PREVIEW: Jones Cup Senior Invitational
February 22, 2026 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: Jones Cup Senior Invitational, Sea Island Golf Club - Seaside Course
Everything you need to follow the Jones Cup Senior Invitational at Sea Island’s Seaside Course
The Jones Cup Senior Invitational begins tomorrow at Sea Island Golf Club, bringing together many of the nation’s top senior amateurs on the windswept Seaside Course for 54 holes of championship stroke play. Bookmark this page as your all-week hub: the live scoring link stays permanent, while the What to Know and Round Summary sections are designed to be quickly updated as the tournament unfolds.
What to Know
- Dates: February 23–26, 2026
- Venue: Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course) — St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Format: 54 holes of stroke play
- Cut: No cut (every player competes all three rounds)
- Eligibility: Men 55+ with a Handicap Index of 2.4 or lower
- Entry: Invitation only (players apply during the application window)
- Qualifier: 18-hole qualifier at the start of tournament week awards three spots (ties broken by sudden-death playoff for the final position)
First played in 2012, the Jones Cup Senior Invitational is the senior extension of the Jones Cup family and has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive senior amateur events on the calendar. The tournament’s combination of a deep invite list, a demanding coastal venue, and a three-round sprint format creates a week where a single stretch of holes can reshape the leaderboard.
Official event page (registration details, qualifier notes, and background info): Jones Cup Senior Invitational – Official Site
The Test at Sea Island
The Seaside Course is a coastal, links-influenced championship layout where wind and exposure are often the defining defenses. Players who can flight the ball down, commit to conservative targets, and avoid big numbers tend to separate over 54 holes. It’s also a venue with major pedigree: the Seaside Course is part of the Sea Island rotation that hosts the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic.
- Wind management: trajectory control and committed lines off the tee
- Approach precision: small misses can create difficult up-and-downs
- Putting on coastal greens: speed control matters when conditions shift
- Momentum swings: exposed stretches can flip the leaderboard quickly
Storylines Entering the Week
Defending Champion: Jeff Knox
Jeff Knox returns as the reigning champion after winning the 2025 Jones Cup Senior Invitational at 5-under 205. Knox set the pace early and held off a final-round push to claim the title by a single stroke, reinforcing how valuable fast starts can be in this no-cut, three-round format.
A Field Built for a Three-Round Sprint
With 54 holes and no cut, there’s little time to recover from a slow round. Expect aggression in scoring pockets, but also conservative play when conditions tighten. The Jones Cup Senior frequently features past champions, decorated state and club champions, and veteran competitors accustomed to elite invitational pressure.
Exemptions and Opportunity
Performance matters beyond the trophy: the tournament’s exemption structure (top finishers and past champions) means strong weeks can help players secure future starts and maintain momentum early in the senior season.
Past Champions
Senior Champions
- 2025 — Jeff Knox
- 2024 — Jack Larkin
- 2023 — Bob Royak
- 2022 — Matthew Sughrue
- 2021 — Doug Hanzel
- 2020 — Bob Royak
- 2019 — Doug Hanzel
- 2018 — Gene Elliott
- 2017 — Walter Todd
- 2016 — Mark Weston
- 2015 — Jack Hall
- 2014 — Doug Hanzel
- 2013 — Mike Bodney
- 2012 — Doug Hanzel
Super Senior Champions
- 2022 — John Armstrong
- 2021 — Jack Kearney
- 2020 — Mark Weston
- 2019 — Don Marsh
- 2018 — Pete Allen
- 2017 — Don Marsh
- 2016 — Don Marsh
- 2015 — Don Marsh
- 2014 — Bill Engel
- 2013 — Bill Engel
- 2012 — Robert Kulp
About the Jones Cup Senior
54-hole senior invitational event inaugurated in 2012, that follows in the footsteps of the Jones Cup, an event that unofficially kicks off the amateur circuit each year.
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