Rich Reggero of Tega Cay has earned a place on Team USA for the 2026 Simpson Cup, the annual Ryder Cup style competition between injured service members and veterans from the United States and Great Britain.
Reggero qualified by finishing sixth at the national qualifier, played July 20 to 24 at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The same course hosts the Simpson Cup itself from Nov. 1 to Nov. 4, which means Reggero has already seen the ground where the matches will be decided.
The tournament is run by the On Course Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States and a registered charity in the United Kingdom that uses golf to help wounded, injured and sick service members rebuild confidence and find work in the golf industry. Every Simpson Cup competitor is a foundation member.
A closing birdie in front of the field
Reggero took the last available spot on the closing hole. In a Facebook post after the event, he wrote that he opened at even par through 11 holes on the first day before a heat index of 115 degrees caught up with him. The second day was less steady, he said, until the finish, when he played the last three holes at par, par, birdie to qualify.
The birdie came on a downhill putt of about 12 feet on the 18th green, with roughly 30 players who had already completed their rounds watching.
“Great feeling,” he wrote.
He also praised the host club. “This course, from the layout to the conditions, the clubhouse to the staff was top notch all the way around,” Reggero wrote. “Can’t wait to come back here and beat the Brits in November.”
Two rounds of qualifying
Getting to Texas took Reggero through a qualifying system that starts regionally. The On Course Foundation held four regional qualifiers this year, each capped at 32 players. The South event ran April 14 to 16 at Raven Golf Club in Miramar Beach, Florida. The West event followed May 27 to 29 at Hawks Creek Golf Club in Westworth Village, Texas. The East event was held June 15 to 17 at Fort Jackson Golf Club in Columbia, roughly 90 minutes south of Tega Cay, and the North event ran June 17 to 19 at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Virginia.
Reggero played the East qualifier at Fort Jackson before advancing to the national qualifier, which drew a field of 40.
Qualifying is only part of how the roster comes together. Team USA carries 13 players and a captain who does not play. Four spots are invitations extended by the captain, the national director and the foundation’s staff in consultation with the Simpson Cup Committee. The rest are filled through the qualifying events.
The foundation also sets a floor for playing ability and involvement. Competitors must hold a USGA Handicap Index with a GHIN number issued through an authorized club, and players with a handicap above 18 are not normally considered. Applicants must also have attended at least one of the foundation’s golf skills and employment events during the calendar year, and neither the qualifiers nor a prior Simpson Cup appearance counts toward that requirement.
From West Point to Tega Cay
Reggero graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army before moving to Tega Cay. He will represent the United States against a British side assembled the same way through the foundation’s UK program.
A tournament with a long list of host courses
The Simpson Cup is named for its founder, John Simpson, a former senior vice president of International Management Group who has one fully functioning leg as a result of childhood polio. During his career at IMG he represented players and athletes including Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh and Sebastian Coe.
The first Simpson Cup was played in 2012 at TPC Sawgrass. Since then the event has moved between well known courses on both sides of the Atlantic, including Congressional Country Club, Oak Hill Country Club, Royal Birkdale, St Andrews Links, Baltusrol, Shinnecock Hills and Royal St. George’s, which hosted the 2025 matches. Great Britain leads the series 7 to 6, according to the Simpson Cup website.
Before the team travels to Texas, Team USA holds its training session Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, about a half hour drive from Tega Cay. Match play at Shady Oaks is scheduled for Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. Schedule and team information is posted at simpsoncup.com.
Sign up here to receive the Tega Cay Sun "day" Spectator every Sunday morning with all the news from the week directly to your inbox
Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
