Greg Brooking is no stranger to the Mississippi Golf Association’s Governor’s Cup, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still excited.

Brooking was selected last week for his sixth appearance in the tournament, set to take place on May 12-13 at Grenada Golf Course in Hot Springs Village, Ark.

“It would be like the pros getting bored of the Ryder Cup,” Brooking said. “It’s not the same as the first time because your goals change, but the years I didn’t make it I was pretty sad because it’s a bunch of fun.”

The cup team is a representation of 20 competitors from across the state of Mississippi. Each member of the team, including 10 seniors and two super seniors, are selected based on points they earn during tournaments in the previous year.

Brooking will be a senior member of this year’s squad, and said it’s been fascinating to see who has made multiple appearances over the years.

“I’m 60 now, and a lot of the guys I used to play with I don’t see anymore,” he said. “You do get a good camaraderie with the players from our state, though. We have a teammate mentality because we get to know each other and you never get tired of it.”

During the tournament, Mississippi will be matched up against the Arkansas team in a four-ball match play, foursome matches and a singles match play.

Since his first cup appearance in 2009, Brooking said while the competition is most often friendly, the ultimate goal is to defeat Arkansas.

“We have a rivalry with them,” he said. “You always want to come out with a win.”

Brooking also said although traveling is a good experience, he enjoys the Governor’s Cup because it spreads the word about his hometown.

“The thing I am most proud of is to represent the city of Natchez,” he said. “It’s almost like being like an ambassador for golf in the city. I always want more people to come play, and I hope kids growing up can be just as excited about this. I want them to say ‘I wonder when I grow up if I can be on the Mississippi Cup team?’”