FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Some of Fort Leonard Wood’s best golfers are headed to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, next month to participate in the Scott Leonard Wood Cup Matches.

The base is located southeast of St. Louis and is home to the 375th Air Mobility Wing.

The tournament will take place Aug. 12 and 13, at the base’s Cardinal Creek Golf Course.

“For the person that loves golf and the taste of competition this event has it all,” said Joseph Mannuci III, manager of the Piney Valley Golf Course here. “We enforce the rules of golf in these matches, and the golfers are challenged to really see how they can play under pressure.”

James McCormick, the general manager at CCGC, said tournaments like this, “bring people together.”

“It is the only sport, where a beginner can compete with an experienced golfer using handicap. That handicap evens the field, and the competition is between the golfer and the golf course as well as golfer versus golfer,” McCormick said.

Mannuci said the Scott Leonard Wood Cup Matches started more than 20 years ago.

“The event had life put back into it starting in 2017. From what I understand, through the late 80s and 90s, there were always matches held yearly between Scott and Whiteman Air Force Base. For whatever reason, they fell off, but in in 2017, we started the friendly (competition) back up,” Mannuci said.

Last year, golfers from Scott Air Force Base came to Fort Leonard Wood.

“At the inception, we tried to do this twice a year, but weather and scheduling made it difficult, so we stick with once a season, alternating between venues,” he said.

According to Mannuci, each team has 12 players and day one of the tournament is a two-person best-ball game.

“You and your teammate play your own ball from tee to green, and the person with the low score for that hole is the one used to mark on the score card,” Mannuci explained.

He said the second day is individual match play, where captains choose which players will play against opposing players.

“They tee off against each other in a match play format. Which means the person who wins the most holes, not lowest score, wins the match,” Mannuci said.

Mannuci said currently Fort Leonard Wood’s team is full, and “we have a melting-pot team of active duty, retired military and business owners.”

McCormick said he is looking forward to hosting the event this year and spending time with the Fort Leonard Wood team — on and off the green.

“The every-other-year format has proven to be an excellent way for both courses to show off their strengths, improvements and provide an opportunity to get together for golf, dinner and competition,” McCormick said. “My favorite part of the weekend is the Saturday evening dinner. We bring all the players and guests together, sitting at the same table to enjoy our time together, tell stories, talk about the day’s golf and tomorrow’s pairings.”