In an age-old battle of the Americans versus the Brits, the 2018 Falvey Cup was held at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club in Portugal on September 26-30. Twenty-four golfers from Falvey Insurance Group and Lloyd’s of London squared off on the course, led by U.S.A. captain Mike “Le Grand Fromage” Falvey and London “Captain Dave” Allen.

Falvey employee group photograph

(Left: “Captain Dave” Allen, Right: Mike “Le Grand Fromage” Falvey)

History of Falvey Cup

The first Falvey Cup was held in 1999 with just four players at Point Judith Country Club in Rhode Island. Similar to the Ryder Cup, the tournament is held every other year—with the U.S. and EU taking turns as hosts—and game days consist of four ball, foursome, and singles play. The scores from each event are combined to determine the winner.

Mike Falvey originally started the tournament to develop his relationship with the Lloyd’s team as he grew his business and establish Falvey Insurance Group in the London market. Over the past 20 years, the event has taken on a life of its own, becoming an important tradition full of camaraderie, fun, and competition.

This year marked the 10th Falvey Cup, with Team U.S.A. up 5-4 in overall tournament wins and Lloyd’s happy to have the competition back on home turf.

Falvey employee group photograph

(Team USA – Top Row: Jay Jeannotte, Jack Falvey, Tony Gerone, Mike Falvey, Eric Newman, Brad Eldridge, Dan Graves. Bottom Row: Sean Quinn, Matt Rebello, Dan Sules, Bob Falvey, Michael E. Falvey)

2018 Tournament Recap

For the first time since 2012, Lloyd’s emerged victorious, winning 13 to 11 to move the cup to their side of the pond. The four-person Falvey Broadcast System was on hand to film the tournament and interview players on the course. A “Live Game Tracker” was also added the Falvey Cup website so friends and family could follow the competition in real-time.

Falvey employee group photograph

Player Quotes

Here are some quotes from the players about what Falvey Cup means to them:

“Falvey Cup means camaraderie, friendship, and competition.”

-Mike Falvey, 10th Cup

Airline pilot holds trophy“That 10 minutes when we got here [Monte Rei] in the middle of all of our American friends and colleagues, I just stood in the corner and watched it. The camaraderie in that 10 minutes was unbelievable, and that is what Falvey Cup is all about.”

-Dave Allen, 8th Cup

“It’s a brilliant opportunity to bring two cultures and teams together to build relationships across the oceans.”

-Henry Maughan, Rookie

“As it’s developed over the years, it’s become more special. The event planning, filming, interviewing, and all the different aspects are done very professionally.”

-James Gaiger, 6th Cup

“The Falvey Cup is everything Lloyd’s is renowned for: relationships, collaboration, competition, and the chance for London to show they can still get one over on our friends across the pond.”

-Jon Hamilton, 2nd Cup

“I’ve been privileged to be part of the cup from the start. For me, seeing it grow to what it is today is just phenomenal. What I particularly enjoy is seeing the rookies come to the tournament. Seeing that excitement and passion, and how seriously everyone takes it, means so much.”

-Daryl Mackay, 10th Cup

One question remains: can Lloyd’s repeat and keep the cup? We shall all find out in 2020 when the Falvey Cup returns to Shelter Harbor Golf Club in Charlestown, RI.

Learn more about the Falvey Cup.