FINAL RESULTS: 2026 Jones Cup Invitational
January 11, 2026 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for Jones Cup, Ocean Forest Golf Club
When it mattered most, William Sides delivered. Back-to-back 69s and a back-nine run earned him the 2026 Jones Cup title.
Jones Cup Invitational Hub — Final Results
What to know
- Champion crowned: Sides pulled away late to win by two shots.
- Back-nine separation: A three-birdie stretch on holes 11–13 flipped the tournament.
- Consistency wins: No other player matched Sides with two rounds in the 60s.
- Shortened but demanding: The 36-hole format rewarded precision and discipline.
How it was decided
- Back-nine run: Birdies on 11, 12, and 13 created real separation.
- Closing composure: A birdie on the par-3 17th sealed the title.
- Pressure resisted: Russell and Harris made late pushes but couldn’t close the gap.
- Former leader fades: First-round leader Grayson Wood finished T8.
T2. Miles Russell — −5
T2. Frankie Harris — −5
T4. Parker Bell, Luke Poulter, Tyler Weaver, Tom Fischer — −3
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Championship complete • final update
For more than two decades, the Jones Cup has served as both a proving ground and a launchpad—an elite championship where the world’s top amateurs test their games against a demanding course, coastal winds, and a field that routinely mirrors a future PGA Tour leaderboard.
From Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed to Ludvig Åberg, Corey Conners, Akshay Bhatia, and Davis Thompson, the tournament’s champions list reads like a roadmap to professional success. Winning the Jones Cup isn’t just a résumé line—it’s often a signal that a player’s game is already built for what comes next.
LIVE SCORING: Follow the Jones Cup Invitational leaderboard and live updates here.
For more than two decades, the Jones Cup has served as both a proving ground and a launchpad—an elite, invite-only championship where the world’s top amateurs test their games against a demanding course, winter conditions, and a field that routinely mirrors a future PGA Tour leaderboard.
From Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed to Ludvig Åberg, Corey Conners, Akshay Bhatia, and Davis Thompson, the tournament’s champions list reads like a roadmap to professional success. Winning the Jones Cup isn’t just a résumé line—it’s often a signal that a player’s game is already built for what comes next.
Ocean Forest Golf Club
Want to prepare like the Jones Cup field? Get the official StrackaLine yardage book for Ocean Forest—ideal for competitive amateurs who plan conservative lines in the wind, dial in carry numbers, and chart precise approaches.
Pro move: Use the green diagrams to pick conservative targets when coastal wind turns a back pin into a short-side miss.
A Championship Built on Legacy and Camaraderie
Founded in 2001 by the A.W. Jones family, the Jones Cup Invitational was created to celebrate not only elite amateur golf, but the traditions and relationships that define the game at its highest non-professional level.
Played as a 54-hole individual stroke-play championship, the event brings together 78 of the top amateurs from the United States and abroad, selected entirely by invitation at the discretion of the Jones Cup Committee.
The tournament’s success and global reputation eventually led to the creation of two companion championships:
- Jones Cup Junior Invitational (est. 2009)
- Jones Cup Senior Invitational (est. 2011)
Together, the three events form one of amateur golf’s most respected championship families, all contested annually on Sea Island.
Major season starts here at the Jones Cup
The Jones Cup Invitational stands as one of the Majors of Amateur Golf, testing the game’s best players in true championship conditions. AmateurGolf.com coverage of the Majors of Amateur Golf is presented by Titleist, the game’s most trusted name in performance golf balls.
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Ocean Forest Golf Club: A Demanding Winter Test
The Jones Cup is defined as much by its venue as its field.
Ocean Forest Golf Club, a Rees Jones design that debuted in 1995, is a rare blend of seaside beauty and championship-level difficulty. Stretching along the Atlantic Ocean, the course typically demands a complete game with firm, fast fairways, coastal winds, and exacting green complexes—especially along a closing stretch that rewards nerve and precision.
Ocean Forest has previously hosted the 2001 Walker Cup, the Southern Amateur, and the Georgia State Amateur, and January conditions often add another layer of complexity. Frost delays, heavy coastal air, and shorter daylight hours have routinely turned final rounds into endurance tests.
A Field Defined by Selection, Not Qualification
Unlike most elite amateur championships, the Jones Cup is invite-only, with invitations extended based on a combination of rankings and results across the most competitive pipelines in the sport, including WAGR, top junior and collegiate performance, and national team consideration.
Events given significant weight in the selection process include:
- U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior
- NCAA Championship
- British Amateur and European Amateur
- Western Amateur, Southern Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur, Porter Cup, and Northeast Amateur
- Walker Cup squad representation (U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland)
A limited Monday qualifier offers just three spots into the main field, making it one of the most competitive one-day qualifiers in amateur golf.
Recent Champions and a Proven Pathway
The Jones Cup’s recent winners underscore why the event is viewed as a barometer for future success:
- 2025 – Gray Albright
- 2024 – Jacob Modleski
- 2023 – David Ford
- 2022 – Palmer Jackson
- 2021 – Ludvig Åberg
- 2020 – Davis Thompson
- 2019 – Akshay Bhatia
Past champions have combined for 35+ PGA Tour victories, and several—including Åberg—won professionally at Sea Island shortly after turning pro. Winning here often signals a player’s game is already tour-ready.
Why the Jones Cup Matters
Among players, coaches, and national team evaluators, the Jones Cup holds a unique place on the calendar:
- It opens the competitive season for many elite players
- It rewards complete, pressure-ready games, not just low scoring
- It often presents major-championship-like conditions
- It consistently features international depth
There are no exemptions, no safety nets, and no weak fields—only 54 holes to prove you belong.
A Season Begins on the Coast
As the amateur golf world turns the page to a new year, the Jones Cup Invitational once again sets the tone.
History suggests that when the final putt drops at Ocean Forest, at least one name near the top of the leaderboard will soon be familiar on Sunday afternoons at the professional level.
And for those watching closely, the road to the next generation of stars begins here—on the windswept fairways of Sea Island.
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, Pa...
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