Lou Ross – The Ross Cup Origins

The Ross Cup was founded in the early spring of 1999 by a group of four golfers, Bob Houston, Tom Burke, Steve Duffy and Ted Mader while on a business trip in Rochester, NY. While having lunch, there was a poster highlighting the Ryder Cup, played at Oak Hill in Rochester in 1995 that caught the attention of the group. It was suggested that we as a group should set up our own Ryder Cup, with Ontario against Quebec, playing each year, alternating venues. Each group was to recruit 12 golfers and after a flip of a coin to see who would host the first Ross Cup, the competition was set. Quebec won the toss and decided to host the competition at Mont Tremblant, Quebec in June of 1999.

Once we determined the competition and the event, we needed a name for the event, and it was suggested and accepted that we would call the event the Ross Cup, named after a famous and very nice man, Lou Ross, who was the President of a company called Fermos.  Lou had just passed away in early 1995 from cancer so it was a great tribute to a great man to call the event the Ross Cup, as he loved to be the centre of attention and this would ensure that this would continue his legacy.