Golf: Shady Canyon joins Jones Cup

Five more golfers will crash this year’s Jones Cup.

The neighborhood tradition will include players from Irvine’s Shady Canyon Golf Club for the June 27 event at Newport Beach Country Club.

The team of five will include director of golf Brian Gunson and head professional Kirk Manley. Manley went to Big Canyon Country Club for last year’s Jones Cup, and Gunson said he and others discussed the idea of participating in the Jones Cup.

“We wanted to take part in team play and it’s good to get together,” Gunson said.

Gunson has not confirmed the men’s representative and the ladies winner will be decided in May.

Gunson said he’s played Newport three or four times.

“I like [the course]…but it’s always got the better of me,” Gunson said. “Hopefully not in June.”

The Jones Cup, entering its 13th year, includes teams from Newport, Mesa Verde, Big Canyon and Santa Ana country clubs. Each club has five players: director of golf, or head pro and an assistant, with the men’s, ladies and senior champion.

Each team uses the two best scores per hole.

Big Canyon will defend its title and be going for its eighth Jones Cup championship. The last two years the host team has won. Mesa Verde accomplished the feat in 2010.

Tee time is set for 12:30 p.m. June 27. Galleries are welcome.

“We are ready to roll,” Gunson said. “We’ll try to spoil the party. I haven’t played a lot of competitive golf so it’s always nice to get those juices flowing. It’s all about taking part [in a tournament for the community].”

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Congratulations to the UC Irvine women’s golf team. The Anteaters placed second of seven teams at the Big West Conference championships earlier this week at San Luis Obispo Country Club.

Redshirt freshman Michelle Yang moved up seven spots to finish third with a 1-under-par 71 in the final round. Yang’s score tied her with teammate Ronnie Valerio and Cal State Fullerton’s Neomi Hunt for low round during the 54-hole contest.

A six-member NCAA selection committee will decide whether UCI continues to the regionals. The NCAA will announce the regional field at 6 p.m. Pacific time Monday with a webcast available at https://www.ncaa.com.

Each of three regional sites will include 24 teams, said Carol Reep, associate director of NCAA championships.

The committee will also select 18 individuals not on advancing teams to play in the regionals, Reep said. The regionals are scheduled May 10 through 12.

BRYCE ALDERTON is the golf writer for the Daily Pilot. He can be reached at balderto78@yahoo.com.