Pictured David Ford, who won the 2023 Jones Cup Invitational with an impressive 18-foot-long putt which saw him clinch the tournament with a wire-to-wire lead. A grate way to get his 2023 season underway. The Jones Cup Held at Ocean Forest Golf Club, Sea Island in Georgia was the stage for this impressive display. Ford’s last win came back in July where he totalled scoring record of 20 under par at the Southern Amateur. As mentioned, Ford won the event wire-to-wire, meaning that he led all rounds and won the event. With scores of 67,68 & 69 Ford finished -12 and won by 1 shot after seeing in that long putt. The Course at Ocean Forest Golf Club, Sea Island played more than 7300 yards
The Jones Cup invitational is a pure invitational. Not usually seen within the UK the Invitational criteria is as follows:
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Invitations are invite-only, and granted at the discretion of the Jones Cup Committee. The tournaments listed below are given considerable weight in the selection process.
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A.J.G.A., Canadian, Collegiate, WAGR, and Scratch Amateur Rankings
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Azalea Amateur
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Dogwood Invitational
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GB&I Walker Cup Squad
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Georgia Amateur
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Jones Cup
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NCAA Championship
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North and South Amateur
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Northeast Amateur
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Porter Cup
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Southeastern Amateur
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Southern Amateur
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Sunnehanna Amateur
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U.S. Amateur
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U.S. Junior
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U.S. Mid Amateur
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U.S. Walker Cup Squad
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Western Amateur
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Western Junior
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Maridoe Amateur
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David Ford’s invitation came in the form of winning the Southern Amateur. He is currently ranked 8th in the Official World Golf Rankings (WAGR). Ford now clams this illustrious title and joins other champions like Justin Thomas as Patrick Reed. His future looks great and his 2023 season is off to a hot start.
Caleb Surratt who finished 2nd started off with an impressive front 7 holes where he made four birdies, taking a two shot lead himself with 9 holes left to play of the tournament. This lead didn’t last long as David Ford birdied 10 & 11 whilst also carding a three under back nine. A great show by Surratt.
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Figure 1 - Welsh player results (Score Graphic: Jones Cup Invitational/ Golf Genius Scoring)
James Ashfield was one of two GB&I players to card under par rounds throughout the entire event, but Ashfield also finished the highest GB&I player in 27th. This will really help his bid to Walker Cup selection towards the end of the year, a fantastic start. Archie Davies finished 41st and Matt Roberts finished tied 52nd. This is a world class field and great tournament to start the season with for any golfer.
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