Two Teams. One Champion. Rivalry Redefined.
THE NEW ERA: WELCOME TO THE ABSOLUT CUP
This year, the tour is reborn. We’re moving to a thrilling two-team, six-man, head-to-head competition that will test skill, strategy, and endurance like never before. For five years, this event has been defined by rivalry and camaraderie; in 2025, we raise the stakes.
MEET THE TEAMS: GRIT VS. GLORY
The battle lines are drawn. To ensure the most competitively balanced tournament in its history, we’ve moved beyond surface-level statistics by employing a sophisticated analytical model. The result is a single number that captures a player’s true impact: True Performance Value (TPV). This metric analyzes a player’s performance while accounting for the strength of their partners and the caliber of their opposition. Based on this, the two teams are separated by the thinnest of margins.
TEAM GRIT
- Co-Captains: Z & Spike
- Roster: Dave, Mad Dog, Spence, Boxcar
- Strategic Assets: The Z/Spike captaincy has a diverse set of tools. They can deploy Spike, the tour’s most “Explosive Starter”, for early momentum. They have Z, the #1 “Premier Catalyst”, to elevate any partner. Their trump card is the tour’s only designated duo of “Friday Warriors” in Mad Dog and Spence, giving their team a massive advantage in the final day’s pressure. Finally, they have an undervalued asset in Boxcar, a “Surprise Finisher” for the later rounds.
Team Glory
- Co-Captains: Tribe & Larry
- Roster: U, Babar, Foose, Keith
- Strategic Assets: The Tribe/Larry captaincy commands a team built for sustained, consistent performance. Babar is a premier “Fast Starter”. Their greatest advantage lies in the middle rounds, with a powerful duo of “Matchup-Proof Warriors” in Larry (“Thursday Finisher”) and Foose (“Thursday Grinder”), who are perfectly suited for difficult formats. The synergistic players Keith (“Elite Dependent”) and Tribe can be paired with top performers to bring out the best in their games. Additionally, Tribe’s “Volatile Starter” archetype presents a high-risk, high-reward option for the opening round; paired correctly, he can deliver a massive performance.
THE PLAYERS: KNOW YOUR WARRIORS
Team Grit
Dave (TPV 1.98)
The undisputed #1 player on tour. He has faced the toughest schedule of any player and still produced the highest TPV, making him the most reliable and valuable player. As the team’s anchor, his job is to take on the toughest opponents and consistently deliver points, making him the most reliable player on the tour.
Mad Dog (TPV 1.89)
The most undervalued player on the tour whose stats have been suppressed by weak partners and the second-toughest schedule. The ultimate “Friday Warrior”. His ability to excel under pressure gives Team Grit a massive advantage when the Cup is on the line in the final round.
Z (Co-Captain, TPV 1.77)
The tour’s #1 Catalyst, consistently elevating the performance of his partners. He performs best at the start and end of the tournament. He is able to elevate anyone he plays with to unlock crucial points in tight matches.
Spike (Co-Captain, TPV 1.68)
Identified as a “Flat-Track Bully,” his raw scores are inflated by playing the weakest schedule on tour. The tour’s most “Explosive Starter”. His role is to go out early on Wednesday and build a lead for Team Grit, putting pressure on the opposition.
Spence (TPV 1.62)
Grit’s other designated “Friday Warrior”. A volatile but clutch performer, he provides a second dose of final-round magic, making the team incredibly hard to beat on the final day. This explosive potential was on full display in 2022, when he finished the year ranked #1 overall on the tour.
Boxcar (TPV 1.43)
A “Synergistic Performer” and the team’s designated “Surprise Finisher”. Considered a truly undervalued asset, his hidden strength is a surprising performance spike in the difficult Thursday PM session, making him perfect for stealing crucial points when opponents are fatigued. He proved his ability to perform at the highest level in 2023, finishing the year with an impressive #2 overall rank on the tour.
Team Glory
U (TPV 1.94)
A historically dominant force whose raw scoring ability is second to none. His TPV is elite, though slightly diminished by an average Strength of Schedule. He’s Glory’s powerhouse, a player who is expected to win his matches outright through sheer talent.
Babar (TPV 1.91)
A true franchise player who has proven he can perform against top-tier competition (SOS Rank #3). A premier “Fast Starter”. His role is to get Team Glory on the board early and establish momentum, especially in Wednesday’s opening shamble format.
Larry (Co-Captain, TPV 1.71)
The designated “Thursday Finisher”. His defining characteristic is dominating the final, grueling holes of the Thursday marathon , giving his team a huge edge on the pivotal day.
Foose (TPV 1.67)
The classic “Thursday Grinder”. His game is built for the tough 27-hole Thursday , making him essential for surviving the brutal Alternate Shot format and securing points for Glory.
