Golf: Jones Cup tees off
Robert Pang chuckled at the notion that consecutive runner-up finishes in the Jones Cup could be considered a slump.
As the head professional and captain of Big Canyon Country Club’s five-player contingent for the 17th annual Jones Cup community golf tournament on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Newport Beach Country Club, Pang is used to having success in the event.
Big Canyon has, after all, claimed nine Jones Cup titles, twice winning three straight (the last time from 2011-13). Big Canyon has more titles than the other four clubs — Mesa Verde (four), Newport Beach (two), Shady Canyon (one) and Santa Ana (none) — combined.
“We were second last year and we lost two years ago in a one-hole playoff,” Pang said. “I love that coming in second two years in a row is a slump.”
Big Canyon failed to win on its home course in 2015, after having won its three previous times as the Jones Cup host.
Newport Beach, which won its second Jones Cup crown in 11 years last summer, will try to cash in the home-course advantage Wednesday, with head professional Carlo Borunda captaining the squad.
Also returning from 2015 for Newport Beach are men’s champion Jeff Bloom and Jan-Erik Palm, who is an alternate competing in the club’s men’s senior champion slot.
Club professional Robbie Maurer and ladies champion Ailam Newkirk round out the defending champions.
Big Canyon, captained by Pang, includes assistant professional Chris Valeriano, who made his Jones Cup debut last year. Jillian Braverman, the women’s champion who was a standout tennis player at Corona del Mar High and Pepperdine, men’s champion Will Tipton, a Jones Cup veteran who has not played the event in a few years, and senior men’s champion Don DuBoius round out the Big Canyon squad.
Mesa Verde, which last won in 2010, when it secured back-to-back titles under perennial captain Tom Sargent, has Jones Cup veterans Mike Fergin (club professional), Madelaine Campbell (women’s champion), Ryan Gale (men’s champion) and Jones Cup newcomer Mitch Allenspach (men’s senior champion).
Sargent is the lone player to compete in every Jones Cup, said having three different clubs win the last three years is good for the tournament.
“Clubs cycle through when it comes to players, so you see different clubs have success,” Sargent said.
Shady Canyon, which won that aforementioned one-hole playoff to earn the title in 2014, has three players who were on that team. Brian Gunson, the Shady Canyon captain, has represented the club in the last two Jones Cup events, as has club professional Kirk Manley.
Men’s champion Eoin Middaugh, was part of the 2014 winners, while women’s champion Kelly Ly and senior men’s champion Greg Palmer are making their Jones Cup debuts for the Irvine-based club.
Santa Ana, returns its entire team from last year, when it tied Shady Canyon and Mesa Verde for third. Geoff Cochrane is the Santa Ana captain, who will join club professional Nick Kumpis, women’s champion Liz Slater, men’s champion Joe Doody and men’s senior champion Boyd Martin.
Borunda birdied three of the final six holes and then-women’s champion Debbie Fleming had two birdies on the last three holes to help Newport prevail last year.
The tournament uses a two-best-ball format.
