Kyle Jones maintains three-shot Jones Cup lead
Kyle Jones
SEA ISLAND, Ga. — As conditions continued to pester the 84-player field at Ocean Forest Golf Club, Baylor University senior Kyle Jones shot one-over 73 to maintain a three-stroke advantage heading into the final round of the Jones Cup Invitational.
Jones, of Snowflake, Ariz., which is roughly three hours northeast of Phoenix, carded a 68 on day one and led Austin Connelly by three and Hank Lebioda by four. Lebioda, a Florida State junior, shot 72 again on Saturday and is in solo second place, two ahead of Adrian Meronk and Matt NeSmith in third.
ROUND ONE RECAP: Kyle Jones leads with opening-round 68
Connelly, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, shot 77 in the second round and fell into a tie for ninth.
Jones was one of 16 players invited to participate in a Walker Cup practice session a month ago on the Georgia Coast in St. Simons Island, and with one round to go, Jones is close to surely securing his spot. 2014 highlights for Jones included a win at the Southwestern Amateur and a round-of-16 appearance at the U.S. Amateur.
The defending champion Corey Conners already has a win to his name in 2015, capturing Australia's Lake Macquarie Amateur two weeks ago. The Canada native shot 76 on Saturday after a 73 Friday and is eight shots back in a tie for 14th.
Just two players broke par on Saturday, bringing the total to four for the first two rounds. Carson Jacobs of Vanderbilt followed up a 79 with a 71 while University of South Carolina freshman Keenan Huskey shot 14 shots lower on Saturday with a two-under 70.
Saturday's average score of 77.1 is just a touch higher than the opening round average of 76.7.
Follow AmateurGolf.com for coverage of the Jones Cup, and follow the link below for complete scores from rounds 1 and 2.
ABOUT THE Jones Cup
The Jones Cup is probably the biggest of the
springtime
amateur majors in the United States, and the reason
is 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
several 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.
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