Event named in honor of the late Jackson T. Stephens has hosted one of the strongest fields in NCAA Division I golf annually since its inception in 2021
LAKE BLUFF, ILLINOIS – Lousiana State won the men’s team title, and Wake Forest secured the women’s team championship Wednesday in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Shoreacres.
Named in honor of the late Jackson (Jack) T. Stephens, the former Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, The Jackson T. Stephens Cup has hosted one the strongest fields in NCAA Division I golf annually since 2021.
The tournament was held Monday-Wednesday. Individual champions were crowned following 54 holes of stroke play Monday and Tuesday, with four men’s and four women’s teams advancing based on their team scores to an 18-hole match play tournament Wednesday to determine the team champions. All three days featured live television coverage on GOLF Channel.
LSU’s men beat North Carolina, 4-1, in Wednesday’s match play team championships. Dan Hayes earned a 4&3 victory, Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson won his match 2-up, and Matthew Dodd Perry won, 3&2.
“I think the talent we have is elite, and I knew that if we could perform today, we could win,” LSU coach Jake Amos said. “We had some comfortable matches, but some uncomfortable ones too. North Caolina is really good, and it has just been a great experience for us.”
While Hayes and Dodd-Berry took control of their matches early, Sveinsson mounted a major comeback on the back nine. He fell behind early when his opponent, North Carolina’s Keaton Vo, eagled the first hole, and Sveinsson’s birdie on the ninth brought the match to all square. Vo’s bogey on the 10th gave Sveinsson his first lead of the day, but he gave it back with a double bogey on the challenging par-3 14th. Sveinsson went 1-up after a Vo bogey on the 17th, and the LSU sophomore birdied the 18th to close it out one day after finishing second for the men’s individual title.
“I was delighted to get the invitation (to the Stephens Cup),” Amos said. “I asked our women’s coach because they have played in this event a couple times, and he couldn’t say enough good things. When I found out it was going to be at a venue like this, I was amazed. The experience they put on has been first class – they really treat us like tour players. The fields are amazing, and the course setup is fair and hard. I can’t imagine how much effort has gone into it. It has just been incredible.
“I have a feeling this event isn’t going anywhere, and to have our names on the trophy is incredible. I’d love to have a chance to come back.”
Wake Forest’s women became the first team – men or women – in the five-year history of the Jackson T. Stephens Cup to win the event twice, beating Stanford, 3-2. The Deamon Deacons also won in 2023.
Morgan Ketchum secured a 4&3 victory, while Casey Weidenfeld won her match 1-up. Anne-Sterre Den Dunnen went to three extra holes and won 1-up.
“It was unbelievable, first to go to extra holes, and for Anne, our senior to do it again – she has done it so many times for us,” Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said. “It shows the depth of our team. Macy (Pate) and Chloe (Kovelesky) helped us secure the number one seed, and then the other three winning their matches was incredible.
“This team has shown that they can win, but everyone contributes. That’s what’s so amazing about this team – the depth of the team. Everyone contributes and works hard.”
Arizona finished third, and Northwestern was fourth in the men’s team competition. In the women’s team play, Texas took bronze over Oregon.
Tuesday afternoon, William Sides of SMU won the men’s individual title for the second straight year, and Macy Pate of Wake Forest secured the women’s individual crown.
The men’s field for the fifth-annual Jackson T. Stephens Cup included University of Arizona, Louisiana State University, Northwestern University, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas and University of North Carolina. The women’s field included Northwestern University, University of Oregon, Stanford University, University of South Carolina, University of Texas and Wake Forest University.
Invitations were also extended to 12 individual golfers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and United States Service Academies. Competing in the men’s stroke play division were Denis Asaba (Livingstone), Chip Deegan (United States Naval Academy), Drew Jeffords (United States Military Academy), Brooks Morrell (United States Air Force Academy), Tariro November (Howard University), Mathis Perroni (Howard University) and Sascha Robinson (Florida A&M). The individuals featured in the women’s stroke play competition were Hallie Brisco (United States Naval Academy), Paris Fieldings (Howard University), Marley Franklin (Howard University), Kacey Menyoli (Prairie View A&M University) and Emma Tang (United States Naval Academy).
About The Jackson T. Stephens Cup
The Jackson T. Stephens Cup (JTS Cup) is an annual collegiate golf tournament that honors the legacy of the late Jackson (Jack) T. Stephens, former Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and a lifelong advocate for the game of golf. This premier three-day event features a combination of stroke play and match play, highlighting NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams that contend for national championships, along with standout individuals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and U.S. Military Service Academies.
The JTS Cup was created by Warren A. Stephens, son of Jack Stephens, and was first played in September 2021 at The Alotian Club. Miles Stephens and John Stephens, grandsons of the tournament’s namesake, serve as tournament co-chairs—carrying forward their family’s legacy of sportsmanship, excellence, and a commitment to developing the next generation of elite golfers. Bill Macatee, one of sports’ preeminent broadcasters, serves as Vice Chairman.
The Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas, serves as the tournament’s home course, with the event also rotating among other premier venues across the country.
For more information, visit www.jacksontstephenscup.com or follow the tournament on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Curtis Jeffries, cjeffries@stephens.com
Kevin Miller, kmiller@intersportnet.com
Heather Durga, hdurga@intersportnet.com
PHOTOS AVAILABLE HERE – (Please credit “Stephens”)