Jones Cup golfers glad to be competing in tournament, carry on tradition

For two decades, the Jones Cup community golf tournament has brought local country clubs together for a day of friendly competition and bragging rights among the members.

The tournament is held annually, with the five competing clubs being Big Canyon, Mesa Verde, Newport Beach, Santa Ana and Shady Canyon.

Originally scheduled to be held at Big Canyon in Newport Beach on June 11, the event was in jeopardy due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Although it will not have some of its usual pomp and circumstance, the tradition of the Jones Cup will continue as Mesa Verde volunteered to host the tournament in Costa Mesa on Thursday.

“I’m very excited that Mesa Verde is able to step in, come out of the rotation, and host this year,” said Heidi Wright-Tennyson, the head golf professional for Mesa Verde. “I think it’s an honor to be a part of this tradition. I know that Mr. [Tom] Sargent played in every one since it’s inauguration until he retired [in 2018], so to just follow in Tom’s footsteps and be able to be a part of this team and this tradition means a lot to me.”

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This will be Wright-Tennyson’s third year competing in the Jones Cup. She will serve as captain. The rest of the Mesa Verde contingent will be Mike Fergin (professional), Kim Izzi (women’s champion), Tim Beans (men’s champion) and Mitch Allenspach (senior champion).

Spectators for the event will be limited to spouses and significant others of players, Mesa Verde members, and invited board members of the participating clubs. The invitation-only event will guard against gatherings. After the competition, a socially-distanced toast by the teams will be made to the winners before heading home, Wright-Tennyson said of the protocols in place because of the pandemic.

Live scoring will be kept on a mobile app, and flagsticks will remain in the holes, Wright-Tennyson added.

As the host club, Wright-Tennyson considers her team a favorite to claim victory.

Irvine’s Shady Canyon would have a hard time disagreeing. Since joining the Jones Cup field, Shady Canyon has earned its two victories on its home course — in 2014 and 2019.

“Last time we played Mesa Verde, we made two bogeys on the last hole, and we ended up just losing out, so we were close last time we played,” Shady Canyon director of golf Brian Gunson said. “It was a different team, certainly, but it’s our next task to try to win away, rather than winning at home.

“It’s nice to arrive at the course with the trophy that we’ll hand off to Heidi, and then obviously, we’ll try to get it back again.”

Gunson reported the golf course at Mesa Verde to be in good shape after a recent practice round. Wright-Tennyson credited the work of golf course superintendent Matthew Marsh for keeping the course in good condition through the summer heat and increased rounds of play.

Shady Canyon will bring Gunson (captain), Kirk Manley (professional), Isako Takada (women’s championship runner-up), Scott Barton (men’s champion) and Charles Kavanaugh (senior champion).

Big Canyon, which has had its name inscribed on the Jones Cup 10 times, lost to Shady Canyon last year by one stroke.

“Last year, we did what we wanted to do,” Big Canyon head golf professional Robert Pang said. “We went to Shady Canyon, and we put everything together. It’s like anything else. Home-field advantage always counts, and we pushed it to 18 [holes]. I was proud of the team. I was proud of how we played.”

Pang will captain a team that also includes Chris Valeriano (professional), Olivia Slutzky (women’s champion), Taylor Wood (2019 men’s championship runner-up) and Jamie Held (senior champion).

Mesa Verde has won the Jones Cup six times. Newport Beach has won two championships. Santa Ana has been involved in two playoffs, but it has never won the event.

Some feel that the live-scoring element of the Jones Cup gives it the feel of a tournament. Adam Baumann, competing as a club professional for Newport Beach, noted that the PGA Tour also is not currently allowing fans.

“We’ll be playing an event to do the best we can and hopefully bring [the trophy] back so that people can see it when we get back,” Baumann said.

Newport Beach’s roster is filled out by Robbie Maurer (captain), AiLam Newkirk (women’s champion), George Schmidt (men’s champion) and Todd Roberts (senior champion).

Santa Ana will be bringing director of golf Geoff Cochrane (captain), Nick Kumpis (professional), Diane Booth (women’s champion), Corey Van Houten (men’s champion) and Greg Hopkins (senior champion).

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