Tim Jackson seeks his third straight Tennessee Senior Amateur title and fourth in five years this week at Rarity Bay Golf & Country Club.
photo by courtesy Tennessee Golf Association
Since he began competing in The Tennessee Senior Amateur Championship in 2014, Tim Jackson has been a fixture near the top of the leaderboard while earning four victories. The Williston, Tennessee resident seeks his third straight title starting Monday as the 53rd installment of the event kicks off at Rarity Bay Golf & Country Club in Vonore.
Jackson, whose 27 career Tennessee Golf Association titles is most in state history, has finished no worse than second during this nine-year stretch. He did not compete in the 2015 tournament, but has added four runner-up placements to his four titles.
Only a bogey on the final hole in 2020 kept Jackson out of a playoff, and a victory then would have him seeking this week to equal Chattanooga legend Lew Oehmig’s streak of five consecutive Senior Amateur wins recorded from 1969-73.
Jackson, 64, has played some of his most impressive golf in this event the past few years. He won the 2022 championship by an astounding 11 strokes at Blackthorn Club, this coming on the heels of a nine-shot victory the previous year at Windyke Country Club’s East Course.
The tournament took a six-year hiatus after Oehmig’s streak, resuming in 1980 when Chattanooga’s Ira Templeton won back-to-back titles. Oehmig returned to his championship form to claim victories in 1982 and 1983, winning the last of his seven Senior Amateur titles at the age of 67.
Signal Mountain’s Ed Brantly recorded two of his three Senior Amateur wins in 1985 and 1986, completing a 12-year stretch where the champion hailed from Chattanooga in all but one year.
The other local golfer with a Senior Amateur championship was Dr. Neil Spitalny, who won by one shot in 2015 over local resident Richard Keene in the event hosted at Lookout Mountain Golf Club.
Local golfers competing in the Senior division field of 79 participants of the three-day event include Chris Bloebaum and Gary Davis who play out of Tennessee Golf Club, Randy Hill of Windstone Golf Club, Steve Johnson and Zeb Patten of Lookout Mountain Club, Joe Markham of Brainerd Golf Club, Scott Patton and John Pierce of Creeks Bend Golf Club and Bob Rice of Cleveland Country Club.
The Tennessee Super Senior Amateur Championship will also be staged concurrently at Rarity Bay with a field of 30 golfers. Spitalny has enjoyed success since joining the 65-and-above division, winning the 2016 championship in a playoff and a five-shot victory in 2017 at his home course Chattanooga Golf & Country Club. He also has runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2020.
The Super Senior Amateur Championship commenced in 2008, with Chattanooga’s Ronnie Law winning the 2012 title by two shots conducted at Blackthorn Club.
Super Senior participants from the area include Tom Baird and Spitalny representing Chattanooga Golf & Country Club, Glenn Grove from The Ooltewah Club, and Harry Hill and Jim Lett out of Council Fire Golf Club.
The Veteran Division (75 and older) includes John Corum of The Ooltewah Club and Law representing Black Creek Club.
The Senior and Super Senior championships will be a 54-hole event, while the Veteran division consists of 36 holes. The field in the Senior division will be cut to the low 30 scores and ties after two rounds, while the Super Senior final round will feature the low 15 scores plus ties. The Veteran division will have a full field of 15 golfers with no cut.
Go to https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/3990632 for results and live scoring.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
Dr. Neil Spitalny has a Senior Amateur championship along with a pair of Super Senior state titles.
photo by courtesy Tennessee Golf Association