H-55 Cup set to return this weekend
The Highway 55 Cup hasn't been a yearly occurrence of late, which only makes this year’s meeting mean a little more.
For the first time since 2021, McMinnville Country Club and WillowBrook Golf Club will renew one of the area's most competitive golf rivalries this weekend when the Highway 55 Cup returns for a two-day showdown featuring many of the best golfers from both clubs.
The format remains a true test of depth. Teams will play best ball Saturday at McMinnville Country Club before heading to Manchester on Sunday for a select-drive shamble at WillowBrook. By the time the final putts drop Sunday afternoon, one club will leave with bragging rights and the trophy.
The last meeting belonged to WillowBrook.
Powered by a dominant showing on its home course, WillowBrook captured the 2021 Highway 55 Cup by a 28.5-11.5 margin, securing its third straight victory in the event. WillowBrook collected 16.5 of the 20 available points on Saturday at home and never looked back.
This year's matchup feels much different.
The rosters are loaded with familiar names, including many players who spent Memorial Day weekend battling for the Spring Fling title at McMinnville Country Club. Recent Spring Fling champion Nick Stern is back in the lineup for MCC, while fellow Spring Fling champion Bracton Womack will be representing WillowBrook.
Just days after teaming together to post the low score in the Spring Fling, Stern and Womack will find themselves pulling for opposite sides in the Highway 55 Cup. Both believe the event could be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
"Team MCC must be on our A game. We got some really good matchups,” said Stern. “I think it could swing either way. It’s been awhile since we've had the cup back here at the MCC - Just need the rain to stay away.”
Womack sees the rivalry much the same way.
"I think it's as even on paper as it's ever been. Whoever comes away victorious Sunday afternoon earned it and just flat out played better, which is how it should be,” said Womack. “I’m really looking forward to this weekend and hope the weatherman is wrong.”
McMinnville's lineup is filled with familiar names for anybody who follows golf at the club.
The opening pairing alone features two of the most decorated players in MCC history. Bill Locke and Bill Rogers will lead off for the home side at 8 a.m. Locke's accomplishments hardly need an introduction. One of his earliest Spring Fling championships came in 1976, making this season the 50th anniversary of one of his first major victories at the club. Since then, Locke has won club championships and/or Spring Fling titles in each of the last four decades. Rogers has built his own legacy over four decades competing in MCC events.
Several recent club champions also headline the McMinnville roster. Jamie Stinson, a former MCC club champion and perennial Spring Fling contender, will team with Bryan Matheny. Zack Molloy, another former club champion and multiple-time Spring Fling winner, joins Pieter van Vuuren in one of the day's most intriguing pairings.
There are also several strategic pairings involving recent Spring Fling champions. Mark Hitchcock and Casey Talbert captured the 2025 Spring Fling together, but they'll split up for the Highway 55 Cup. Hitchcock will join Nick Stern, while Talbert teams with Matt Cotten, who owns four Spring Fling championships alongside John Wilson. The move gives McMinnville multiple groups capable of earning points rather than concentrating star power into a single pairing.
The Brock family will also be heavily involved in the competition. Greg Brock joins Larry Willmore, while Brad Brock teams with Buck Brock. Andrew Brock will play alongside Wilson in one of the final groups of the day.
The final tee time belongs to one of the most accomplished players in MCC women's golf history. Reigning ladies club champion Michelle Dodson, who has dominated the women's championship flight at MCC in recent years, will team with Vicky Benedict in the day's final pairing.
Saturday Pairings — McMinnville Country Club
8:00 a.m - Bill Locke/Bill Rogers vs. Jim Medler/Kirk Pender
10:00 a.m. - Tucker Lynn/Mark Seymour vs. Reed Wolfe/Korey Young
10:12 a.m. - Ethan Campbell/John Kidd vs. Justin Kuhn/Greg Perry
10:24 a.m. - Bryan Matheny/Jamie Stinson vs. Robbie Miller/Hayden Proffitt
10:36 a.m. - Zack Molloy/Pieter van Vuuren vs. Keith Byars/Will Stern
10:48 a.m. - Karl Huff/Rickey Minton vs. Daryl Malone/John Prater
11:00 a.m. - Greg Brock/Larry Willmore vs. Rick Bohlander/David J. Dunlap
11:12 a.m. - Brad Brock/Buck Brock vs. Jeff Coole/Billy Dunlap
11:24 a.m. - Mark Hitchcock/Nick Stern vs. David Burris/Jacob Prater
11:36 a.m. - Clayton Myers/Isaac Walker vs. Jeff Houck/Bracton Womack
11:48 a.m. - Matt Cotten/Casey Talbert vs. Mike Jones/Ryan Perry
12:00 p.m. - Andrew Brock/John Wilson vs. John Collins/Samuel Prater
12:12 p.m. - Vicky Benedict/Michelle Dodson vs. Jennifer Costello/Heather Terlaak
Sunday's matches will be played at WillowBrook Golf Club in Manchester with pairings determined after Saturday's results.
