Provow Seeking to Recapture Past Glory at State Match Play

It’s hard for Spencer Provow to believe that 17 years have passed since he captured the Tennessee Match Play Championship. The Murfreesboro resident finds it even more improbable that he now finds himself two matches away from earning a second title in this event.

Provow was 23-years-old when he defeated the legendary Tim Jackson, who ruled Tennessee amateur golf at the time, in 2007 at Colonial Country Club in Memphis by a final count of 4 and 3. He assumed there would be many more to come, but raising a family while trying to maintain a competitive edge in golf can be complicated.

Devotion to his family prevailed, and Provow essentially laid his golf clubs aside when their third child, Charlie, arrived three years ago.

But a funny thing happened last winter that reignited Provow’s passion. He discovered that Charlie had his own fixation with golf, spending endless time knocking foam balls around the house and honing his stroke on a putting mat.

“When I tell you this little boy is obsessed with golf, that is understatement,” Provow said. “We started going up to the golf course and hitting some, and so I just started kind of hitting with him. Then I started hitting it pretty well and I thought I ought to play a couple tournaments.”

Now 40, Provow has rediscovered his dormant skills which have been on full display this week at Tennessee Grasslands Golf & Country Club in the 25^th Tennessee Match Play Championship. Provow is one of four semifinalists competing Friday for the coveted Jackson Cup, which is ironically named for his opponent in the championship match when he last won.

“I really haven't thought about it being so long since I won this tournament,” Provow said. “I knew it was obviously 2007, but it just doesn’t feel like it’s been that long ago. What happened to all the years?”

Provow will square off with Ooltewah’s Keoni Vidrine in one semifinal match, while Maryville’s Reece Britt – last year’s runner-up – will face Arrington’s 16-year-old Jake Eickhoff in the other match.

Provow advanced with a workmanlike 5 and 4 win over Caleb Tipton of Elizabethton in Thursday afternoon’s quarterfinal match. But the prospects he would emerge from his Round of 16 match earlier in the day appeared bleak at one point.

After a birdie on No. 10, Knoxville’s Jack Smith held a 3-up advantage over Provow. But wins at 11 and 12 left Provow 1-down, and he tied the match with a par at No. 16. Smith reclaimed the lead with a birdie at 17, only to have Provow forced extra holes with a birdie of his own on the last moments after Smith missed a five-foot putt that would have sealed the win. Provow then won in 19 holes.

“It would be amazing if I’m able to win,” Provow said. “I'm just grateful for the opportunity to play tomorrow. It's kind of reinvigorated me. I have a refreshed view of it that this is something that I chose to do as a young kid, and now I get to see it through my son's eyes.”

Vidrine continued his recent streak of stellar play with a convincing 6 and 5 win over Franklin’s Ben Blackburn in his Round of 16 match. After being tied thru four holes, Vidrine won the next five holes as the 15-year-old Blackburn struggled to make par during that stretch before eventually closing out the match on No. 13.

In the quarterfinals against Humboldt’s Jeff Reuter, it was a classic matchup of golfers clicking on all cylinders. The match was all-square thru 11 holes, then Vidrine took a 2-up lead with birdies at 12 and 13. Reuter was able to cut the deficit in half with a birdie on 17, but both golfers recorded pars on the final hole to give Vidrine a 1 up victory.

Vidrine led the Chattanooga Men’s Metro heading into the final round last month and lost in a playoff at the Tennessee State Four-Ball semifinals two weeks ago. The Ooltewah Club member has found renewed confidence that was lacking in the past.

“I have all the confidence in the world in where my golf ball is going which, which isn’t something I’ve had in the past,” Vidrine said. “I haven’t ever been able to drive the ball like I have now, so that frees me up.

“But the biggest thing is the short game. I had the putting yips for years which ultimately made me quit. I finally got rid of them last summer so it’s allowed me to enjoy the game and motivated me to get better again. All in all, I’ve just been really confident about my game lately so I just take whatever the golf gods want to give me that day and the rest, I’m at peace with knowing I’m playing good golf right now.”

