History

The Jones Cup was born from a deep commitment to amateur golf by the A.W. Jones family, who founded The Cloister and Sea Island Golf Club in 1928. The Sea Island Golf Club has played host to seven USGA championships, is home to the NCAA Southeastern Conference Men’s Golf Championship, and location of the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic.

First contested in 2001, Jones Cup began as an opportunity to celebrate not only the game of golf, but also the camaraderie and fellowship associated with it. This 54-hole, individual stroke-play event is played at Ocean Forest Golf Club. The Rees Jones design course opened in 1995 and has hosted the 1998 Georgia State Amateur Championship, the 1999 Southern Amateur Championship, and the 2001 Walker Cup Match. The Jones Cup brings together many of the finest amateurs from the United States and abroad for this three-day competition. While the golf course proves to be a great venue for this unique event, the Jones Cup’s success and popularity can be attributed to the strength of the players who comprise its field. Past participants range from current and future PGA Tour stars Luke Donald, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Dustin Johnson, Chris Kirk, Jeff Overton, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, and Gary Woodland as well as Past Champions DJ Trahan, Gregg Jones, Nicholas Thompson, Luke List, Kyle Stanley, Patrick Reed, and John Peterson.

Beginning in December 2009, the inaugural Jones Cup Junior Invitational has been played on the Seaside Course at the Sea Island Golf Club. The Jones Cup Junior Invitational is a logical extension of the Jones Cup tradition and spirit of competition and features the country’s top male junior golfers in a 54-hole stroke play competition.

2012 brought the latest addition to the Jones Cup family with the Jones Cup Senior Invitational. Played annually at the Sea Island Golf Club, the tournament draws 104 of the nation’s top senior male golfers, many of which are past USGA, State, and Club champions.