Jones slowing down, but still reaching LPGA goals

Rosie Jones still isn't retiring from competitive golf, but she's getting closer.

The Atlanta resident, one of four golfers enshrined at the 18th annual Georgia Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night at Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta, planned to cut back her LPGA Tour schedule starting in 2005 with an eye on retirement.

But after a strong start put her in line for a spot on the U.S. Solheim Cup team, she played 20 events.

Jones had eight top-10 finishes and easily qualified for the Solheim Cup, which the U.S. won 15-12 over Europe in September.

"My goal was to make that Solheim Cup team," said Jones, who played in seven of those events, including the inaugural one in 1990.

She ended up her Solheim career in unbeaten style (she was 1-0-2 in 2005) and finished 11-9-2 for her career.

Jones isn't going to just drop off the tour in 2006. She hopes to play in "eight to 10" events this year, ending with the U.S. Women's Open in early July.

"You have to play in 10 to keep your status active, but that might not happen because I'm making the transition to commentating for The Golf Channel," she said.

Jones, a 13-time winner on the tour, has been talking retirement for the past few years because of back and neck problems, and the grind of travel.

Her neck ailment is under control, she said, but she doubts she could play a full 2006 schedule even if she wanted to.

"Not really," she said. "I've run into some other problems and I'm just tired of beating my body up like that. It's been hard on me. It's hard to travel that much. I'm 46 now and I want to slow down a little bit."

Jones, a feisty player who was placed in the final singles match of last year's Solheim Cup for that reason, is expected one day to be named captain of the U.S. team.

"Yeah, sure, I've thought about it and I would like to do it," Jones said. "They asked me if I was interested (for the 2007 matches) and I felt there were some other players that should have a turn before me at that position."

Betsy King was named the U.S. captain for the 2007 matches, with Beth Daniel serving as assistant captain.

"I'm sure I'll have one of those roles in the next four to six years," Jones said.

It was fitting that Jones was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in Augusta.

Her last LPGA Tour victory came less than 15 miles down the road - at the 2003 Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at Mount Vintage Plantation and Golf Club in Edgefield, S.C.

"It's really exciting to be in the area again," Jones said. "It's a great golf town and area. I wish that tournament I won was at Augusta National Golf Club, but it wasn't.

"But I played great golf there and it was a great golf course. I'm sorry we aren't playing there anymore."

At the induction ceremony, Jones was joined former PGA Tour winner Tim Simpson, amateur Martha Wilkinson Kirouac and the late amateur George S. Hamer Jr. as new members.

There are now 72 members in the hall.

Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.