Underwood Cup organizers got more than they hoped with tournament's trophy

Fred Seely asked Underwood Jewelers President Clayton Bromberg for “anything gathering dust in a closet” that he and former Timuquana Country Club head professional Eric Smith could use as a permanent trophy for the fledgling Underwood Cup matches in 1992.

Seely should have known.

“Clayton doesn’t do anything second class,” Seely said.

Clayton Bromberg of Underwood Jewelers displays the Underwood Cup, a 36-year-old piece of Tipperary Crystal that has been awarded to the winner of the Underwood Cup each year since 1992.

Instead of rooting around in a storage area at one of his jewelry stores, Bromberg commissioned a Tipperary Crystal bowl made in Ireland, which took nine months from the day he ordered it until the day it was shipped to Jacksonville. For 35 years, it has been presented to the winners of the match-play event between Northern Chapter PGA professionals and First Coast Amateurs that was originally going to be called the Northern Chapter PGA Cup.

“They needed more than just something I had sitting in a back room,” Bromberg said. “So we called them back and said if you name it the Underwood Cup, we’ll do something better than that.”

The Amateurs won 15-9 on Feb. 3 at the Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach and Bromberg, as usual, was there to present the crystal bowl, which he said cost around $2,000 in 1992 and would cost more than double to replace it ― should a player on the winning team taking a sip of adult beverage from the bowl let it slip from his fingers one day.

The Underwood Cup is awarded each year to the team that wins a match-play event between Northern Chapter PGA professionals and First Coast Amateurs.

Through more than three decades, players on the winning team have had steady hands on the putting green and at the post-tournament celebration.

“I think the Cup itself has been a big deal in making the Underwood Cup such a prominent event in this area,” Seely said. “People see it on display in a clubhouse [usually the club of the winning captain] and without knowing anything about the Underwood Cup, see how beautiful it is and think, ‘this must be something important.'”

Seely said the effort Bromberg made was appreciated even more because he and Smith didn’t know if the event would take off.

“No one knew how big it could get, or if it would last,” Seely said. “But Eric Smith had the confidence it would be a great event and guys on both sides, pros and amateurs, talk all year about playing their way into the Cup Matches.”

UNF has a second-day rally

The University of North Florida men’s golf team tied for the second-lowest score in the final round of the Sea Best Invitational on Feb. 3 at the Atlantic Beach Country Club with a 6-under 278.

UNF finished eighth overall at 11-over. The Florida Gators won at 10-under, led by Matthew Kress and Josh Bai, who tied for third at 6-under 207, one shot behind co-medalists Chase Haygood of UCF and Aaron Pounds of Texas A&M.

Filippo Serra led UNF with a tie for 12th, posting a second-round 69. Jean-Phillippe Parr (71 in the final round) tied for 20th at 1-over.

Host Jacksonville finished 13th at 29-over. Will Harris shot 74-74―148 to tie for 46th as the low Dolphin player.

Home of Furyk & Friends finishes upgrade

The Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa in Palm Coast has completed an $800,000 bunker renovation on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Ocean Course, which will host the PGA Tour Champions Constellation Furyk & Friends Oct. 9-11.

Jacksonville-based MacCurrach Golf Construction performed the work of modernizing all bunkers on the course, with advanced liners and premium angular sand to improve drainage, durability and consistency year-round.

The resort also finished a renovation of the Ocean Course chipping green to mirror on-course conditions for a more realistic short-game practice experience.

JAGA Four-Ball set

Entries are still open for the Jacksonville Area Golf Associations Spring Four Ball March 3 at the Stillwater Golf and Country Club in northern St. Johns County. … The 10th annual Celebration of Golf Banquet presented by Circle K on Feb. 11 at Deerwood is sold out. The MacCurrach Family will receive the Deane Beman Award. … Applications for the JAGA Scholarship Fund are being accepted through March 31. Sponsors and students can learn more by visiting jaxareagolf.org/scholarships/apply/#eligibility or email Scholarship Committee chairman and Marsh Landing Country Club director Peter Karpen at pfkarpen@aol.com. … Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth of Fleming Island, a teaching professional at San Jose CC, finished second in the 2025 Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year race. Sandra Changkija of Lake Nona G&CC in Orlando became the second two-time winner of the prestigious national award, matching Connelly Eiswerth in 2023 and 2024. … Three twosomes tied for first in the Northern Chapter PGA’s opening event of the season, the Pro-Pro at Timuquana. Connelly Eiswerth and Hayes Farly of San Jose, Tyler Gray of Marsh Landing and Jason Duff of San Jose, and Michael Mattiace of UNF with Mark Tullo of Deerwood all posted 6-under 66.

Therese Quinn wins Winter Series event

Therese Quinn of Jacksonville posted a 10-over 154 under difficult conditions and won a Florida State Golf Association Women’s Winter Series event at the King & Bear Feb. 2-3. JU golf coach Kathryn Dougan (163) was second, followed by Tama Caldabaugh of Ponte Vedra Beach (164) in fourth and Lou Tenarvitz of Fernandina Beach (186) in sixth. Liz Breza of St. Augustine (170) and Holly Scholl of Atlantic beach (196) were flight winners. … Iris Lee of Orlando turned the Florida Junior Tour 16-18 Bent Creek Open into a runaway, posting rounds of 68-68–136 (6-under) to beat Sahana Chokshi of Jacksonville (148) by 12 shots. Chloe McGrath of Jacksonville (159) tied for fourth and Aspen Bikowski of St. Johns (162) was ninth Mason Seaton of Jacksonville Beach and Gavin Daino of St. Augustine tied for second in the boys division at 5-over 147, four shots behind winner Shayaan Kim of Rockledge. … Jack Cole of Jacksonville Beach shot 6-over 150 to tied for fourth in the Candler Hills Open in Ocala, a 13-15 FJT event. He finished two shots behind winner Jerry Castellanos of Windremere, who staged a 12-shot turnaround from an opening 80 to 68 to finish 4-over 148.