Tour “PRO” File – Matt Jones
Matt Jones burst onto the PGA Tour with much fanfare in 2008 after a great season in 2007 on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour. However, success at the top level came slowly for the Australian, and he had to go back to the fall qualifying tournament (Q-school) after his first season. He was able to keep his card and gradually improved, having a number of top-10 finishes in 2013. In 2014, he finally won his first tournament in Houston, defeating Matt Kuchar in a playoff.
Since that time, he’s been a steady if unspectacular player. He did win the Australian Open twice, in 2015 and 2019, showing the promise he has always held. Finally, this past March he won the Honda Classic for his second PGA Tour victory. Jones took control of the tournament with statistically one of the best ballstriking performances in the past 20 years. It remains to be seen if Jones will build upon this success. Now that he is 40 years old, the maturity and experience he’s gained should bode well for the next few years.
By: Anthony Benny
Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago to all my family and friends of the USGTF and WGTF. Today, I write about the game we all love and play. In Trinidad and Tobago, there was a time when I would ask where are all the golfers. The course was empty with very few players, but then COVID-19 happened. Now, I ask where are they all going, as there is no room on the tee box, the course is almost filled, and there is an increase of about 100% more players. That is good for the golf clubs’ membership and it’s also good for the teachers.
At present, I am teaching at two golf clubs, St. Andrews Golf Club and Point-A-Pierre Golf Club. Both programs are growing in numbers, the cost is reachable, and our more experienced junior players are improving rapidly, with the low handicap at about +2 in 2021.
Chris Richards Jr., our best junior male player, has won the last four events he played in competing against all comers. His last victory was the T&T Open Amateur, Championship Division, played at St. Andrews Golf Club this past March 18-21.
The future of golf certainly looks bright here in Trinidad and Tobago!
Echoing the dramatic growth of the USGTF in its early years, 10 candidates attended the certification course held in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past month. Under the leadership of president and CEO Brandon Lee, the USGTF is poised to begin a new era of growth, and that was reflected in the recent course.
“The present to our golf instructors is to experience in the joy of our student’s success,” said Bill Rice, who served as the lead examiner. “Let’s all share in the joy!” Rice’s abilities were on full display, as candidate Elliot Tabron noted.
“I had a wonderful experience,” said Taberon. “I learned more in five days than I’ve learned in six years teaching. Bill Rice is a gentleman and a scholar, as well as a fantastic instructor. All around, I give this experience six stars on a five-star rating scale.”
Rice will be hosting a Master Golf Teaching Professional® certification course June 14-16. There are new requirements to earn this certification. For more more information and to register, please click on
After a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Golf Teachers Cup returns in full force for its 25th edition on Monday and Tuesday, October 18-19, at the Revere Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. As in 2019, the tournament will feature a concurrent pro-am (akin to the AT&T National Pro-Am held every year on the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach), with USGTF members vying for individual honors along with participating in the pro-am during tournament play. An amateur partner is not required to enter the tournament.
The entry fee is $495 per player, both professionals and amateurs, and includes two rounds of tournament play, range balls before and after each round, closing banquet and awards ceremony, tournament prizes, and other amenities. Registration will be open soon, and information will be released shortly.
Golf saw a resurgence in 2020, and the numbers back that up. According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), the total number of rounds played increased by 14% last year – a record one-year increase. As COVID-19 forced people to take inventory of their lives and with many indoor entertainment options shut down, golf became a beneficiary. Not only did beginners become fascinated with the game, but many people returned to the game after years-long absences.
To longtime USGTF teaching professional Matt Smith, there is no problem that cannot be overcome. Smith is one of the most accomplished teachers and players in USGTF history. He is well known for his prowess in these areas, but he has also drawn the admiration of everyone who knows him for overcoming stuttering.
” I have the passion that helps me to feel like every student is family. I have overcome a stuttering problem, and feel like I can motivate my students to overcome any issue,” said Smith. However, that does not define him. What does define him is the excellence he continually brings to any endeavor he attempts.
The owner of the Matt Smith Golf Academy in Pataskala, Ohio, Smith averages 55 lessons per week, has 150 kids ages 8-18 in his golf academy, and sends anywhere from three to 10 kids a year to play college golf. He is also a WGTF Top 100 Teacher and the first winner of the Harvey Penick Trophy for Excellence in Golf Teaching. He is a voracious reader and mentions he tries to get better as a player and a teacher every year.
“I feel at 45 years old I am a well-rounded player and teacher,” Smith remarked. “This allows me to work on every aspect of a golfer’s game. I do playing lessons and short game in season. I have all the latest technology to use indoors in the winter time. I am blessed that being a part of the USGTF helps me to achieve my teaching and playing goals every year.”
Smith has an Instagram account that can be accessed at 
He became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 82 years when he won the John Deere Classic in 2013, and quickly captured three major titles the next four years. Sustained stardom seemed certain for Jordan Spieth, but after winning The Open in 2017, he entered a slump that only now is he seeing signs that it may be behind him.
Rafael Conde has been the president of the Mexican Golf Teachers Federation (MGTF) since its inception. Like many WGTF members, he came to golf from another career.
Prior to founding the MGTF, Conde served as a chemical engineer for companies such as Kimberley Clark and Frito Lay. He earned his Master Golf Teaching Professional certification in 1999 and at that point really got into teaching the game.
“Since then, I have been active as a golf teacher in Mexico, having the opportunity to certify many golf teaching professionals from all over the country,” said Conde. “Additionally, I am providing certification for caddies in many private golf clubs. Also, I hold a certification for consulting in agronomical treatment of golf course grass. This practice have offered me the opportunity to get in touch with golf club managers, greenskeepers and all personnel involved in the maintenance of golf courses.”
The MGTF has thrived under Conde’s leadership. The organization has made many inroads in the Mexican golf scene, and Conde plans to engage golf professionals who are not MGTF members to consider the benefits of certification. Conde notes that the upcoming year will provide a special challenge. “2021 is going to represent a special challenge due to COVID-19, but our efforts are going to be focused to promote certifications at all levels.”