FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
CAPTAINS GRUNEWALD AND CARTER ANNOUNCE TEAMS FOR 35th UNDERWOOD CUP
– Matches pitting Professionals vs. Amateurs to be played Feb. 2-3 for first-time at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach-
JACKSONVILLE, FL – Professional captain Dean Grunewald of host The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach and Amateur captain Steve Carter of Deerwood Country Club have announced their respective 12-player teams for next month’s 35th edition of the Underwood Cup.
The 2026 Underwood Cup will be played Feb. 2-3 at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach for the first time.
On Feb. 2nd there will be six foursomes matches in the morning, followed by six four-ball matches in the afternoon. The Cup will be decided on Feb. 3rd with 12 singles matches.
The 2026 Professional and Amateur team lineups are as follows:
| Professional Team | Amatuer Team | |||
| Dean Grunewald Assistant Captain |
The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach |
Steve Carter Captain |
Deerwood CC | |
| Matt Hipps Assistant Captain |
World Golf Village | Michael Delrocco Assistant Captain |
San Jose CC | |
| Clint Avret | Southeastern Turf Supply | Chase Baldwin | Deerwood CC | |
| Jarrod Barsamian* | Ponte Vedra Inn & Club | Jordan Batchelor | Deerwood CC | |
| Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth | San Jose CC | Ty Capps* | Hammock Dunes Club | |
| Hayes Farley | San Jose CC | Jeff Dennis | TPC Sawgrass | |
| Austin Hill* | Timuquana CC | Sam Giese | Timuquana CC | |
| Andrew Lanahan* | PGA TOUR’s Performance Center | Jeff Golden | Jax Beach GC | |
| Rob Lee | Westside Golf Center | Tyler Gulliksen* | Amelia National GC | |
| Sydney Mattiace | Sawgrass CC | Lance LaCombe | Fleming Island GC | |
| Bobby Newberry | Timuquana CC | Andrew Morris | St. Johns G&CC | |
| P.J. Politan | GreatLIFE Golf | Graham Nichols* | Timuquana CC | |
| Aaron Russell | Sawgrass CC | Matt Sexton | San Jose CC | |
| Josh Wolfe | Ponte Vedra Inn & Club | Mike Smith | NA | |
*Underwood Cup debut
Alternates:
Professionals – Will Rehberg, Deerwood CC
Amateurs – Charles Kirk, Eagle Harbor GC
The teams were determined based on separate points systems that are relative to the various top-level competitions Northern Chapter of the North Florida PGA Section professionals and their top amateur counterparts competed in during the course of 2025.
After dropping the 2023 and 2024 Underwood Cup matches to the Professionals, the Amateurs got back on the winning track last February (2025) with a 14-10 victory at Deerwood CC. The Amateurs hold the series edge, 18-13-3, dating back to 1993.
Underwood Jewelers has been the event’s title sponsor all 35 years.
Dean Grunewald is captaining the Professionals for the first time after having served in an assistant captain capacity in February 2025. He will be assisted by Matt Hipps of World Golf Village.
Steve Carter, who has played in an Amateur team record 25 Underwood Cups, will be the Amateur captain for the third time (2022, 2023, 2026). Michael Delrocco of San Jose CC will be his assistant captain. Delrocco captained last year’s winning Amateur team.
The Underwood Cup is supported by the following entities:
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ABOUT THE NORTHERN CHAPTER PGA
The Northern Chapter is made up of 300 men and women PGA Professionals serving the game of golf. The boundaries of the chapter extend north to the Georgia state line, west to Tallahassee, and the south including Levy, Alachua and Putnam counties.
The Northern Chapter is governed by volunteer Officers elected by the membership. The Core Purpose is to deliver the member programs and services of the North Florida PGA. The Northern Chapter provides continuing education, pro-pro and pro-am tournaments. In addition, Northern Chapter PGA Professionals are involved in charitable outreach initiatives serving our communities.
ABOUT UNDERWOOD JEWELERS
Since 1928, Underwood Jewelers has provided Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach and Northeast Florida with beautiful engagement rings, designer jewelry and luxury watches through its long-term quality philosophy. Underwood’s is a proud member of the American Gem Society in which only the most ethical, educated and consumer protective jewelers are qualified to join. It is a sixth-generation family business and an Official Rolex Jeweler. Underwoods has three locations, in San Marco, Ponte Vedra Beach and Avondale.
