky PGA Professionals. Kentucky PGA Professionals are responsible for conducting a variety of golf-related functions, which include general management, golf instruction, tournament operations, golf shop merchandising, junior golf programs, golf club repair, and much more. The KPGA is a founding member of Golf House Kentucky, the umbrella organization that manages Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations.

About the KGA

The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is the official governing body for amateur golf in the Commonwealth, as recognized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). Established in 1911, the KGA is a full-service organization representing more than 120 member golf courses across Kentucky. Led by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of course representatives from throughout the state, the KGA plays a vital role in promoting, supporting, and growing the game of golf in Kentucky. It is also a founding member of Golf House Kentucky, the umbrella organization for Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations. As an Allied Golf Association of the USGA, the KGA is responsible for a wide range of services, including managing the World Handicap System, conducting course ratings, providing expertise on the Rules of Golf, running competitive tournaments and USGA qualifiers, and enhancing the visibility and branding of golf throughout the Commonwealth.