Mount Vernon News

Jones enjoying success

HOWARD — Scotty Jones skipped his routine phone call on Tuesday night. This time, dialing Ken Hyland’s digits was unnecessary. After a competitive round of golf, the 2007 Malone College graduate always gives his former head coach a call. Luckily for him, Hyland was already there, waiting.

Jones finished the first round of the Ohio Public Golf Association Publinx State Amateur Championship, held at Apple Valley Golf Course, tied with Tom Ballinger as the leading scorer at 69 to finish 3-under par. It was then his traditional chat with Hyland came in person. Jones’ former coach had no option regarding his attendance on Tuesday. Hyland just happens to be OPGA president.

“It’s great (for Hyland to he here). I try to keep in touch with him whenever I can,” said Jones. “I call him every round I play competitively afterwards to tell him how I’ve done.”

With the streak that Jones has been on in recent weeks, he’s used up plenty of minutes calling Hyland. On July 25, he placed fifth at the Minute Men Ohio Open. Jones finished as the second-lowest amateur at the event with his three-day score of 203 (63-69-71). On Monday, he qualified at Manakiki Golf Course and Kirtland Country Club for the U.S. Amateur Championship. The tournament will take place Aug. 20 through 26 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.

On Tuesday, Jones stayed focused and continued to ride his current good fortune on the golf course. The first two holes started out shaky, but the energetic 22-year-old bounced back.

“I had two pretty close bogey opportunities on the first two holes and missed both of them, but I didn’t get down on myself,” said Jones. “I have been playing well lately and was able to keep it together.”

Playing on a course that has plenty of personal history also helped put Jones at ease. Every year, Hyland’s team shows up to compete at the OPGA Publinx. While it’s not mandatory to play, he encourages his golfers to fully prepare and look ahead to the upcoming season.

“We use it as sort of a qualifier for our first tournament in the fall,” said Hyland. “We have our regionals here and I want to have the guys see as much as they can about Apple Valley.”

Hyland’s philosophy has paid off. The Pioneers are four-time defending AMC/NAIA Region IX champions.

Members of the Malone College golf team step foot on the course at least four to five times a year, meaning Jones, and plenty of others, grew intimate with Apple Valley during their collegiate careers. That sort of familiarity can have its perks.

“I know all the pins out here. I know which way (the greens break),” said Jones. “It is a definite advantage.”

Fourteen of Hyland’s golfers embraced that opportunity by showing up to compete Tuesday. Senior captain Darren Phipps is among the leading scorers after a Round 1 finish of 70. Only 13 out of the 245 golfers who participated finished Tuesday under par.

“It went really well. I scrambled for the first nine I only hit two greens in regulation,” said Phipps. “Somehow I got it in with a 36 and then started hitting the ball pretty well on the back. The putter was just awesome. I made basically everything I looked at and couldn’t be happier with that.”

Playing with his current teammates has been great for Phipps — but reuniting with Jones made this year’s Publinx even sweeter.

“I haven’t seen Scotty in a while,” said Phipps. “The kid is playing some good golf right now and I hope he keeps it up. Maybe I can keep up with him for a couple more days.”

A friendly rivalry: The Malone College golf team isn’t the only member of the American MidEast Conference to take advantage of the Publinx State Amateur. Golfers on the Mount Vernon Nazarane University team call Apple Valley Golf Course home during the school year. Eight out of the 10 Cougars showed up to play at this week’s OPGA tournament. Just like the Pioneers, it’s nice for the Cougars to get a taste of the course that hosts their regional contest.

MVNU Senior Tim Hepner ended the day four-over-par with a score of 76.

“For the most part today, I hit it really well. I just didn’t get any putts to fall. If I hit it well tomorrow, hopefully the score will turn around a little bit,” he said.

Both top teams in the AMC, Hepner enjoys seeing members of the Malone golf team come to Apple Valley every summer. It has allowed the teams to form a special connection that many schools never have.

“In the college season, we play with them a lot,” said Hepner. “We get paired with them so we have a good personal relationship with all the players. During this tournament, one of the nights, normally, most of us get together and go out to eat. We’ve really bonded with each other over the last few years and made friendships out of it.”