ABOUT THE UNDERWOOD CUP
First played in 1992, the Underwood Cup mirrors professional golf’s Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup competitions. It features 12 leading PGA of America members from the Northern Chapter of the North Florida PGA Section competing against 12 elite amateur golfers from Northeast Florida. The first 30 Underwood Cups were hosted by Timuquana Country Club. In 2022 and 2023, the matches moved to San Jose Country Club before returning to Timuquana in 2024. Last year (2025), they were played at Deerwood Country Club for the first time. The 2026 venue, The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach, is also a new home. Underwood Jewelers has sponsored the Cup all 35 years. The Amateurs hold an 18-13-3 advantage over the Professionals in the first 34 matches, with the Amateurs winning the Cup back (14-10) in 2025. The matches are conducted by the Northern Chapter of the North Florida PGA and supported by the Jacksonville Area Golf Association (JAGA) and Florida State Golf Association (FSGA).
Year-by-Year Underwood Cup History (1992-2024)
Conducted by the Northern Chapter of the North Florida Section PGA, supported administratively and promotionally by JAGA and the FSGA, hosted by Timuquana Country Club (first 30 years and 2024), San Jose Country Club (2022 and 2023) and Deerwood Country Club (2025), and sponsored by Underwood Jewelers all 35 years:
| 1992 – Professionals 16 ½, Amateurs 7 ½ * | 2011 – Amateurs 12 ½, Professionals 11 ½ * |
| 1993 – Professionals 14, Amateurs 10 * | 2012 – Amateurs 15, Professionals 9 * |
| 1994 – Professionals 13, Amateurs 11 * | 2013 – Amateurs 15 ½, Professionals 8 ½ * |
| 1995 – Professionals 12, Amateurs 12 (Tie) * | 2014 – Amateurs 13 ½, Professionals 10 ½ * |
| 1996 – Professionals 13, Amateurs 11 * | 2015 – Amateurs 17, Professionals 7 * |
| 1997 – Professionals 15 ½, Amateurs 8 ½ * | 2016 – Professionals 13, Amateurs 11 * |
| 1998 – Amateurs 13 ½, Professionals 10 ½ * | 2017 – Amateurs 14, Professionals 10 * |
| 1999 – Professionals 16, Amateurs 8 * | 2018 – Amateurs 13, Professionals 11 * |
| 2000 – Amateurs 12 ½, Professionals 11 ½ * | 2019 – Amateurs 17 ½, Professionals 6 ½ * |
| 2001 – Amateurs 12 ½, Professionals 11 ½ * | 2020 – Amateurs 16, Professionals 8 * |
| 2002 – Professionals 13, Amateurs 11 * | 2021 – Amateurs 16, Professionals 8 * |
| 2003 – Amateurs 16 ½, Professionals 7 ½ * | 2022 – Amateurs 14 ½, Professionals 9 ½ ** |
| 2004 – Professionals 13 ½, Amateurs 10 ½ * | 2023 – Professionals 14 ½, Amateurs 9 ½ ** |
| 2005 – Amateurs 17, Professionals 7 * | 2024 – Professionals 12 ½, Amateurs 11 ½ * |
| 2006 – Amateurs 12 ½, Professional 11 ½ * | 2025 – Amateurs 14, Professionals 10 *** |
| 2007 – Amateurs 12, Professionals 12 (Tie) * | |
| 2008 – Amateurs 12, Professionals 12 (Tie) * | AMATEURS LEAD CUP 18-13-3 |
| 2009 – Amateurs 13 ½, Professionals 10 ½ * | |
| 2010 – Professionals 15, Amateurs 9 * |
Host Venues: * Timuquana CC; ** San Jose CC; *** Deerwood CC
CONTACTS
Professional Team
Dean Grunewald
Northern Chapter PGA Team Captain &
Director of Golf/ The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach
Cell: 904-334-4611
Email: dgrunewald@
Amateur Team
Steve Carter
Amateur Team Captain
Deerwood Country Club
Cell: 904-673-6699
Email: cartersjk70@gmail.com