Jones Cup Junior Invitational
84 junior boys, no caddies, and 54 holes on Sea Island's Seaside Course in December
December 19–21, 2026
Sea Island Golf Club, Seaside Course, St. Simons Island, GA
- The official criteria page gives the championship dates as December 19-21, 2026; the event's main site lists December 18-21.
- Open to male amateurs no older than 18 as of December 21, 2026 who are not enrolled full time at a university. The championship field is limited to 84.
- 18-hole qualifier on December 6, 2026 on Sea Island's Retreat Course: at least four qualifying spots and three alternates, from a qualifier field capped at 90. Qualifier registration opens in early November.
- Exemptions count results from events played January 1 to October 25, 2026, plus the top 75 in the AJGA Rolex Rankings and top 50 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings as of September 8, 2026.
- Caddies are not permitted. Players carry their own bags in practice and tournament rounds; pull carts are allowed.
Dates from Jones Cup Junior Invitational: 2026 criteria (official event site), checked September 25, 2026. Confirm entry details with the organizer; Tessaira does not run this event.
The story
The Jones Cup Junior Invitational was first played in December 2009 on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club. The organizer describes it as a logical extension of the Jones Cup tradition, featuring the country's top male junior golfers in a 54-hole stroke play competition. It is run by the Jones Cup Junior Invitational Committee. Most of the 84-player field gets in by exemption. The 2026 categories include top-five-and-ties finishes at designated AJGA invitationals such as the Junior PLAYERS Championship and The PING Invitational; winners of designated events including the Southern Junior, the Junior Orange Bowl, the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and the Dustin Johnson World Junior; the top 30 and ties from the 2025 Jones Cup Junior; the top 75 in the AJGA Rolex Rankings and the top 50 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings as of September 8, 2026; 2026 U.S. Amateur match-play players; and 2026 Wyndham Cup and Junior Presidents Cup participants. The official criteria page has the full list, and the committee can approve or reject any entry or exemption at any time, including after play starts. Everyone else has one door: an 18-hole qualifier on Sea Island's Retreat Course on December 6, 2026, for at least four spots and three alternates, with ties for the last spot or an alternate place settled by a hole-by-hole sudden-death playoff. One rule to plan around: caddies are not permitted, so players carry their own bags in practice and tournament rounds. Past champions include Matt NeSmith (2011) and Oliver Schniederjans, the first champion in 2009.
The venue
The Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club, 100 Retreat Avenue, St. Simons Island, Georgia, has hosted the Jones Cup Junior since the first edition in December 2009. The 2026 qualifier is played on the club's Retreat Course.
Course setup: The organizer does not publish championship yardage. Two things are fixed: the championship is on the Seaside Course and the qualifier on the Retreat Course, both at Sea Island Golf Club, and players carry their own bags or use a pull cart.
Format
54 holes of stroke play, per the organizer's history of the event. Caddies are not permitted: players carry their own bags in practice and tournament rounds, and pull carts or trolleys are allowed.
Field
84 players · Exemption categories and an 18-hole qualifier
Exemption categories plus an 18-hole qualifier (qualifier field capped at 90).
Coach verdict
The field is built from rankings, AJGA invitational results and national team selections, which is the kind of field recruiting attention follows.
Best for: Boys no older than 18 on December 21, 2026 who are not enrolled full time at a university. In practice it suits players already holding national rankings or strong invitational results, since most places go by exemption.
College scouting: The organizer doesn't publish how many college coaches attend.
Competitive insight
The exemption list tells a family where this event sits: it rewards the results that open doors elsewhere, and it credits wins at the Junior Orange Bowl, Sage Valley and the Dustin Johnson World Junior directly. A player without an exemption has the December 6 qualifier, where at least four spots are on offer. Walking and carrying for 54 holes is part of the test, so fitness and a light bag matter more here than at events with caddies.
Application tip
Check the official criteria page first. If a 2026 result or a ranking as of September 8 puts a player in an exemption category, register through the Golf Genius event site. If not, qualifier registration opens in early November for the December 6 qualifier, which caps its field at 90; the exact opening date is not published, so watch the site.
What makes it different
Notable alumni
Recent champions
| Year | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ayden Fynaut | – |
| 2024 | JD Culbreth | – |
| 2023 | Tyler Watts | – |
| 2022 | Rex Hargrove | – |
| 2021 | Andrew McLauchlan | – |
| 2020 | Shawn Lalmoni | – |
| 2019 | Maxwell Ford | – |
| 2018 | Drew Miller | – |
| 2017 | William Moll | – |
| 2016 | Garrett Barber | – |
| 2015 | Davis Shore | – |
| 2014 | Joshua Martin | – |
Is it worth the travel?
situational valueLodging is on site: for December 16-22, 2026 the organizer lists $395 a night at The Lodge and The Cloister (each with a $38 nightly resort fee) and $139 at The Inn by Sea Island, all plus taxes and fees and subject to availability. For an exempt player that is one December trip. A player relying on the qualifier should budget for two trips or a long stay, since the qualifier is December 6 and the championship starts December 19.
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