Mikey Feher recaptured some of the magic at Council Fire Golf Club on Thursday that led him to victory in the Chattanooga Tournament Players Championship five years ago.
Three shots out of the lead in the Regular division qualifier with two holes to play, Feher closed his round with an eagle on the 522-yard par 5 final hole to finish in a dead heat with Chase Deck at 1-under 71.
Deck got off to a blistering start with three birdies on his first four holes leading to an opening nine 33. But three bogeys on the back side resulted in the tie with Feher.
Richard Spangler and Griffin Law both carded scores of 1-over 73 to finish tied for third, and two-time champion Hunter Vest posted a 2-over 74 to place fifth. Rick Mays and Matt Crowder advanced to match play with rounds of 3-over 75.
The final two qualifiers were determined in a three-way playoff. Brendon Wilson, Jeff Greeson and Josh Ernest finished at 4-over 76, with Ernest being eliminated on the first extra hole at No. 1.
The Round of 16 matches will be played Friday, followed by the quarterfinals on Saturday. Sunday will feature both the semifinal matches as well as the championship final.
In the Senior division, Tom Baird continued his run of recent success by posting a 1-under 71 to earn the medalist honors in Thursday’s qualifier. Having won his third straight Tennessee Super Senior Match Play last week at Cleveland Country Club, Baird posted four birdies while bogeying the trio of par 3s on Council Fire’s homeward nine.
Richard Keene was second with an even par 72, recovering from a 3-over start thru No. 8 to shoot 3-under over his final ten holes. Kip Henley covered his final nine in 3-under to finish third at 1-over 73.
Other qualifiers joining exempt participants Joe Markham and Brent Henley include Harry Hill (4-over 76), Tom Schreiner (5-over 77) and Johnny Pierce (5-over 77).
There will be a first-time champion crowned in the Senior division as four former winners in the field failed to qualify. Defending champion Bret Douglas was poised to advance to match play after an eagle at the par 5 No. 13, but bogeys at Nos. 14 and 17 left him one shot outside the cut line.
Quarterfinals in the Senior division are Friday, with the semifinals slated for Saturday and the championship match on Sunday.
Friday’s Pairings: The top seven seeds in the Regular division gained exemption by virtue of their cumulative points throughout the season. The Round of 16 matches will be:
2:10 Cody Godfrey (1) vs. Jeff Greeson (16)
Chase Deck (8) vs. Mikey Feher (9)
2:20 Andrew Weathers (4) vs. Rick Mays (13)
Jay Potter (5) vs. Hunter Vest (12)
2:30 Brandon Cissom (2) vs. Brendon Wilson (15)
Evan Spence (7) vs. Richard Spangler (10)
2:40 Chris Wells (3) vs. Matt Crowder (14)
Spencer Honey (6) vs. Griffin Law (11)
Friday’s Senior division quarterfinal pairings are:
1:50 Joe Markham (1) vs. Johnny Pierce (8)
Richard Keene (4) vs. Kip Henley (5)
2:00 Brent Henley (2) vs. Tom Schreiner (7)
Tom Baird (3) vs. Harry Hill (6)
Council Fire Playing Tough: The layout at Council Fire provided a challenge on Thursday in the 30th edition of the TPC.
The Regular division participants recorded an average score of 76.2 on the day, with the back nine playing a stroke easier. The par 5 18th hole was the easiest, playing at an aggregate of 4.46 with seven birdies and an eagle. Also playing under par were No. 15 at 3.87 and the third hole at 3.93. The par 5 No. 2 was the most challenging, with only a lone birdie recorded with an average score of 5.53.
The average score was 79 among the Senior participants. Only one hole – the par 5 11th – allowed an average score of par or better, while not a single birdie was recorded on No. 2. Seven holes surrendered only one birdie on the day.
For complete results, go to https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/9931957100672452896
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Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com