A monkey still on host

Mike Reehl has never seen a monkey at Santa Ana Country Club.

Look out for one today at the 10th annual Jones Cup.

“We’d like to get the monkey off our back,� said Reehl, the golf professional at Santa Ana Country Club. “It’s kind of been frustrating.�

Santa Ana is the lone country club out of the four competing in the Jones Cup without a championship.

Santa Ana is pressed to win it this year. Santa Ana is playing host to it. The event’s big sponsor is a member at Santa Ana.

“He likes to go by Ted,� Reehl said of Fletcher Jones Jr.

Ted probably wants to call Reehl and his team “winners� after today’s round, which starts at 10 a.m.

The same members return except for one, the men’s club champion. Boyd Martin is playing this year, and Reehl is hoping Santa Ana is on the brink of finally claiming the Jones Cup.

Santa Ana came close last year. Reehl still hasn’t forgotten.

Reehl, pro Geoff Cochrane, women’s champion Liz Slater, senior champion Chris Veitch, and men’s champion John Gilchrist put the team in contention in the two-best-ball format.

The course at Newport Beach County Club plays similar to Santa Ana’s course. It began playing that way on the back nine. Santa Ana got comfortable, recording nine birdies to force a playoff.

Three teams met in the playoff starting on the 18th hole. Only one finished on top and it wasn’t Santa Ana.

Big Canyon Country Club eagled and birdied, whereas Santa Ana recorded two pars, finishing runner-up again.

This is the third time Reehl said Santa Ana is playing host to the Jones Cup. The first time was in 2001, the same year it played Big Canyon in a playoff and lost.

Playoffs and Santa Ana equal heartbreaks.

“The first time it was just the club champion and the head pro, a two-man team,� said Reehl, putting more blame on himself. “What happened was on the third playoff hole we went back on No. 18. Bob Lovejoy [of Big Canyon] hooked it toward the lake. Somehow, it ricocheted off the railroad ties, over the lake and into the middle of the fairway.

“He birdied it. He got lucky. I think the shot has jinxed us.�

Reehl can take solace in the fact Lovejoy is no longer the club pro at Big Canyon, a six-time Jones Cup winner.

Lovejoy retired from the position at the club. Reehl will still see Lovejoy at the Jones Cup today.

As the starter, Lovejoy will greet the golfers starting a round. When it ends, Reehl plans to find Lovejoy.

Someone might need to cage the monkey off Reehl’s back.