08/11/2026
It's RECAP TIME!
The Jacksonville Open at Esplanade at St. Mary’s
What a way to introduce a brand-new golf course to tournament golf! The Jacksonville Open took us just across the Georgia line to Esplanade at St. Mary’s, where our players had the opportunity to compete on a course that had only been open to the public for a matter of days. With virtually no course knowledge to lean on, everyone was starting from the same place—figure it out on the fly, stay patient, and try to avoid the mistakes that come with seeing a golf course for the first time.
And this new track certainly provided its share of challenges. We saw tight battles, late pushes, players traveling from out of state, movement in the Sunshine Cup race, and even a back-to-back champion emerged. There was plenty to talk about across all five flights, so let’s get into the Jacksonville Open!
Champ Flight: Eric Shin (76)
The Champ Flight came all the way down to the wire, and Eric Shin had to survive a little adversity to get this one across the finish line. Eric played a nearly flawless opening nine, making the turn at even par and putting himself in great position heading to the back. Things got considerably more interesting after the turn, though, including a costly triple bogey on the par-3 13th that suddenly opened the door for the rest of the flight.
David Watkins Jr. and Chris Skiba were waiting to take advantage. After an up-and-down start to this round, David found another gear and incredibly closed with 10 consecutive pars. Chris Skiba pulled to within one after Eric’s blunder on the 13th but Eric had done just enough to hold on and claim the Champ Flight victory. Both Chris and David’s late charge made sure there was absolutely no breathing room down the stretch. A great battle at the top!
Albatross Flight: Matt Rickle (76)
With 11 players in the Albatross Flight, there wasn’t much room for error—and North Carolina’s Matt Rickle certainly didn’t make many. Matt made the trip south and put together one of the cleanest rounds of the event, firing a 76 without a single double bogey on the card.
Greg Matthews was right there with him and kept the pressure on throughout the day, but sometimes a tournament can be decided by one early mistake. Greg’s double bogey on the second hole ultimately proved costly, as that early two-shot swing became the difference between first and second. Matt’s ability to keep the big numbers off the card paid off in a big way, earning him a two-stroke victory and making the trip from North Carolina well worth it.
Eagle Flight: Chris Beeman (80)
The largest flight of the Jacksonville Open belonged to the Eagle Flight, where 15 players were battling for the trophy. With that many names on the leaderboard, Chris Beeman knew there would be very little room to relax—and he responded with an impressive round of 80.
Xander Walker made his move on the back nine and did everything he could to close the gap, but Chris had already built himself too much of a cushion. Even as the pressure increased coming home, Beeman stayed composed and never allowed Xander to get close enough to completely flip the script. When the final putt dropped, Chris had secured a three-stroke victory in the deepest flight of the tournament. Well played!
Birdie Flight: David Watkins (84)
David Watkins picked a pretty good time to start making a move. An 84 was good enough for another three-shot victory, but this win could end up meaning much more than another trophy on the shelf.
David saved some of his best golf for the closing stretch, firing a 39 on the back nine to pull away and secure the victory. The win also delivered valuable race points, potentially moving him into the top 10 of the points race as the battle for the Sunshine Cup continues to tighten. With the top six ultimately earning their opportunity to represent Jacksonville, David has officially put himself into the conversation. There’s still work to do, but with the season moving toward its final stretch, this was exactly the kind of performance he needed.
Par Flight: Joe Potts (93)
Apparently Joe Potts has decided that winning is pretty fun. After breaking through at The WAR at WGV in July, Joe arrived at Esplanade looking to prove that his first victory was no fluke.
On a brand-new golf course where everyone was learning their way around for the first time, consistency was easier said than done. Joe handled that challenge better than the rest, taking a two-shot advantage into the back nine and refusing to give it away. Rather than allowing the field to close the gap, he stretched the margin to three by the finish and posted a 93 to secure his second consecutive victory. From first-time winner at WGV to back-to-back champion at Esplanade—Joe Potts is officially on a run.
Closing – Next Stop: Amelia River
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Esplanade and helped make the first tournament event on this brand-new golf course such a memorable one. We also want to thank the team at Esplanade at St. Mary’s for opening their doors to us and giving our players the opportunity to experience the course so soon after its debut.
Now we turn our attention back to Florida and our next stop: Amelia River Golf Club! The season is getting to the point where every event—and every point—starts to matter a little more. Sunshine Cup positions are still up for grabs, the points races continue to tighten, and there is plenty of golf left for someone to make a run.
Next stop: Showdown at Amelia River. Let’s keep it rolling! ⛳🔥
TheGrint Tour | Jacksonville | Event | Showdown at Amelia River https://share.google/7EpToP5RufueqarCM
