Former MTSU golfer Owen Stamper
photo by Contributed
A common trait among many competitive golfers is to operate within a bubble during a given round. They function in self-imposed isolation, focusing on their course management and execution of each shot with no inkling to take a peek at the scoreboard to check their progress against the rest of the field.
But former Middle Tennessee State University golfer Owen Stamper is an anomaly when it comes to this practice of detached unawareness. As a standout baseball and basketball performer in addition to golf at Allen County-Scottsville High School in Kentucky, knowing the score at all times was vitally important to Stamper.
Through three rounds of the Second Stage of the PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry this week, Stamper certainly likes what he sees on the leaderboard at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Dothan, Ala. After shooting a 6-under 66 on Thursday, Stamper finds himself tied for 3rd place at 11-under par, only two shots off the lead.
“I've always enjoyed watching the scoreboard playing other sports my entire life, so I like to know the score,” Stamper said. “I like to be very aware of the situation, but the game plan never really wavers. There's no reason to back off so you can put the pedal down when you have to. The pedal should always be down, and you should be playing aggressive to some smart targets and trust your game from the 1st hole to 72nd hole.”
Stamper, 23, was a two-time All-Conference USA first team performer at MTSU, earning Player of the Year laurels his junior season. After completing his collegiate career this spring, Stamper traveled to Oklahoma in August to compete in an All Pro Tour event when he was coaxed by a friend to come a week early to play in the Oklahoma Open Championship. Stamper won that event by four shots, serving as a springboard to his current run of success.
“That was an awesome confidence booster,” Stamper said. “Getting a win under my belt was massive. Even though everybody's professional now, they're still golfers. I competed in college at a very high level, and it proved to myself that I can at the next level too. It’s hard to believe that just since months ago I was playing in college.”
Stamper’s round on Thursday featured eight birdies with a pair of bogeys, climbing six spots on the leaderboard where only the top 17 plus ties will advance to Q-School Final Stage on Dec. 13-16 at the Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass along with Sawgrass Country Club.
Despite being in good position to advance in his first Q-School endeavor, Stamper refuses to adjust his goals heading into Friday’s final round.
“You don't play the golf tournament unless your goal is to win,” Stamper said. “It's easy to fall into the trap at Q-School thinking all you’ve got to do is finish top 15. If you start aiming for that and then you miss by a couple of shots, then you’re out for the next year. I tee it up to win every tournament. I love winning. I love competing. That's why I love this game so much.”
Billy Tom Sargent of Dickson battled an opening round 75 to move up 44 spots leading into his final round. The Western Kentucky University product fired a 5-under 67 to move into an 8th place tie at 9-under.
Also making a charge has been former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer John Houk. The Athens native posted his second consecutive round of 5-under 67 on Thursday, climbing from 76th after the first round to a tie for 17th with a three-day total of 6-under.
Meanwhile, Brentwood’s Trevor Johnson is in 45th at 1-under after shooting 1-under 71 and former Chattanooga Moc Paul Conroy is at 13-over to join others in 75th.
At another Second Stage qualifier taking place in Valdosta, Ga. at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Knoxville’s Kyle Cottam heads a contingent of seven golfers with Tennessee connections hoping to nab one of the coveted 16 spots to advance to Final Stage.
Cottam, who played collegiately at Clemson, shot even par 72 in his third round to stand at 4-under par, good for solo 4th place. This is his second try in Q-School but his first time making it to Second Stage, and he skipped last year due to his wedding plans.
“It’s a position I’ve worked so hard to be in all year,” Cottam said. “To be in contention is great, but there’s still a lot of golf to play. I’ve got to just take it one shot at a time, and continue to stick to my process and my game plan. I need to control what I can control and execute that well.”
Lurking one spot behind in 5th is Hendersonville’s Bryce Lewis, who graduated from Tennessee earlier this year. Lewis carded a 1-over 73 to finish at 3-under, one shot ahead of former South Carolina golfer and Knoxville native Ryan Hall who is 2-under after a 2-under 70 on Thursday.
Former Vol Hunter Wolcott of Burns righted the ship after a second round 77, advancing 22 spots to land in a 12th place tie. Wolcott shot 5-under 67, joining Spring Hill native and former Lipscomb golfer Dawson Armstrong and Maryville’s Harry Lord at 1-under and inside the cut line.
Scott Stevens, who prepped at Chattanooga Christian before playing collegiately at South Carolina, is in 17th place at even par after moving up 17 rungs following his 4-under 68.
Kingsport’s William Nottingham is at 4-over (T35) and Sevierville’s Spencer Cross, a First Stage medalist which secured him exempt status on the Latin America Swing of the PGA Tour Americas for 2025, is tied for 48th at 6-over along with Knoxville’s Jake Mynatt.
All golfers who proceed to Final Stage will merit status of some sort on one of the professional tours for next year. The top five finishers earn their 2025 PGA Tour card and the next 40 gain exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour for either 12 or eight events depending upon placement. All remaining finishers at Final Stage earn conditional status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, in addition to being exempt through the Latin America Swing of the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
Knoxville native Kyle Cottam
photo by Contributed