Big Canyon back at it
No matter the angle, familiarity can be found when it comes to the Big Canyon Country Club team and the Jones Cup.
Four of the five golfers on this year’s Big Canyon team played in last year’s Jones Cup, a two-best ball format featuring fivesomes from Newport-Mesa country clubs (Mesa Verde, Big Canyon, Newport Beach and Santa Ana).
Big Canyon, holder of six Jones Cup titles, placed second at Santa Ana Country Club last year.
Head professional and captain Robert Pang, assistant pro Michael Castillo, men’s club champion Will Tipton and women’s champion Martha Redfearn return and join senior runner-up Dave Quisling.
Mesa Verde plays host to the 11th Jones Cup at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
For at least two Big Canyon players, Mesa Verde Country Club rings a return.
Quisling and Redfearn know Mesa Verde well. Redfearn was a Mesa Verde member for eight years before joining Big Canyon 12 years ago. Quisling, 70, said he’s played the course a lot.
“It’s one of the really nice golf courses in Orange County,” Quisling said. “I like the layout. [The course] has a variety of holes.
“Ball position on the tee shot [is important].”
Quisling, an alternate, finished second to Robert Ihrke (78-69-76 — 223) in the three-round senior championship after a four-hole playoff in August. Quisling trailed by six strokes heading into the final round before shooting a 70, his best round of the tournament.
For Redfearn, the Jones Cup is familiar ground. She’s played in five tournaments and Big Canyon won four times.
“We had a slow start last year,” said Redfearn, who shot 241 for three rounds to win the women’s championship.
The format provides motivation to risk, she said.
“You can really go for flags aggressively versus nail-bite stroke play on your own ball,” Redfearn said.
Tipton won the men’s championship in September (71-68-75-72 — 286).
Quisling sees the tournament from a relaxed perspective.
“We enjoy playing and competing with good golfers in the county,” Quisling said.
And they might have seen each other before.