Falling in last year’s final to Cooper Hayes has served as motivation for Britt, and it showed on Thursday.

After waltzing undefeated through his three pool play matches, Britt had his hands full in taking on Chris Barron of Hendersonville in his Round of 16 match. Barron fought back from being 2-down early to even the match through 12 holes. But Britt won with birdies on 13 and 15 to go 2-up, then sealed the match with a par on 16 to win 3 and 2.

Britt’s quarterfinal match with Germantown’s Winston Margaritis was even more challenging. Tied through 10 holes, Britt went 2 up with birdies on 11 and 12 and won by that margin.

“Last year taught me a lot, but one thing that stands out is it hurt to lose,” Britt said. “Fighting so hard to make it to that point that the only thing that you can truly rely on and that stays constant is your faith in the Lord. Golf shots and results don’t define who we are as players and who I am as a person, but I’m thankful for the chance to be in this position again.”

Being a high school sophomore competing against foes twice his age didn’t seem to phase Eickhoff. He birdied three straight holes on the back nine of his quarterfinal match with Nashville’s Grant Milling to coast to a 5 and 4 win.

“I’m pretty accustomed to playing with adults including other TGA events, so I haven’t been nervous at all. And the guys I’ve played against have been great,” Eickhoff said.

Eickhoff is homeschooled so that he can have the freedom to compete in competitive golf, and he credits is driving accuracy with his success in thus far.

“I don’t hit it long because I only weigh 122 pounds, but I’ve been hitting fairways,” Eickhoff said.

After owning a 3-up lead through ten holes in his Round of 16 action, Eickhoff saw Murfreesboro’s Grant Leaver trim the deficit to one with three holes to play. But a par on 16 followed by a birdie on the next gave Eickhoff the needed margin for his 3 and 1 win.

In other Round of 16 contests, Reuter made quick work of Nolensville’s Luke Beadles, winning 6 and 4. The Humboldt resident was 2-up after three holes and ended the match with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14.

The Round of 16 could not have been started any better for Tipton as he won the first four holes in his match with College Grove’s Grant Clark. Making the turn 5-up, Tipton won the match by a 7 and 5 score with a par on No. 13.

Wins on three straight holes starting at 13 – two of them earned with birdies – allowed Milling to cruise past fellow Nashville resident Rosario Falzone. After holding a 2-up lead at the turn, Milling advanced with his 5 and 3 verdict.

In a match featuring contestants separated by 467 miles on opposite sides of the state, Germantown’s Margaritis took advantage of consecutive bogeys by Church Hill’s Lucas Armstrong on 16 and 17 to advance. Neither golfer led by more than one the entire match until pars on the last two holes completed gave Margaritis a 2 and 1 decision.

For complete results and live scoring, go to Tennessee Match Play results.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com

Thursday’s Results

Round of 16 Matches

Keoni Vidrine (Ooltewah) def. Ben Blackburn (Franklin), 6 & 5

Jeff Reuter (Humboldt) def. Luke Beadles (Nolensville), 6 & 4

Spencer Provow (Murfreesboro) def. Jack Smith (Knoxville), 19 holes

Caleb Tipton (Elizabethton) def. Grant Clark (College Grove), 7 & 5

Jake Eickhoff (Arrington) def. Grant Leaver (Murfreesboro), 3 & 1

Grant Milling (Nashville) def. Rosario Falzone (Nashville), 5 & 3

Reece Britt (Maryville) def. Chris Barron (Hendersonville), 3 & 2

Winston Margaritis (Germantown) def. Lucas Armstrong (Church Hill), 2 & 1

Quarterfinal Matches

Vidrine def. Reuter, 1 up

Provow def. Tipton, 5 & 4

Eickhoff def. Milling, 5 & 4

Britt def. Margaritis, 2 & 1

Friday’s Semifinal Matches

Keoni Vidrine (Ooltewah) vs. Spencer Provow (Murfreesboro)

Jake Eickhoff (Arrington) vs. Reece Britt (Maryville)