PALM CITY, Fla. (Nov. 10, 2014) — Beginning November 14 at the beautiful Floridian in Palm City, Fla., the fourth annual Crane Cup will host an elite field of mid-amateur and senior players for a late season, 54-hole stroke play event.

Tournament director Kevin Marsh, who began the event in 2012, struck a chord with course owner Jim Crane and the two meticulously crafted what has quickly become one of the premier invitationals in the United States.

"[Crane] wanted to create a national membership with a lot of good players," Marsh said, "and I said, 'Why don't we host a tournament and get all the best mid-amateurs and senior amateurs in the country to come down?

"'Some of them will join, and the rest will tell everybody how great it is,'" Marsh said.

Marsh will be feeling good about his own golf game, having just won the Southern California Four-Ball Championship with playing partner John Pate. Marsh tied for sixth in the 2013 Crane Cup, finishing 12 shots back of Colby Harwell, who won by nine.

Crane, who also owns Major League Baseball's Houston-based team the Astros, is an avid golfer and will be in the field as well in the senior division.

"It's a place that sells itself," Marsh said of the host course Floridian, that Marsh mentioned was in a relatively secluded and quiet part north of West Palm Beach.

"It's kind of hidden, not in the hustle-and-bustle of Jupiter or West Palm," Marsh said. "It's really special."

TaylorMade/Adidas has been a sponsor of the event from day-one, and by providing the players with gear, along with the treatment of Floridian's five-star resort-like amenities, players get treated like tour professionals.

Here's a look at the 2013 Crane Cup results.

SIX PLAYERS TO WATCH

Mid-Amateur

BRADY EXBER - view profile

This accomplished Nevada player, who is playing in the Mid-Amateur division in 2014, is a member of the Southern Nevada Golf Association Hall of Fame and is a seven-time SNGA Player-of-the- Year. His spectacular 2014 includes wins at the British Senior Amateur, Senior Azalea, Yeamans Hall, and Stocker Cup, as well as a runner-up finish at the Canadian Senior Amateur. In October the Southern Golf Association named Exber the SGA National Amateur of the Month, based on his three wins. He is the only senior player to earn that honor in 2014.

COLBY HARWELL - view profile

The defending champion helped his home state of Texas win its record fourth USGA State Team Championship in October, along with Zach Atkinson and Aaron Hickman (also in the field). Harwell also has individual top-fives at the USGA State Team and at the Harvey Penick Invitational.

MIKE MCCOY - view profile

The perennial mid-amateur talent is having a nice follow-up season after his 2013 U.S. Mid- Amateur win with victories at the 2014 Lupton Invitational and George C. Thomas Invitational. The Iowa native finished in a tie for 15th last year and will be looking for a better finish at Floridian.

Senior

DOUG HANZEL - view profile

The 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion is coming off a victory at the newest Society of Seniors tournament — The Vinny. A native of Savannah, Ga., Hanzel also captured the 2014 Jones Cup Senior Invitational, winning by two over fellow Georgian Jack Hall.

PAT TALLENT - view profile

The Virginia resident traveled west to Newport Beach and returned to the east coast with a U.S. Senior Amateur title. Tallent rolled the rock with his long putter in his final match win over Bryan Norton, including a 30- plus footer on the 17th hole. Tallent also tied for eighth at the British Senior.

CHIP LUTZ - view profile

Lutz not only won the Crump Cup senior division, but completed something maybe more special to him in 2014 — the "career circle" of the Golf Association of Philadelphia. Having already won the GAP's Junior, Amateur, and Mid-Amateur titles, Lutz completed the circle with a win at the 2014 GAP Senior Amateur. The Reading resident also won the National Senior Hall-of-Fame and tied for second at the Coleman Invitational.

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