On October 9, 2020, the inaugural 1911 Cup was held at the historic Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course, formerly Revolution Golf Course. The 1911 Cup is a golf match between brothers from the Charlotte Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi “Kappas” and brothers from the Pi Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi “Ques.” Both fraternities were founded in 1911, and the 1911 Cup is intended to be an expansion of the Kappas vs. Ques golf battles that happen in Charlotte and in other cities across the country. Similar to the Kappa’s “Red Diamonds Golf League,” the Omegas have the “Que Tour.”
This year’s event was a rousing success on multiple levels: the weather held up; the course played well; the competition was stiff; the fellowship was robust and the Nupes got the victory and the bragging rights! The final match score was 7 – 3.
The Kappa Team Klass Act’s Pairings were as follows: 1) Leon Hunt | Warren Possey; 2) Casey Lindo | Robert Nipsey Dunston; 3) Dee Lindo | Johnny Stoutamire; 4) Bernard Neely | Sean Dawkins; 5) Brennon McMurry | Jason Mosely; 6) Doug Evens | Joe Majors; 7) George Griffin | Sheldon McAlpin; 8) Sean Coleman | Jeff Fuller; 9) Carlos Watson (Team Captain) | Bruce Robinson; 10) Shawn Graves | Derick Reeves; and Assistant Captains — Art Philips and Bernard Barnes
Kappa Brother Carlos Watson initiated organizing the event with his neighbor and golf buddy, Omega Vincent Harris. The two have been competing at golf and talking about having a Charlotte Kappas vs. Charlotte Ques rivalry event for several years. Both were motivated by their love of golf, a commitment to building unity in the Black community and fraternal bragging rights. This year, they moved beyond talking about it and brought the event to fruition.
Organizing the event was a true group effort. Brother Watson contacted Brother Malcom Sanders and pitched the idea to him since Brother Sanders has a sports organization called “Who Got Game (WGG).” WGG was founded by Brother Sanders and primarily hosts youth basketball camps and an annual golf tournament. Kappa Brothers Watson and Sanders along with Omega Harris partnered to secure the venue, design the shirts, purchase the trophy, and make all the operational plans for this event.
The Kappas and the Omegas agreed that due to COVID-19 the event’s size would be limited. They focused on the competition and did not make this year’s inaugural event a fundraiser. It was for 1911 fraternities’ golf supremacy in Charlotte! Everything was done at cost and they did not involve outside sponsors. They agreed that after COVID-19 was under control, a larger tournament focused on a worthy cause supported by both organizations would be explored.
This year’s 1911 Cup competition consisted of 10 matches in a captain’s choice, match play scoring format. There were 10 two-man teams of Nupes and 10 two-man-teams of Ques. Both teams agreed Revolution Golf Course would serve as the perfect venue for the following reasons: it’s a 9-hole golf course and daylight hours are shorter, COVID-19 concerns, cost and it’s rich history for African American golfers in Charlotte. The course was renamed Charles L. Sifford Golf Course after Charles L. Sifford, a native Charlottean, who is often referred to as the “Jackie Robinson” of pro golf, due to his integration of the professional golfers tour.
Match play format means that two-man-teams compete and the team with the lowest score on a hole, wins the hole and teams “half” the hole when they tie. The two-man team with the most holes won out of 9, wins that individual match. The winning team secures one point that is added to their fraternal team’s total.
The fraternity that wins the most matches, wins the 1911 Cup. So, just like the Ryder Cup, a team can win a point for the overall team, lose a point for the overall team, or get a half point by being tied after 9 holes. In the case of a tie, the first tie breaker was the Fraternity with the most overall birdies, and the second tie breaker is a sudden death play-off hole.
Fortunately, there wasn’t a need for any tie breaker as the Klass Act took the trophy klassically!
