Stanley Wins Jones Cup

Feb. 8, 2009

Clemson, SC – Clemson junior Kyle Stanley won the Jones Cup Amateur in a playoff against Oklahoma State freshman Morgan Hoffman on Sunday. The Jones Cup is a national amateur event played at Ocean Forest Golf Club at Sea Island, GA.

Stanley finished with a one over par 217 score on the par 72 course that is 7321 yards in length for the 54 hole event. He and Hoffman were tied after the three rounds, then Stanley captured the event in a playoff.

Stanley had a two shot lead after the first round with a two-under par 70. He was the only golfer to break par in the first round. Hoffman shot a 72 in the second round and Stanley had a 75, giving Hoffman a one-shot lead entering Sunday’s final round. But, Stanley fired and event par 72 and Hoffman had a 73 on Sunday to bring on a playoff.

Stanley trailed by five shots with just three holes to play. Hoffman missed a five-foot putt for par on 16 after Stanley had made par. Then, Stanley hit his tee shot on the par three 17th hole to within one foot of the hole. Hoffman missed the green and ended up with a bogey. Then, Hoffman double bogeyed the 18th hole when he hit his second shot from the fairway left and missed a six foot putt that would have given him the win. Stanley got up and down from off the green by making a four footer and forcing the playoff, which Stanley won.

It was the fourth national amateur tournament title for Stanley since he enrolled at Clemson. He won the 2006 Sahalee Amateur in the state of Washington, and the 2006 and 2008 Southern Amateurs. His win at the Southern Amateur last summer will give him a spot in the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

Stanley is the third Clemson golfer to win the Jones Cup. D.J. Trahan, now on the PGA Tour, captured the title in February of 2001, and Gregg Jones won the title in February of 2003.

Clemson teammate David May finished fifth in the strong national field. May had rounds of 75-74-72 for a 221 score.