Keith (TPV 1.56)
A true “Synergistic Performer” and a specialist known as the “AM Grinder”. His game is maximized when paired with the right partner. This strategic pairing is a key tool for the captains, intended to bring out his best and secure crucial points during the tough morning sessions
Tribe (Co-Captain, TPV 1.54)
The team’s “Synergy Wild Card” and a “Volatile Starter”. He is Glory’s high-risk, high-reward option for the opening round; a strong performance from him can single-handedly swing a match. This high-reward potential was on full display in 2021, when he finished the year with an elite rank of #2 on the tour.
THE GAUNTLET: FORMAT & SCHEDULE
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- Both players tee off → select best drive.
- Each plays their own ball from that spot to hole out.
- Team score = lower of the two individual scores.
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- One tees on odd holes, partner on even.
- Alternate every shot until holed; penalties do not change order.
- Lost ball / OB: stroke-and-distance. The partner who did not hit the previous shot plays next from the previous spot with +1 penalty. Example: A drives OB → B re-tees lying 3.
- Provisional ball: if in doubt, the next partner in order hits a provisional from the previous spot (announce “provisional”).
- Team score = total strokes.
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- Both hit; pick best shot; both play from there. Repeat to hole out.
- Team score = total strokes.
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- 2v2 Duel (Scramble) — head-to-head; both hit, pick best, repeat.
- 4v4 Team Scramble — all four hit, pick best, repeat.
- Weighted scoring:
- Duel: Triple — Hole 6, Putts 3, Junk 3
- 4v4: 6× — Hole 12, Putts 6, Junk 6
THE ART OF WAR: STRATEGY & GAMESMANSHIP
- Sealed Envelopes: Inspired by the Ryder Cup, captains confidentially submit their three pairings in sealed envelopes the night before play. The pairings are revealed at the same time, but the matchups aren’t set yet. A coin toss determines which captain must post their first pair on the match board; the opposing captain then chooses which of their pairs will play against them, creating a real-time strategic showdown. For Friday, captains secretly submit their 2-man duel team and 4-man scramble team, which are revealed at the same time.
- No Repeat Pairings: For the first two days, a pairing used once cannot be used again. This forces captains to use their entire roster and make difficult strategic choices.
- Gambit Chips: The team captaincy receives a total of three single-use “Gambit Chips” for Wednesday’s round, which can be used strategically across any of the three pairings. The team then receives a fresh allotment of three total chips for the Thursday AM round. These powerful chips can be deployed by the team on a given hole to gain a strategic advantage. The available gambits are:
- Ride or Die: The team must declare this gambit on the tee box before any player hits, designating one player whose own ball becomes the “money ball”. For the gambit to be successful, the team must select the designated player’s shot as their official shot for play on at least two separate strokes, and that same player must hit the final shot that completes the hole. If the designated “money ball” is lost, the gambit is automatically failed. If successful, the team gets 1 stroke off their team score for the hole.
- Putt for Dough: The team designates one player to handle all putting on a hole. The designated player must make the first putt (which must be longer than a putter length); if the first putt is made, the putt counts as a zero putt, otherwise it is the number of putts achieved.
- Mulligan to the Rescue: This gambit is declared after the declaring team has completed all of their own shots for a particular stroke (e.g., after all players have hit their drives). The team does not need to wait for the opposing team to play. The designated player takes the additional shot (the “mulligan”) immediately after the gambit is declared. The team must then use the result of that single mulligan shot, abandoning the results of all their previous shots for that stroke.
THE FINALE: WHERE THE CUP IS WON
- Standard Scoring (Wednesday & Thursday): In the preliminary rounds, matches are played for 2 points for winning the hole and 1 point for winning the putts on the hole.
- Junk Points: Additional points are up for grabs on all par 3 and 5 holes (Closest to Pin, Longest Drive), with 7 available in 18-hole rounds and 3 in the 9-hole round.
- CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY – WEIGHTED SCORING: To create maximum drama, the points are massively increased for the final day’s “Two-Front Battle”:
- The 2v2 Head-to-Head Duel is played for Triple Points (6 for the hole, 3 for putts, 3 for the junk)
- The 4v4 Team Scramble is played for a staggering 6x Points (12 for the hole, 6 for putts, 6 for the junk).
- Pushes: If a scoring category is tied on a hole, the points for that category push to the next. Any points still in a push state after the final hole are split.
With the stage set and the rules of engagement clear, it all comes down to this: Can Team Glory build a large enough lead through the brutal Thursday formats to hold off Team Grit’s ultimate trump card—the designated “Friday Warriors” who thrive under pressure? With 6x points on the line in the final 4v4 scramble , the Cup will be decided by whether Glory’s lead is large enough to withstand one final, dramatic charge. Every shot matters.