The Invitational Shootout has never been just a golf tournament.
It is part competition, part family reunion, part psychological experiment, and part annual reminder that grown men will invent almost any excuse to create a trophy, argue over handicaps, and spend the next 12 months reminding someone that they lost.
For years, the McMouw Cup has carried the banner for tournament-within-the-tournament absurdity. It has produced injuries, confusion, trash talk, emotional collapses, questionable trophies, and performances that were either heroic or deeply concerning, depending on your perspective.
Now, in 2026, a new internal rivalry enters the arena.
Prepare yourselves for the inaugural Connolly Cup.
The Connolly Cup will feature 10 golfers connected to Mark Connolly, which immediately makes it one of the largest, most complicated, and potentially exciting side competitions in Shootout history.
The inaugural Connolly Cup field includes:
- Vince Petrella
- Sanup Desai
- Connor Glick
- Bob Connolly
- Cameron Muirhead
- Stephen Kaidantsis
- Eric Combs
- Mark Connolly
- Tyler Troha
- Arthur Bidwill
The Connolly Cup already features two former Shootout champions in Arthur Bidwill and Tyler Troha, who stunned the field in 2024 by winning the Invitational Shootout as rookies. Their 71 at George W. Dunne National came in historically difficult conditions, with blustery winds, a 142 slope rating, and enough cicadas to make even the most mentally stable player question his life choices.
Troha, famously not a fan of bugs, somehow managed to block out the insect invasion long enough to help claim the title. Bidwill, meanwhile, embraced the chaos, won the long drive contest, and helped deliver one of the great rookie performances in tournament history.
That alone makes Bidwill and Troha dangerous.
Also entering the Connolly Cup spotlight is big Connor Glick, winner of the 2025 Longest Drive competition after launching one 290 yards while claiming he was “just trying to keep it in play.” This is exactly the kind of statement that makes tournament officials nervous and everyone else immediately intimidated.
Then there is Cameron Muirhead, who quietly added his name to Shootout history by winning Closest to the Pin on Hole #3 in 2024. In a field full of flamboyant personalities, Muirhead may represent the most dangerous type of competitor: someone who simply hits good shots and lets everyone else self-destruct.
The Rest of the Field
The rest of the field enters with less documented Shootout mythology, which only makes them more mysterious.
Mark Connolly, as the central figure in this entire operation, will be prepared with Glick this year after playing with Troha in 2025. If Mark’s fairway finder is working, that should give Connor license to unleash his prodigious length.
Bob Connolly brings the all-important Connolly name to the proceedings, which means every shot he hits will carry added weight, but he’s also got game. Bob’s got a new partner in 2026 and they may be the dark horse team.
Vince Petrella enters as a wild card, which in Shootout terms means nobody knows whether he is about to shoot the round of his life or run out of golf balls. He’s now a seasoned veteran of Shootout pressure, which should help bring out his best.
Sanup Desai may be the mystery man of the field. Every great internal Shootout competition needs at least one player whose scouting report is vague enough to make everyone nervous. Desai could be steady, explosive, erratic, or all three within a four-hole stretch.
Stephen Kaidantsis brings a name that already sounds like it belongs engraved on a trophy, which may be a competitive advantage before a ball is even struck. Whether the golf matches the typography remains to be seen.
Eric Combs rounds out the inaugural field and should not be overlooked as he lives within the closet proximity to George Dunne of anyone in the field. Combs, who was paired with Joe Connolly in 2025, knows the course like the back of his hand and has reportedly created his own yardage book and is a green-reading magician.
What the Connolly Cup Really Represents
That is the beauty of the Connolly Cup.
Nobody really knows what it is yet.
But that has never stopped the Shootout before.
The McMouw Cup did not become legendary because it was sensible. It became legendary because it combined family pride, mild humiliation, selective memory, and golf scores that required emotional processing.
The Connolly Cup has all the ingredients to follow that same path.
There will be bragging rights.
There will be accusations.
There will be one player who insists he “actually hit it pretty well” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
There will be someone who starts calculating Connolly Cup standings before the round is over.
And there will almost certainly be one putt that haunts somebody until 2027.
The Invitational Shootout has always been a legacy factory. Some legacies are built on championships. Some are built on clutch shots. Some are built on surviving George Dunne without losing your swing, your partner, or your ability to make eye contact at dinner.
In 2026, the Connolly Cup begins its own chapter.
Ten players.
One trophy.
A lifetime of exaggerated stories.
May the best Connolly-adjacent golfer win.