The 2022 Tupelo Bay Invitational Presented by Innova

Chris Stick MacLeod

Cameron - Course should be up sometime Thursday for practice rounds (likely early but TBD), practice rounds must be booked at the pro shop, but should be discounted (they include a cart)

Cameron Ard

Thanks!

Chris Stick MacLeod

another thing on practice rounds, if the weather is nice tupelo will be open for normal business on Thursday, that means they will be selling tee times to ball golfers throughout the day, so plan accordingly.

Cameron Ard

So just called to book one and they said they aren’t the ones to book tee times

Blake Biggers

That's strange @cameron, I called yesterday and they booked me a tee time very quickly. I used 843-215-7888 if that helps

Kirk Yoo

Truth!!!

Mike Johnson

We should invit.....no, no we shouldn't.

Jonathan Glass

There wasn’t a wait list because a lot of players didn’t play this year due to not getting pdga points for the event

Kirk Yoo

The event was 91% full. Payout was higher this year than last with less Pros. Am players packs were larger this year than in past years as well. I would counter that there wasn't a wait list because I didn't market that there were spots available.

Kirk Yoo

Thank you Jay!!!

Kirk Yoo

Check your email.

Kirk Yoo

Get on the wait list. We average 25 to 30 people in off from the wait list each year. Right now we have 9 on the wait list. It would be great to see you.

Kirk Yoo

There does not appear to be a resolution. The only way around it is to delete everyone from the event and let them try to get in at the same time online. No preferences for those that have supported the event for years and in many cases for more than a decade. I have refused that as a resolution. I ... more

There does not appear to be a resolution. The only way around it is to delete everyone from the event and let them try to get in at the same time online. No preferences for those that have supported the event for years and in many cases for more than a decade. I have refused that as a resolution. I am sorry for those that are concerned about the event losing its sanctioning. I have to agree as I would prefer that it were a PDGA sanctioned event. Maybe this is how the long standing event ends.

Scott Elam

There is NO REASON this cannot continue to be a PDGA Sanctioned tournament. Worlds is an invitation tournament.... USDGC is and invitation tournament. It simply needs to be made VERY CLEAR in the posting that Registration is LIMITED to "fill in your criteria here" and all is good. That is ... more

There is NO REASON this cannot continue to be a PDGA Sanctioned tournament. Worlds is an invitation tournament.... USDGC is and invitation tournament. It simply needs to be made VERY CLEAR in the posting that Registration is LIMITED to "fill in your criteria here" and all is good. That is the simple solution. After some period of time when, this invitation only period opens up for everyone. I think this has been the tradition for 17 years, but it wasn't CLEARLY stated. That's all.

Kirk Yoo

It has been clearly stated in the title for years. Also, that was not a choice presented by the PDGA.

Walter Winnington

For someone like me that has been coming to Tupelo for many years; I am disappointed in the douchebag causing the stink to force this tournament to be unsanctioned. I hope that person reads this as it is directed at that individual!!!!!! asshat. Clearly someone bitter to ruin traditions for many people like myself. Thanks

Scott Elam

I simply want TDs to follow the rules. I have nothing personally invested here other than yes... I'd like a FAIR chance to play. We updated the Competition Manual in 2022 just for this reason. Another player who has NOT "supported the tournament in the past" was allowed to register r ... more

I simply want TDs to follow the rules. I have nothing personally invested here other than yes... I'd like a FAIR chance to play. We updated the Competition Manual in 2022 just for this reason. Another player who has NOT "supported the tournament in the past" was allowed to register recently... so how does that make everyone on the waitlist feel? Doesn't seem like an inivational anyone now does it?

Bobby Henn

And yet the PDGA just changed a rule requiring 30 day prior notice for sanctioning agreements because they weren't following their own rules. Interesting...

Kirk Yoo

Scott, I believe I have been fairly polite so far in our exchanges. That is about to change. You don't know what you are talking about, and you never have, so you need to proceed by shutting the **** up. If you have a problem with me or how I handle anything going forward I would invite you to ... more

Scott, I believe I have been fairly polite so far in our exchanges. That is about to change. You don't know what you are talking about, and you never have, so you need to proceed by shutting the **** up. If you have a problem with me or how I handle anything going forward I would invite you to bring it to me personally. I will be more than happy to tell you in person to go **** yourself. Please grow a pair or at the very least a spine and stop hiding behind a keyboard.

Scott Elam

Apparently, if you're a top pro and go on Facebook as ask to be included, you do NOT have have played in this tournament in the past 3 years... you just get special access and automatically added into the field. No fast internet required.

Kirk Yoo

Not exactly Scott. When he asked there were spots available because everyone from last year had not responded to their invitation. Not that I have to explain anything to you. Technically we hadn't gotten to the wait list when he requested to play the event.

Kirk Yoo

Chad, it is a shame to ruin 17 years of tradition.

Kirk Yoo

And has for years...lol

Scott Elam

A quick search for 2022 PDGA events yields 29 tournaments with "invitational" in the title and while I've not exhausted the entire search yet, I've not found one yet that has restricted registration process including Invitations. I'm sure there are some as the PDGA does support this format. So the name of the tournament is really irrelevant it would appear Bobby.

Kirk Yoo

It really doesn't matter. The event is no longer sanctioned. In my best Elvis impersonation voice "Thank you, thank you very much".

