Jones Cup III heats up with area’s best

Richard Dunn

Just as summer arrived with its warm weather this week, Jones Cup

III should be sizzling today in the ultimate community men’s pro-am

at Big Canyon Country Club at 1 p.m.

In a popular format, a better ball of partners, and two foursomes

teeing off back-to-back with two galleries in tow, the Jones Cup has

proved unprecedented in these parts since the inaugural event two

years ago.

The Jones Cup, which features defending champion Big Canyon, Mesa

Verde Country Club, Newport Beach Country Club and Santa Ana Country

Club, was launched as a way to spotlight the Newport-Mesa community’s

directors of golf and head golf professionals, as well as celebrate

the men’s club champions, at the four private clubs in the Daily

Pilot circulation.

Each of the four clubs rotate as host site of the Jones Cup and

the Tea Cup Classic for women, which was started in 1997 under the

auspices of the Fletcher Jones Motorcars/Daily Pilot Club

Championship Series and will be played Sept. 4 at Santa Ana.

The public is invited to gallery at Jones Cup III as long as

individuals meet the required dress code. A food and beverage cart

(with bar) will ride along with the galleries.

From Big Canyon, Director of Golf Bob Lovejoy and men’s club

champion Danny Lane will represent the home folks, while Mesa Verde

enters with head pro Tom Sargent and senior sensation Pete Daley, the

only amateur to tee it up in all three Jones Cups. Mesa Verde won the

inaugural Jones Cup in 2000 at Newport Beach, when Sargent birdied 18

after a remarkable flop shot with his ball deeply embedded into the

thick rough.

Sargent earned local legend status that year, then Lovejoy and Big

Canyon amateur Ron Maggard captured Jones Cup II in a three-hole

playoff against Santa Ana, which will bring the same pro-am team as

last year -- Director of Golf Mike Reehl and two-time men’s club

champion Gregg Hemphill.

Santa Ana rallied to tie Big Canyon last year and force a playoff,

as Hemphill birdied the par-5 No. 15 and par-4 16 on his home course

and Reehl birdied the par-5 18, which he almost eagled with a 3-wood

from the fairway.

Lovejoy ended the playoff last year with a birdie at 18, a dogleg

left and an excellent finishing hole with water on the left and

players going for it in two on the 21st hole with champagne awaiting.

Newport Beach Country Club head pro Paul Hahn, who will play with

amateur standout Jeff Wright, nearly forced a three-way playoff last

year when his 10-foot putt for eagle at 18 burned the edge and rolled

past the hole. Hahn dropped to his hands and knees on the green in an

emotional finish for his club.

In a made-for-fun contest, the winner of the Jones Cup receives a

perpetual trophy to be displayed at their club. And, for local golf

fans and aficionados, the Jones Cup provides a rare opportunity to

see all four head pros, or directors of golf, play in the same venue.

If you have ever wondered about their game, here’s a good chance to

see it in competition.

Big Canyon head pro Clint Whitehead will serve today as the rules

official for Jones Cup III, while Newport Beach’s Bob Price will once

again handle scoring.