HUNTINGTON — Jared Jones is going to take his golf game to an international stage in September.
Jones, a graduate of Spring Valley High School and Ohio State and currently director of instruction at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, has earned a spot on the American team for the 30th PGA Cup, scheduled Sept. 12-18 at Foxhills Country Club & Resort in Surrey, England.
The opponent is the team from Great Britain and Ireland.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to play for my country and can’t wait for the experience,” Jones said.
In April, Jones finished runner-up in the PGA Professional Championship held at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. That secured him a spot in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He missed the cut at the PGA.
However, Jones secured enough points through a two-year points system that included the past two PGA Professional Championships and PGA Championships. River Oaks is in the Southern Texas PGA Section.
Jones is one of five rookies on the 10-member U.S. team. The event features a Ryder Cup format. There is four-ball, foursomes and singles.
“Match play is certainly a little different, and I look forward to the battle, especially on their home turf,” Jones said.
Serving as U.S. captain is Suzy Whaley, the PGA honorary president and captain of the victorious American contingent in the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup in 2019.
The captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team is D.J. Russell, with his son, Chris, serving as a vice captain.
The Americans secured the Llandudno International Trophy in the most recent playing of the PGA Cup, in September 2018, with a historic 14-12 comeback victory over Great Britain and Ireland that featured wins in eight of 10 singles matches Sunday.
The PGA Cup began in 1973, and although the U.S. team dominated the series early, the Great Britain and Ireland team has enjoyed a resurgence. The U.S. is 18-7-4 overall, but has not won outright in the United Kingdom since 2009.
Jones is excited to have friend Wyatt Worthington as a teammate.
“We have a solid team,” Jones said. “I’m hopeful we will be paired together for some of the matches.”
Whaley is the first woman elected to serve as an officer of the PGA of America, PGA honorary president and PGA master professional. She is the president of Golf Nation and the PGA director of instruction for the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The PGA Cup was first played at Pinehurst (North Carolina) Country Club and is an outgrowth of the PGA Professional Championship. Following the format of the Ryder Cup, with match-play competition between the U.S. and Europe, the PGA Cup features the top PGA club professionals from both sides of the Atlantic.
When at Spring Valley, Jones was medalist and helped the Timberwolves win the West Virginia Class AAA state championship in 2001. At Ohio State, Jones lettered four years (2004-07).
This is the second time Foxhills Country Club & Resort will host this event. The first came in 2017. The Surrey resort becomes only the second Great Britain and Ireland venue in the PGA Cup’s 49-year history to be chosen twice. It follows the lead of the 2006 Ryder Cup host venue, The K Club in Ireland (1992 and 2005).
Competition will be on the resort’s Longcross course, which is consistently featured in the U.K. top 100 rankings.
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