Thursday at the Jones Cup Senior is set up for a photo finish.
Jeff Knox of Augusta, Ga., is in a great position at Sea Island Golf Club, the Seaside Course, in St. Simons Island, Ga., but some of the top senior amateurs in the country are chasing him with 18 holes remaining.
The Augusta native recorded five birdies and one bogey in the round and birdied the opening two holes of the tournament. He followed that up with a 3-under 67, with five birdies and two bogeys. He birdied holes No. 12, 13, 15, and 18 to close strong.
2020 and 2023 Jones Cup Senior champion Bob Royak of Alpharetta, Ga., is in solo second place at 3-under. Royak is ranked No. 2 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings and is looking for his third Jones Cup Senior title.
Four-time champion (2012, 2014, 2019, 2021) Doug Hanzel of Savannah, Ga., 2024 champion Jack Larkin Sr. of Atlanta, Ga., Steve Harwell of Mooresville, N.C., and Shaw Pritchett of Montgomery, Ala., are all T3 at 2-under and five shots back of Knox.
Knox is a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. His role as a marker at the Masters began in 2003. Over that time, he has been paired with Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, Craig Stadler, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Steve Stricker, amongst others.
“He’s the best I’ve ever seen on Augusta’s greens,” McIlroy said after his round with Knox in 2014. Justin Thomas has echoed that sentiment.
Knox also holds the unofficial Augusta National course record at 11-under 61.