Bobby Henn

Just because other "Invitational" tournaments aren't actually invitational, that's your argument? If the PDGA supports this style of event, then a simple email to the TD asking, "hey can you change the wording?" would have been enough. Trying to reprimand the TD in the event's comment section because you feel left out is not the way to handle this situation.

Kirk Yoo

A lack of patience and the inability to ask me questions privately have cost him his ability to participate in an event that he has wished to play for what appears quite some time. Unfortunately, his impatience has also cost the players their ability to get some last minute points in and broken a 17 year tradition.

Scott Elam

I'll attempt to sign up on Nov. 1. I've heard nothing but good things for this tournament as asked by many, "How come you aren't going to Tupelo?"... so we'll see.

Scott Elam

This is exactly why we made changes in 2022 to limit the number of spots a TD can reserve because we want ALL members to have fair access to sanctioned tournaments UNLESS they are advertised as Invite ONLY. PDGA will sanction Invitation only tournaments if advertised as such with very clear designation on how this works. Example: Plano DGC Annual Members Only is a valid tournament.

Scott Elam

For Tupelo, if the About page was very clear that only folks from the past can play, there would be nothing to debate or unsanction.

Mike Johnson

You got your wish, it is now unsanctioned. As for your ability to get into the the tournament at this point, good luck with that.

Kirk Yoo

Scott, it is not limited to previous players. Previous players have the opportunity to sign up first. Every year at least a third of the players have never played the event. Last year it was about half.

Kirk Yoo

I will make this as simple as I can. It is my tournament and I do this for the players. If the players don't like something that I do they will tell me and I will fix it.

Mike Johnson

As a member of the PDGA Competition Committee, I would expect a more professional communication with the TD of this event. Communications of this nature should be brought directly to their attention and not put on a tournament message board.

Kirk Yoo

Scott, this event has been and always will be an invitational. The invites are given to those that have supported the event year after year. Quite a few of the players that are registered have been coming to this event for more than a decade. As for myself I have been a PDGA TD since the mid 1990� ... more

Scott, this event has been and always will be an invitational. The invites are given to those that have supported the event year after year. Quite a few of the players that are registered have been coming to this event for more than a decade. As for myself I have been a PDGA TD since the mid 1990's. I am a former board member. I am a former state coordinator. I have been a TD for 1 major, 2 National Tours, more than a dozen A-tiers and an unknown number of B & C-tiers. I am well aware of the 2022 guidelines. If it is a problem I will be more than happy to unsanction the event. It will still be full and we will still have a great time. If you believe it should be unsanctioned please let me know as I will need to request a refund from the PDGA for the sanctioning agreement and the insurance for the event.

Kirk Yoo

Scott, I forgot to mention that when I was on the BOD, I was the competition director.

Cooper Johnson

Get’em Captain!!! Throwing them credentials out there and showing who’s boss. Love this, bring on the hater

Daniel Stinehelfer

Hey. Just an ordinary PDGA member here, can’t claim any TD experience and I don’t know the ins and outs of the competition committee. But I have to agree it’s not inclusive to have the tournament filled and have a wait list two weeks before registration opens to the general publi ... more

Hey. Just an ordinary PDGA member here, can’t claim any TD experience and I don’t know the ins and outs of the competition committee. But I have to agree it’s not inclusive to have the tournament filled and have a wait list two weeks before registration opens to the general public. I get it that you’re rewarding previous competitors and labeling it an invitational, but it certainly seems like there should be a civil discussion about whether this complied with PDGA sanctioning guidelines, rather than dismissing the issue and castigating the person that raised it. My two cents

Kirk Yoo

I did not castigate anyone. I was merely pointing out that I have been doing this for a very long time and that I was well aware of the 2022 guidelines. If you bothered to read my entire post I also offered to let the PDGA remove the sanctioning agreement. Your two cents are unnecessary..

Brian Schweberger

If it becomes unsanctioned even more fun will be had.

Richard Snapp

I love Easter eggs

Kirk Yoo

If it is unsanctioned all of the money from the sanctioning agreement, the insurance and the PDGA fees will go back to the players.

Jay Korybski

I know one thing that's missing. The end of Scott's post. Someone absconded with it!

Scott Elam

I'm very familiar with your background Kirk and appreciate all you've done and continue to do for our sport. I was just trying to correlate the inviational aspect with the guidelines that I know exist. Lots of folks have " done things for years" but that doesn't mean they ar ... more

I'm very familiar with your background Kirk and appreciate all you've done and continue to do for our sport. I was just trying to correlate the inviational aspect with the guidelines that I know exist. Lots of folks have " done things for years" but that doesn't mean they are correct. Exampe: Beaver State Fling used to use a LOTTERY to fill because of the demand. There is nothing in our guidelines that allows that. I've want to play Tupelo since I moved here 8 years ago and had this on my radar and simpy noticed it looked like there was no way for anyone other than past participants to ever play.

Scott Elam

Lastly, the PDGA does have provisions for Invitation Only events... It just needs to be noted as such which it doesn't appear to be now.

Kirk Yoo

As I said, it has always been an invitational and it always will be. The only difference is that after 17 years as a B-tier it will now no longer be a PDGA sanctioned event.