Few things in sports are as serene as a Saturday morning tea time.
That is, until golf’s most mediocre arrive.
The Medicore Golfer’s Association (MGA) is a nationwide organization that aims to bring together golf’s most average (to below-average) golfers.
Created in 2020 by Club President Jared Youtzy, Cleveland’s chapter of the MGA has become the largest in the country.
"Toledo had a chapter, [I] played a tournament there, and I'm like, 'This would be perfect for Cleveland,'" said Youtzy. "I never really ran anything like this before...I was kind of expecting there to be like 20 people out there, and then the first year we had like 70-80 sign ups."
The MGA rolls in and out of golf courses across Northeast Ohio bi-monthly.
"This is a great way for me to meet a bunch of new people," said a member of the organization. "Find new people to play golf with [other] than my same eight buddies that I play every week with."
Youtzy says the MGA plays for prize money and trophies and hopes to score a league win this season.
"I want to win one so bad," Youtzy said.
But the checks— that can not be cashed— and prizes are not as valuable as getting to say you won.
"It's really bragging rights. The money is fake, the trophies are real," Youtzy explained.
Unlike golf's greatest players, the men and women of MGA don't play for the money, but for the people.
"Being around a lot of your peers who are a similar mediocrity as yourself, it takes a lot of the preassure away." said Youtzy. "There's not many opportunities as an adult to like, go play outside with your friends."
Over 20 members of Cleveland's Mediocre Golfer's Association chapter are in Las Vegas for the two-day MGA World Championship on Monday.
