Jones Cup: Kelly Manos

Richard Dunn

Kelly Manos, Big Canyon Country Club’s head professional since May

1999, will play with amateur Steve Collins in the inaugural Jones Cup

Friday at Newport Beach Country Club at 1 p.m.

“You’re going to force me out of retirement,” Manos said of the Daily

Pilot-created event, billed as the ultimate community pro-am with the

four private clubs in this newspaper’s circulation vying for honors.

Manos, who won the 1996 Southern California PGA sectional

championship, got his start in the business in 1990, when then-Yorba

Linda Country Club head pro Tom Sargent hired him away from a collection

agency.

Manos worked his way up to first assistant pro under Sargent, then in

February 1995 was hired at Big Canyon as head pro Bob Lovejoy’s first

assistant.

A former USC golfer, Manos qualified for three PGA Tour events in 1997

because of his SCPGA sectional title. In ‘97, Manos played at the Bob

Hope Chrysler Classic, the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines and the

Nissan Open at Riviera, where Manos made the cut and played with Duffy

Waldorf in the final round.

Manos grew up playing golf with Tiger Woods at the Heartwell Golf

Course in Long Beach. In one junior tournament, Manos was 16 and an

all-league high school player when he lost to Woods, then a 5-year-old,

by one stroke.

“I still like to needle Kelly about it, the fact he got beat by a

5-year-old,” said Sargent, who, ironically, will be playing against Manos

in the Jones Cup as Mesa Verde Country Club’s head pro.

When Manos became head pro last year at Big Canyon, Lovejoy was

promoted to Director of Golf.