Jones Cup becoming even more inclusive

Bryce Alderton

The Jones Cup format just keeps evolving.

Last year, the revamped tournament that celebrates golf in

Newport-Mesa combined elements of the former Jones Cup and Tea Cup

Classics into one, so to speak, and added a senior club champion for

each of the four private clubs’ foursomes.

This year, to include even more involvement, each club will add

another player to make four fivesomes, which will compete against one

another at 1 p.m. Aug. 30 at Santa Ana Country Club.

Each of the four fivesomes from Big Canyon Country Club, Newport

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

Club will ideally include men’s, ladies and senior club champions,

along with a head professional or full-time staff member, and the

newest addition, a Senior PGA member (50 or older).

If circumstances prevent any of these players from competing in

the event, then an alternate will be chosen.

Scoring will remain the same -- two best balls per group will

count for each hole.

Newport Beach Country Club, with the team of head pro Paul Hahn

and champions Debbie Albright (ladies), Jeff Wright (men’s) and

George Dahl (senior) claimed the title on their home course with a

5-under-par 66, three strokes ahead of both Santa Ana and Big Canyon.

Hahn and Big Canyon Director of Golf Bob Lovejoy both welcomed the

addition of a fifth player to a championship that received a majority

of favorable reviews in its first year.

Lovejoy won three straight Jones Cup titles (2001-’03), all with a

different partner.

Under the old format, the men’s club champion and a golf staff

professional teamed in a better ball of partners format.

Under the revamped format, all participants from one club play in

the same group.

“It’s certainly a plus,” Lovejoy said. “It’s great to play with

our own members, because I don’t get to do that too much.”

The Tea Cup Classic lasted seven years -- it ended in 2003 -- and

matched ladies club champions from all four clubs against one another

in an 18-hole, stroke-play competition.

The Tea Cup Classic seemed to run its course. Some participants

said the spotlight of stroke play caused occasional anxious moments.

Santa Ana Country Club has hosted two Tea Cup Classics (1998 and

2002) and one Jones Cup (2001).