Paul Payne
With last weekend’s Chattanooga Men’s Metro tournament serving as a dress rehearsal, all eyes will be on the Lookout Mountain Club as the venerable golf club showcases its recent transformation to a broader audience this Tuesday with the stakes considerably higher.
The highly-acclaimed handiwork performed by architects Tyler Rae and Kyle Franz that was unveiled last summer certainly caught the attention of the Metro participants who had yet to traverse the work that was deemed more of a completion of original designer Seth Raynor’s intentions rather than a renovation.
On Tuesday, the USGA will conduct an 18-hole qualifier that will reward the top four finishers and two alternates with a berth in the U.S. Senior Amateur to be held at The Honors Course on Aug. 24-29. This is one of 50 qualifying events to fill the full field of 156 players.
The field of 69 golfers is comprised of 20 participants with local ties, including Lookout Mountain Club member Steve Johnson who captured the Senior Division title in the Men’s Metro as well as Super Senior champion Richard Brame, who was an LMC member before joining The Honors Course.
Other members of the host club hoping to advance include Pat Corey, Pat McDonald, Zeb Patten and David Walker.
Creeks Bend Golf Club is well-represented by Brent Henley, Kip Henley, Scott Patton and John Pierce, while Tom Baird and Jeff Kopet are out of Chattanooga Golf & Country Club.
Other local entrants are Gerald Burrell (Bear Trace at Harrison Bay), Jeff Cox (Brainerd), Neill Hatcher (Cleveland Country Club), Lee Philips (The Farm), Jay Potter (Bear Trace at Tims Ford), Tom Schreiner (McLemore Club), Jeff Sherrill (Moccasin Bend) and Chris Bloebaum.
Those competing hail from seven states including California, and one entrant is from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
To follow the action once play begins Tuesday at 8 a.m., go to LMC Qualifier.
Whitfield in U.S. Amateur Final Qualifier: Signal Mountain’s Thad Whitfield is in Lake St. Louis, Mo. on Monday with only 18 holes separating him from advancing to the U.S. Amateur Championship. The recent McCallie School graduate and future MTSU golfer is at Lake Forest Country Club competing among 51 entrants pursuing one of the coveted spots to move on to Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. which takes place Aug. 12-18.
Whitfield tees off at 9:42 CDT and the action can be followed at U.S. Am Qualifier.
Others in the field with Tennessee connections include University of Tennessee golfer Evan Woosley-Reed of Shelbyville and incoming Vol freshman Christian Pardue from Arlington, J.J. Zimmer of Humboldt, Grant Milling of Nashville, Tennessee Wesleyan University’s Joshua Loveday of Englewood and Winburne Hughes of Memphis.
Also competing is Haymes Snedeker, the older brother of PGA Tour veteran Brandt Snedeker.
Future Vol Jackson Herrington of Dickson, who became the youngest winner in the Tennessee State Open last week, will travel to Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C. for his qualifier to be held on Wednesday.
Blades Brown’s Legend Continues to Grow: Brentwood’s Blades Brown, one of the top junior golfers in the country, added another entry into his impressive accolades last week. The rising high school junior earned the decisive winning point with a 2&1 win last week in the 34th Wyndham Cup at The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek in Johns Island, S.C.
Since 1990, the Wyndham Cup has brought together 40 of the country’s top junior golfers (20 males and 20 females) in an East versus West team match play tournament. In addition to featuring some of the world’s best junior golfers annually, the Wyndham Cup is known for its iconic host venues.
Given Brown’s demanding competitive golf schedule, it was also announced last week that the former Brentwood Academy student will switch to an online curriculum to complete his education. Earlier this spring, Brown signed a multi-year NIL partnership with Transcend Capital Advisors.
Last year Brown became the youngest co-medalist in U.S. Amateur history, breaking the record set in 1920 by an 18-year-old Bobby Jones. Playing in his first U.S. Amateur, his 8-under 64 in the second round was the low round of the day. Before that, Brown fired rounds of 65 and 62 to be co-medalist at his U.S. Amateur qualifying site.
In October, Brown won his third-consecutive Tennessee Division II-AA State Title. He tied the boys state tournament two-day scoring record by shooting 64-66 for a 14-under-par total, five shots ahead of his closest pursuer and leading Brentwood Academy to a 12-shot victory in the team championship.
The following month, Brown fired another final-round 64—again the day’s low score—to capture The Elite Invitational in Myrtle Beach, SC. His three-round 200 total is another new tournament scoring record. His other victories in 2023 include the AJGA Junior Invitational, the Huntsville.org Junior Invitational, the Wyndham Invitational, and the Tennessee Junior Amateur, where he broke the scoring record with a 22-under-par 194 over three rounds.
Brown made his PGA Tour debut in May, finishing tied for 26th with a score of 10-under 274 at the Myrtle Beach Classic. He also teamed with fellow Tennessee teen Jackson Herrington to advance to the finals of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball championship in May.
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Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
Lookout Mountain Club will serve as site of U.S. Senior Amateur qualifier on Tuesday