As the U.S. Speed Golf Open Champion, Hamilton College Women’s and Men’s Golf Coach Lauren Cupp ’07 was invited by the organizers of the Toro New Zealand Speed Golf Open, all expenses paid, to compete in their tournament in February. The event attracted one of the largest fields anywhere in the world for a tournament of its type. Speed golf, a variation on standard golf that scores both on strokes played and the time taken to complete a round, is a popular sport in New Zealand. A pre-event television news clip featuring Cupp and her husband, speed golfer Wesley Cupp, offers a glimpse of how the sport is played.
"In December, I was fortunate enough to win the Women's U.S. Open of Speedgolf in Houston, Texas," said Cupp. "This qualified me to play in the New Zealand Speedgolf Open. My golf score of 78 in 54 minutes on day 2 earned me Runner-up in the tournament. I'm currently ranked number three in the world."
Lauren Cupp’s husband, Wesley Cupp, was also invited to the tournament. He is the ranked as the world’s number two speed golfer.
In writing about the tournament, the New Zealand golf site claimed, “The field quality is phenomenal, with four NZPGA professionals and a number of former national running champions with more than half of the field on an impressive four handicap or less.” The site went on to name both Cupps as “favourites.”
