Jones Cup: Mesa Verde wins fifth Jones Cup

Tom Sargent lit his first cigar at the start of the Jones Cup. He went through more than one during the 19 holes of golf he played with Mesa Verde Country Club on Wednesday.

The final cigar Sargent puffed on turned out to be the one he desired the most. It was the victory cigar.

Sargent captained Mesa Verde to its first Jones Cup win in six years. He and his four teammates: club professional Mike Fergin, women’s champion Madelaine Campbell, men’s champion Ryan Gale and men’s senior champion Mitch Allenspach, needed to play more than 18 holes at Newport Beach Country Club to claim the one-day tournament featuring the five local country clubs in a two-best-ball format.

After Sargent sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to leave Mesa Verde at 11-under-par, Shady Canyon Golf Club forced a one-hole playoff 15 minutes later. It took the two teams 40 minutes to return to the par-five 18th hole.

When Mesa Verde made it back, Sargent had a new cigar in his hand. Before Sargent put out that cigar, Allenspach and Gale extinguished Shady Canyon. Allenspach made a 15-foot birdie putt and Gale followed with a 12-foot birdie putt, and all Shady Canyon could do after Greg Palmer missed his putt for birdie was congratulate Mesa Verde.

Four members — Sargent, Fergin, Campbell and Gale — played on the Mesa Verde team that won the tournament in 2010. In his Jones Cup debut, Allenspach was able to experience what it was like to finish first.

Allenspach is no stranger to success in golf. He and Jack Nicklaus are the only two golfers to have won the Ohio Golf Assn. junior tournament three times. Competing in the Jones Cup was just as fun for Allenspach, who is 55.

“I love the team environment,” Allenspach said.

At the beginning, Fergin carried his team. He made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole, as did Campbell.

After the first hole, Mesa Verde was at two-under, ahead of the pack. Everyone else was just getting going as Mesa Verde teed off first, followed by Shady Canyon, Santa Ana, Big Canyon and host Newport Beach.

Fergin continued his hot start. He birdied the second and third holes, putting Mesa Verde at four-under through three. Teammates tipped their hats and visors to Fergin, while Sargent smoked a cigar.

Fergin was playing so well that on No. 4 he came close to winning a new outfit and a $500 online shopping spree. He could have used a new polo shirt, the orange one he and his teammates wore was a tad bright. With $500, he could have afforded to buy everyone on the team new shirts.

On the par-three, 145-yard hole, Fergin came within 18 inches of making a hole-in-one. While he barely lost out on the clothes and shopping spree, Fergin recorded his fourth birdie in as many holes.

“I’m very comfortable playing here; very comfortable with the greens,” said Fergin, who worked at Newport Beach from 1993-96.

Through four holes, Mesa Verde was at five-under, three strokes better than the nearest team, Santa Ana, which in the 17 years of the Jones Cup has never won it.

The birdie party ended for Fergin on the par-four No. 5. No one from Mesa Verde produced a birdie for two holes straight and Mesa Verde stayed at five-under, just ahead of perennial winner Big Canyon.

Big Canyon, the nine-time Jones Cup champion, got within four-under through four holes. Mesa Verde created a little distance on No. 7, which Allenspach birded. He tapped in a two-foot putt to put Mesa Verde at six-under.

Six-under is where Mesa Verde stood at the midway point. After the front nine for Big Canyon, it caught Mesa Verde, while Shady Canyon was one back of both clubs. Newport Beach and Santa Ana were seven back of the leaders.

After pars on Nos. 10 and 11, Mesa Verde went back on the top. Gale dropped in a 12-foot put on No. 12, leaving Mesa Verde at seven-under.

Shady Canyon stayed close, one stroke behind, after Allenspach birdied No. 14. Then Campbell and Fergin followed that up with birdies on No. 15, a par-five hole, putting Mesa Verde at 10-under, one ahead of Shady Canyon.

It stayed that close on No. 16, and on No. 17, Sargent almost nailed a hole in one on the 161-yard par-three. Sargent’s ball rolled over the cup, just missing, and Mesa Verde took a three-stoke lead.

“He would’ve [won a new Mercedes-Benz from Fletcher Jones],” said Fergin, who led Mesa Verde with five birdies, two more than Allenspach. “He said he wasn’t going to share it, though.”

Sargent did share with Fergin and the rest of the team in celebrating Mesa Verde’s fifth Jones Cup crown.