History of The Danza Cup

The Danza Cup was inaugurated in the summer of 2020 after years of lazy, periodic discussion of what and whom it would consist of. Early talks of a “Ryder Cup-like tournament” began circa 2013-14, but wouldn’t really gain any serious traction until six/seven years later. Once we finally decided to go through with the damn thing, it was a matter of gathering eight guys, who from top to bottom had similar skill sets. Rounding up the first six guys was easy; getting the right seventh guy took a little time and some thinking, but filling up that eighth and final spot required a tryout… unbeknownst to the contestant. That participant was Eric Storm, and the round was at Frosty Valley—a nine-hole course—with a score of less than 50 being the threshold for entrance. With ice in his veins—although not knowing there was any pressure—Storm showed out for a crowd-pleasing 49 to punch his ticket to the “Ryder Cup.” The list was officially complete, consisting of Trey Zambito, James McFadden, Jordan West, PJ Ratcliffe, Johnny Belancic, Michael Felton, Eric Storm, and Jared Blatt. 

Despite barely squeaking into the tournament, Storm was instantly named a Team Captain, along with his counterpart, Jared Blatt. The two of them drafted their teammates, resulting in the Red Team (Trey, West, Johnny, Storm), and the Blue Team (James, PJ, Felton, Blatt). Once teams were settled, the tournament format and locations were decided. It was to be a four-round, match play event, with the first three rounds being 2v2 Best Ball, Scramble, and Alt-Shot, and the last round being Individual play. The Inaugural tournament was set to take place at the Olgebay Resort in Wheeling, WV for day one, and the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV for day two. With all the necessary details hammered out, the Cup was only missing one thing… the name. We couldn’t go with the “Ryder Cup” for obvious reasons; it had to be original. A few names were thrown out, namely, The Mountaineer Cup, which was fine considering our WVU roots, but it didn’t really move the needle. But as soon as PJ jokingly mentioned we should name it The Danza Cup, after 80’s sitcom star, Tony Danza, we knew we stuck the landing. 

The Inaugural Danza finished in epic fashion with a Red Team victory in the third sudden death playoffs. Heading into the Second Annual Danza, PJ Ratcliffe had to back out due to work obligations, and was subsequently replaced with Jeremy Hardy, which ultimately became permanent. PJ’s contribution of naming the Cup will not be lost on anyone, but the teams are now set in stone going forward, with Seven Springs, PA as their next stopping point, and who knows where after that. Don’t be surprised if down the road the Danza Cup makes its way to Scotland, where the winners can hoist that glorious trophy on the world’s first eighteen-hole golf course at St. Andrews. The possibilities are endless, but one thing is for certain: wherever the Danza Cup is to be played, as long as the boys are together, it will be a great time with even better friends.