With a total distance from the pin of 122 feet, 9 inches across nine holes of a closest-to-the pin competition staged on an aboutGOLF simulator at Thr3 Jack Golf Center in Minneapolis, Minn., Brian Mullin, a teaching pro from Play a Round Golf in Ardmore, recently emerged victorious at the 2023 aboutGOLF Ryder Cup Sim Series finals.
Mullin topped a field of 11 qualifiers from the United States and Canada to claim the title and earn a trip for two to the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy Sept. 29-Oct 1.
“I was nervous towards the end,” said Mullin. “We never had a honeymoon, so this opportunity to go overseas and experience Rome and the Ryder Cup with my wife is a dream come true.”
The aboutGOLF Ryder Cup Sim Series was a monthly closest-to-the-pin competition running from September 2022 to February 2023. Each month, the competition took place on a different signature par-3 at historic and future Ryder Cup venues available on aboutGOLF simulators.
Participants received one free entry and attempted five shots on the month’s featured par 3, with the shot nearest the hole counting for the competition. The player who was closest to the pin for each month’s contest hole automatically qualified for the finals event. Additionally, a “Captain’s Pick” also earned a trip to the finals during each month of the aboutGOLF Ryder Cup Sim Series via a random drawing for all players participating in the competition.
At the finals event, all monthly qualifiers and Captain’s picks competed in an aggregate nine-hole, closest-to-the-pin contest in person on an aboutGOLF Simulator at Th3 Jack Golf Center. Mullin’s aggregate total included shots of under 7’ on the final two holes. The custom course utilized for the competition featured par-3s from historical and future Ryder Cup venues and is now available to all aboutGOLF registered users.
Since the launch of the competition in September 2022, over 3,750 individuals attempted to hit it close on some of golf’s most iconic par 3s. Each month, the Sim Series was staged on a different signature par 3 at historic and future Ryder Cup venues available on aboutGOLF simulators, including the following courses:
September 2022 – Bethpage State Park Golf Course (Black), 14th hole
October 2022 – Gleneagles Country Club, 10th hole
November 2022 – Hazeltine National Golf Club, 17th hole
December 2022 – Le Golf National, 2nd hole
January 2023 – The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, 17th hole
February 2023 – Whistling Straits Golf Course (Straits Course), 12th hole
