LAS VEGAS (Sept. 29, 2026)–The South team won the first two sessions of the 2026 Cobb-Whalen Cup en route to a 13-11 victory. With the win, the South team wins back the Cup after the North posted a victory in 2024. The 2026 tournament was held Sept. 28-29, 2026, on Boulder Creek Golf Club’s Desert and Coyote Run nines.–by Bill Bowman
The Cobb Whalen Cup sees 12 South players go up against 12 North players in Ryder Cup-style play over two days. The event is held every two years. It is named after Clyde Cobb and John Whalen, two men who were instrumental in growing golf in Nevada. Cobb, who passed away in 2000, was a longtime president of the Southern Nevada Golf Association and is an original member of the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame. Whalen, who died in 1998, was the original executive director of the Northern Nevada Golf Association.
The North and South become a unified Nevada Golf in 2026, but the competition remains an annual favorite for net golfers.
Full scores, here for the 2026 Cobb Whalen Cup.
In the 2026 event, the South team opened with a 3½-to-2½ victory in the opening modified foursomes matches.
The South squad added to its lead with a 4-to-2 win in the afternoon four-ball matches to take a 7½-to 4½ lead into the singles matches.
The final day, the singles portion of the tournament, saw the South team put the first three points on the scoreboard before the North rallied to win 6½ of the next nine points to win the final session by a point, 6½-to-5½. The North session victory narrowed the South’s winning total to two points.
With the win, the South has now won two of the last three Cobb-Whalen matchups also having won in 2022.
Tim Brand, spokesperson for the South team, said both teams put on an impressive display.
“It was two days of very good golf,” Brand said. “We had a three-point lead going into the final round and managed to win by two points so it was close.”
Brand added a lot of matches came down to the very end.
“Today, we had three matches that ended tied,” Brand said. “And then we had matches that ended on the 18th hole. Usually, you’d expect about 60 percent of the matches to not make it to the 18th hole but today we had maybe 60 percent that did go to the 18th hole so it was very competitive.”
Brand said playing this year’s event in the South was also an edge.
“With them having a lot of new players, it was definitely an advantage for us,” he said. “For them, they had a practice round and then the tournament. Every one of our guys has played this course at least a dozen times so it was definitely a home field advantage.”
Now it will be a trip up North in two years to hopefully defend this year’s title.
“I don’t think we have won two in a row in a long time,” Brand said. “I look at the trophy and it’s definitely become a home field advantage. When we go up there, we will probably have eight, nine or ten guys who will have played in one of these things so that might be one of our best chances to win up North. I don’t think we have won up there in 10 years.”
Jeremy Merlino, who played for the North team and was also a spokesperson, said the team’s effort was solid…but came up just short.
“We had seven new guys on the team and that makes it a challenge,” Merlino said, “We’re happy we kept it competitive. When we won two years ago we were behind going to the singles and won. We knew we would have to do the same thing this year but we came up short.”
Merlino added the North had its share of chances.
“We felt there were matches that could have gone either way,” he said. “Unfortunately, a lot of those matches didn’t go our way but that’s golf.”
Merlino said he hopes those tight matches turn around in two years.
“When we get back to Reno, we’re looking for a different outcome,” he said. “Playing on your home course gives you confidence and we will have guys who will have match play experience and now know what to expect. We will be ready to go.”
Overall, Merlino said the Cobb-Whalen experience is one that brings out the best in everyone.
“It’s great camaraderie and it’s always a lot of fun,” he said.
