Jones set to golf with best

EAST PALESTINE — After enjoying an outstanding golf career for Malone College, where he made All-America and graduated magna cum laude, Scott Jones Jr. of East Palestine is preparing for the biggest amateur tournament of his life, which he hopes will give him a good start toward a professional golf career.

Jones, who helped Malone to qualify for four NAIA national tournaments during his career, will be playing for the first time in the U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament slated Aug. 20 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.

He qualified for the prestigious event at the U.S. Amateur Trials held recently at Manakiki Golf Course in Cleveland and Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby by firing 68-74—142 to tie for second place. He was just one stroke off the winning pace, becoming one of the top four finishers in the trials, qualifying for the U.S. Amateur.

Prior to the trials, Jones had a strong finish in the Ohio Open by placing fifth with 63-69-71—203. The 63 was a career-best. His best round at Malone was 69.

He will enter the U.S. Amateur with a lot of momentum, which he hopes will help him compete with some of the best young golfers in America and the world.

“This is by far the biggest amateur tournament I have been involved in,” said Jones, who averaged 73.5 per round for his Malone career under coach Ken Hyland, and achieved a 3.8 grade-point average as a business finance major. “I have been playing the best golf of my life right now and so I am going to [go out and] hit some good golf shots and see what happens, and play each shot at a time.”

But, “It’s going to take six days of the best golf I have ever played. These are most of the best amateur golfers in the nation, and some of the best from around the world, [who will] playing there. I know I can compete with them.”

Was U.S. Public Links
qualifier last year

This won’t be the first time that Jones will be in a prestigious national tournament. Last year, he qualified for the U.S. Public Links Tournament held in Seattle, Wash., and finished among the top 36 entries.

“Last year, I made it to the second round of match play [in the U.S. Public Links]. I shot 3-under. That put me at the seventh seed. I went into match play and won my first match on the first hole of sudden death and then lost on the 18th hole of the second round [of 32 players],” said Jones, an East Palestine High graduate and the son of Lyddy and Scott Jones Sr., and the stepson of Karen Jones. Jones played four years of golf for East Palestine.

Jones said that the highlight of his career at Malone College “is that our team made it to [NAIA] nationals all four years I was there. I don’t think any Malone team ever has done that four years in a row.”

Jones now sees the U.S. Amateur leading to a new level of golf in his career and a steppingstone to the pro ranks, and an opportunity to see what he is made of while competing with the big boys.

He already has drawn up his plan to help him become a pro with a chance to qualify eventually for the PGA Tour.

Will turn pro next year;
eyes mini-tour, PGA

“I actually know what I am going to do,” said Jones, confidently. “There is a mini-tour in North Carolina that starts in February. I am going play in that tour next season. I am going to turn professional before next season.”

He said the mini-tour holds “about 19-20 events from February through October over 54 holes and a few over 72 holes. It is set up similar to the PGA Tour. It’s a few levels [below] the PGA. It’s probably right below the Hooters Tournament.”

He said that his main focus as a golfer now is to make the transition from being an amateur to a professional by discovering what is required to do that.

“I’m starting from the ground to see if I have any potential to play professional golf,” said Jones. “I’m not looking to make money on this tour, just to get my feet wet and see where I am.”

Jones eventually wants to enter PGA Qualifying School, hopefully by late next year, in quest of earning his PGA playing card.

“I had considered entering PGA Qualifying School [this year], but decided to wait until next year if I am playing well enough,” said Jones. “You have to be a half-decent golfer to get [into PGA Qualifying School].”

Qualifying school costs $4,500, he said.

He said that while in PGA Qualifying School, candidates “play tournament golf to try to keep advancing to different levels until [they] get to the PGA qualifier.” Then, “The top 30 in PGA Qualifying school earn their PGA card.”

But, “I don’t think I have the experience to do that this year.”

Of course, a high finish in the Ohio Amateur could change his mind.