A Dozen Golfers Win Twice On First Day of Match Play Championship

On the first day of the 25^th Tennessee Match Play Championship, 12 golfers managed to win a pair of matches to remain undefeated in their respective pools.

While their victories put them in prime position heading into Wednesday’s final pool play contests, there is no time to rest on their laurels at the event taking place at Gallatin’s Tennessee Grasslands Fairvue layout.

The points leaders from each of the 16 pools will advance to the bracket play on Thursday, with deadlocked heats to be decided by tiebreakers following Wednesday’s matches.

Only one pool saw two golfers win both of their matches with Greeneville’s Alexander Broyles winning his contests by 1 up and 3&1 margins, while Germantown’s Winston Margaritis dominated his matches by 4 up and 4&3.

Others who captured both of their matches were Ooltewah’s Keoni Vidrine (1 up, 4&3), Humboldt’s Jeff Reuter (4&3, 4&3), Luke Beadles of Nolensville (1 up, 5&3), Knoxville’s Jack Smith (1 up, 2&1), College Grove’s Grant Clark (3&1, 4 up), Caleb Tipton of Elizabethton (4&2, 3&2), Coleman Jones of Franklin (4&3, 3&2), Reece Britt of Maryville (7&5, 4&3), Hendersonville’s Chris Barron (2&1, 1 up) and Lucas Armstrong of Church Hill (2&1, 3&2).

Defending champion Cooper Hayes of Strawberry Plains won his opening match 5&3, before Franklin’s Ben Blackburn defeated Hayes in the afternoon match, 1 up.

Both the Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches will be staged on Thursday, followed by the semifinals and championship match on Friday.

Tuesday’s Pool Play Results

Pool 1: Cooper Hayes (Strawberry Plains) def. Jonas Reynolds (Gallatin), 5&3

Michael Hake (Brentwood) tied with Ben Blackburn (Franklin)

Blackburn def. Hayes, 1 up

Hake def. Reynolds, 4&3

Points: Blackburn 1.50, Hake 1.50, Hayes, 1.00, Reynolds 0.00

Pool 2: Matt Mitchell (Burns) def. Jeb Blackburn (Franklin), 5&3

Keoni Vidrine (Ooltewah) def. Hunter Stoneman (Crossville), 1 up

Stoneman def. Burns, 1 up

Vidrine def. Blackburn, 4&3

Points: Vidrine 2.00, Stoneman 1.00, Mitchell, 1.00, Blackburn 0.00

Pool 3: Jeff Reuter (Humboldt) def. Tripp Hall (Charleston), 4&3

Brad Burling (Knoxville) def. Scotty Hudson (Nashville), 1 up

Reuter def. Hudson, 4&3

Burling tied Hall

Points: Reuter 2.00, Burling 1.50, Hall 0.50, Hudson 0.00

Pool 4: Jacob Garland (Nashville) def. Antonio Farinella (Knoxville), 3&1

Luke Beadles (Nolensville) def. Micah Stangebye (Brentwood), 1 up

Stangebye def. Garland, 2&1

Beadles def. Farinella, 5&3

Points: Beadles 2.00, Stangebye 1.00, Garland 1.00, Farinella 0.00

Pool 5: Ryan Greer (Knoxville) tied Ian Taggart (Harrogate)

Trace Robinson (Jackson) def. Spencer Provow (Murfreesboro), 5&3

Greer def Robinson, 4&3

Provow def. Taggart, 3&2

Points: Greer 1.50, Robinson 1.00, Provow 1.00, Taggart 0.50

Pool 6: Jack Smith (Knoxville) def. Andrew Weathers (Chattanooga), 1 up

J.G. Wilson (Boliver) def. Jackson Bechtol (Nashville), 2&1

Smith def. Wilson, 2&1

Weathers def. Bechtol, 7&6

Points: Smith 2.00, Wilson 1.00, Weathers 1.00, Bechtol 0.00

Pool 7: Wilson Borders (Nashville) def. Travis Womble (Nashville), 2 up

Grant Clark (College Grove) def. Gavin Clements (Franklin), 3&1

Clements def. Womble, concession

Clark def. Borders, 4 up

Points: Clark 2.00, Borders 1.00, Clements 1.00, Womble 0.00

Pool 8: Caleb Tipton (Elizabethton) def. Nick Daugherty (Andersonville), 4&2

John Thomas McKenzie (Cleveland) def. Michael Wakefield (Lookout Mtn), 1 up

Daugherty def. Wakefield, 6&5

Tipton def. McKenzie, 3&2

Points: Tipton 2.00, Daugherty 1.00, McKenzie, 1.00, Wakefield 0.00

Pool 9: Grant Leaver (Murfreesboro) def. Bill Wellons (Franklin), 2&1

Lucas Herring (Nashville) def. Colby Johnson (Kingston), 6&5

Leaver tied Herring

Johnson def. Wellons, 4&3

Points: Leaver 1.50, Herring 1.50, Johnson 1.00, Wellons 0.00

Pool 10: Jake Eickhoff (Arrington) def. Tanner Davis (Knoxville), 1 up

Patton Samuels (Clarksville) def. Jaron Leasure (Nashville), 3&2

Davis def. Samuels, 2&1

Leasure def. Eickhoff, 2 up

Points: Davis 1.00, Samuels 1.00, Eickhoff 1.00, Leasure 1.00

Pool 11: Rosario Falzone (Nashville) def. Aaron Ingalls (Jackson), 3&2

Coleman Jones (Franklin) def. Paul Banish (Brentwood), 4&3

Jones def. Ingalls, 3&2

Banish def. Falzone, 3&2

Points: Jones 2.00, Falzone 1.00, Banish 1.00, Ingalls 0.00

Pool 12: Grant Milling (Nashville) tied Lee Maxwell (Cookeville)

Will Demersseman (Chattanooga) def. Sidney Melvin (Hartsville), 1 up

Milling def. Melvin, concession

Maxwell def. Demersseman, 4&3

Points: Milling 1.50, Maxwell 1.50, Demersseman 1.00, Melvin 0.00

Pool 13: Reece Britt (Maryville) def. Cody Skipper (Cleveland), 7&5

William Moser (Hermitage) def. Kaiser Godinez (Collierville), 2 up

Britt def. Moser, 4&3

Godinez def. Skipper, 3&1

Points: Britt 2.00, Moser 1.00, Godinez 1.00, Skipper 0.00

Pool 14: Chris Barron (Hendersonville) def. Jacob Wilson (College Grove), 2&1

Parker Elkins (Clarksville) def. Darrin Wilson (Gallatin), 4&3

Jacob Wilson def. Darrin Wilson, 4&3

Barron def. Elkins, 1 up

Points: Barron 2.00, Jacob Wilson 1.00, Elkins 1.00, Darrin Wilson 0.00

Pool 15: Alexander Broyles (Greeneville) def. Steven Haremski (Knoxville), 1 up

Winston Margaritis (Germantown) def. Ethan Rimmer (Knoxville), 4 up

Margaritis def. Haremski, 4&3

Broyles def. Rimmer, 3&1

Points: Margaritis 2.00, Broyles 2.00, Haremski 0.00, Rimmer 0.00

Pool 16: Lucas Armstrong (Church Hill) def. Elliot Macgregor (Jefferson City), 2&1

Josh Loveday (Englewood) def. Kevin Stallings (Brentwood), 3&2

Armstrong def. Stallings, 3&2

Macgregor def. Loveday, 2 up

Points: Armstrong 2.00, Macgregor 1.00, Loveday 1.00, Stallings 0.00

For complete results, go to Tennessee Match Play results.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com