The Underwood Cup is coming to St. Johns Country for the first time in the area's only team match play event.
The 35th Underwood Cup will be Feb. 2-3 at the Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach, with host professional Dean Grunewald captaining the team from the Northern Chapter PGA and Steve Carter leading the amateurs. Their respective competitions determine each 12-player team during the previous calendar year and will be finalized at a later date.
Marshall Collins prepares to hit his tee shot at the 10th hole of the Deerwood Country Club on Feb. 2 during doubles play in the 34th Underwood Cup Matches.The first 30 Underwood Cups were played at the Timuquana Country Club. San Jose hosted the 2022 and 2023 Cups and Deerwood as the venue last year, when the amateurs won 14-10 to snap a two-match professional winning streak.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGrunewald was elevated to captain after serving as an assistant captain last year. Carter, who has played in a record 25 Underwood Cups, is taking his third turn as the amateur captain.
Field set for 20th St. Augustine Amateur
Players from 10 countries and 20 states are in the final field for the 20th St. Augustine Amateur Dec. 5-7 at the St. Johns Golf Club.
The field of 84 includes 47 players on the World Amateur Ranking, a high for the tournament. College players representing 47 schools make up the bulk of the field, with the ACC, SEC and Big 12 represented, as well as the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University and Flagler College.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAmong the players in the field:
The twin sons of PGA Tour winner Tim Herron, P.J. (who plays at Flagler) and Mick (Rollins).
St. Johns County high school champion Charlie Hipp of Creekside, FHSAA Class 3A state tournament runnerup Jackson Runquist of Fletcher, Georgia 6A high school player of the year Ledger Conley (a JU commit) and New Jersey high school player of the year Rory Asselta.
Players from two colleges ranked first in their divisions: Stephen Baker and Jack Burr (NCAA Division III Huntingdon College of Alabama) and Basil Strolz (NAIA Keiser College).
One former champion is in the field, Bartram Trail graduate Brody Stevenson, a junior at Florida Gulf Coast.
Net proceeds from the tournament will benefit First Tee-North Florida.
An ace makes an ace
Retired Navy Rear Admiral Gary Mayes, who flew the SH-60B/R and UH-1N helicopters and C-12B aircraft during his career, didn't need a GPS to find the hole at No. 12 at Jacksonville Beach on Nov. 19 ... just a 9-iron.
Mayes aced the hole from 120 yards out for his first-ever hole-in-one.
Mayes' career included serving as a naval aide to the Vice President Richard Cheney; administrative aide to the Secretary of the Navy; commanding officer of US Naval Base Coronado; and Commander of the Navy Region Southeast at NAS Jacksonville.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe flew more than 3,300 hours and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (six awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy Achievement Medal (three awards) and numerous campaign and unit ribbons.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Underwood Cup matches will be played in St. Johns for the first time
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