The Jones Cup Invitational

The Jones Cup is among the biggest springtime amateur majors in the United States because of the venue and the strong U.S. and international field. The past champions list is littered with PGA Tour stars, including Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Luke List, Kyle Stanley, Beau Hossler, and others.

This 54-hole individual stroke-play event inaugurated in 2001, is played at Ocean Forest Golf Club. The Rees Jones design opened in 1995 and has hosted the Georgia State Amateur Championship, the 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 a three-day competition.

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. The Jones Cup is yet another extension of the family's strong involvement in amateur golf.

This year's tournament boasts the strongest field in the history of the event. Among the participants, 24 are in the top 50 in the world, 45 in the top 100, and 62 in the top 200. The field includes Gordon Sargent, 2023 champion David Ford, Caleb Surratt, Austin Greaser, Herman Sekne, Nicholas Gabrelcik, Luke Clanton, Michael Brennan, and Maxwell Moldovan. Five members of the winning 2023 United States Walker Cup team will be participating. 

2023 U.S. Amateur runner-up Neal Shipley is in the field, along with other notable names like Jackson Van Paris, Jackson Koivun, Calum Scott, Maxwell Ford, junior standout Blades Brown, and 2022 champion Palmer Jackson.

What the winner receives

The winner of the Jones Cup will receive an exemption into the RSM Classic, the PGA Tour event hosted by the Davis Love Foundation at Sea Island in November.

Past Champions 

2023 – David Ford
2022 – Palmer Jackson
2021 – Ludvig Aberg
2020 – Davis Thompson
2019 – Akshay Bhatia
2018 – Garrett Barber
2017 – Braden Thornberry
2016 – Beau Hossler
2015 – Austin Connelly
2014 – Corey Conners
2013 – Sean Dale
2012 – Justin Thomas
2011 – John Peterson
2010 – Patrick Reed
2009 – Kyle Stanley
2007 – Luke List
2005 – Nicholas Thompson
2003 – Gregg Jones
2001 – D.J. Trahan

Last time

North Carolina and 2023 Walker Cup standout David Ford defeated Caleb Surratt with a birdie on the final hole to complete the wire-to-wire victory.