Danny Green Chasing 20th TGA Title At Super Senior Four-Ball Championship

There’s not much that Danny Green hasn’t accomplished during his illustrious amateur golf career. The 2009 inductee into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame has compiled a list of wins that few in any state can rival.

Capturing 19 Tennessee Golf Association championships – including three State Amateurs and four State Mid-Amateurs – is merely the tip of the iceberg for the Jackson resident. He has also a number of wins on a national stage such as the U.S. Mid-Amateur, the Western Amateur and the Pacific Northwest Amateur.

The only golfer in history to have played in the finals of the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links and the U.S. Mid-Amateur, Green has also represented the U.S. as a participant in the Walker Cup event.

So, it’s no surprise that Green finds himself in the finals of the 12^th Tennessee Super Senior Four-Ball Championship seeking his 20^th TGA career title, seven behind all-time leader Tim Jackson. Green and partner Doug Harris of Nashville – he the owner of four TGA trophies of his own – will face defending champions Tony Green of Kingsport and Garry Siddons in Thursday’s championship match at Toqua Golf Club.

Tony Green and Siddons advanced from Wednesday’s semifinals by defeating David Apperson of Memphis and Bryan Kendrick of Powell, 4 & 3. Birdies on 4 and 5 led to a three-hole lead at the turn, an advantage that held steady until closing out the match with three holes remaining.

Danny Green and Harris eliminated Franklin’s Mike Nixon and Tom Baird of Signal Mountain, 6 & 5. After winning the first two holes that held up through the front nine, Green and Harris claimed the first four holes on the back to seal the victory.

The final pairing will feature a combined 29 TGA wins, with Tony Green owning three individual and two team titles and Siddons a victory from last year’s event.

In the 31^st Senior Four-Ball semifinals, Jeff Walker of Greenbrier and Stuart Smith of Nashville overcame a 4-down deficit through seven holes to earn a spot in the finals in a match that needed 20 holes to determine the winner.

Paired with Bill Oliver of Sevierville and Will Kegley of Knoxville, Walker and Smith chipped away on the homeward nine until a birdie from Walker on No. 16 finally squared the match. Oliver responded to give his side the lead with a birdie on 17, only to have Smith even the score with a birdie on 18 before posting another birdie two holes later for the to win.

They will face Jay Potter of Tullahoma and Manchester’s David Burris, who trailed after three holes before consecutive birdies by Potter on Nos. 12 and 13 gave them a 3-up lead that sealed their 3 &2 win over Ray Morton and Brad Kuester.

Earlier, Burris and Potter won their quarterfinal match against Scott Negrotto of Kingsport and Rick Hudson of Boiling Springs, 2 & 1. With the match all-square through 15 holes, Burris birdied No. 16 and Potter No. 17 to seal the match.

In other quarterfinals action, Morton’s birdie on No.17 enabled he and partner Kuester to take a 1-up lead, a margin that held up in their match with Franklin’s Steven Mann and Brent Songstad of Kingston Springs.

Smith and Walker defeated Alan Jones and Clay Uselton of Tullahoma, 3 & 1, sealed by Walker’s birdie on 17, while Kegley and Oliver eliminated Dan Crockett of Franklin and Todd Burgan of Powell, 3 & 2 in the other quarterfinal matches.

For complete results, go to State Sr and Super Sr Four-Ball.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com