Pewitt Captures Tennessee Girls’ Junior Title In Playoff

Remember the name Poppy Pewitt. It’s likely one that you will repeatedly hear about over the next few years as one of the rising stars in Tennessee junior golf.

The past two weeks have drastically altered Pewitt’s travel plans for the rest of the summer, but she’s certainly not complaining. The 15-year-old Dickson resident hopes that this is merely a preview of future success.

After capturing the girls’ title at the Tennessee Junior PGA Championship on June 3^rd, Pewitt doubled up on her hardware haul on Wednesday. She claimed the Tennessee Girls’ Junior Championship on her home course, GreyStone Golf Club, sealing the win over Hixson’s Carlee Rogers on the third playoff hole.

It was merely the opening act of a long day for Tennessee Golf Association officials who have battled dicey weather all week. The Tennessee Junior Amateur Championship also required a playoff that was pushed back to Thursday at 7 a.m. CDT thanks to a line of storms hitting as Will Pinson and Parker Tenent prepared to square off after finishing tied at 12-under 204.

In addition to having her name added to the Ruth Eller Trophy, Pewitt earns a spot into the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship to be held July 14-19 at the Atlanta Athletic Club’s Riverside Course. Pewitt had previously qualified for the 2025 Junior PGA Championship at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. on July 29- August 1 by virtue of her victory two weeks ago, also a one-shot win over Rogers who qualified as runner-up.

“I have a lot of excitement because I've gotten into these really big tournaments that are national tournaments with girls that are top rated,” Pewitt said. “It keeps me motivated, too, because I'm only going into my sophomore year. It's kind of showing me if I keep working at it, I can get into these big tournaments. That's really an exciting thing for me just to see the progress kind of coming.”

With the tournament shortened to 36-holes following Tuesday’s washout, Pewitt and Rogers both finished at 2-under par 142 to force the playoff. Pewitt entered the final round owning a one-shot lead, and both golfers had an opportunity to win the tournament in regulation.

Pewitt birdied No. 4 to increase her lead to two at 4-under, a margin she maintained through 12 holes. But a birdie from Rogers at 13 put her at 3-under to trim the deficit in half to swing the momentum in her favor.

After reeling off 11 consecutive pars, Pewitt still held a one-shot lead heading to par 3 16^th playing at 160 yards. But a costly double bogey suddenly flipped the leaders, ending a streak of 31 holes of par or better for Pewitt and leaving her at 2-under and one shot behind Rogers with two holes remaining.

The timing of that setback would have crushed most competitors, but not Pewitt. She faced that disappointment with the poise of someone twice her age.

“Making double bogey definitely wasn’t what I planned, but I tried to keep my mindset the same and just stay calm,” Pewitt said. “Having played 17 and 18 so many times, I knew anything could happen.”

And it did happen.

Although Pewitt was unable to birdie either of the final two holes, she gained a second life when Rogers, a rising senior at Baylor School and University of Miami commit, closed with a bogey at 18 to force the playoff.

Starting at the par-5 9^th hole, both competitors carded birdies to open the playoff, then each parred No. 10. Rogers’ tee shot on the third extra hole – the par-3 11th – caromed past the green, and she eventually settled for a two-putt bogey. Meanwhile Pettit was able to land safely on the putting surface with her approach, then got down in two putts from 18 feet for the win.

Pewitt, whose given name is Poplin as a tribute to her grandmother’s maiden name, is the latest golfer in a line of stars emerging from Dickson County High School. She has been around the game her entire life as her father, Pat, serves as GreyStone’s superintendent and her grandfather was a superintendent as well. She began playing in tournaments when she was around 10-years old.

“I've grown up going to the course after school, and I've seen all the great players from our area on the back members’ range,” Pewitt said. “I remember seeing Jackson Herrington and Cameron Tankersley’s Junior cup golf bags and I was like, ‘Oh, I want one of those.’ They showed me that if you're out there practicing and putting the work in, you're going to see results.”

Knoxville’s Isabella Coughlin finished 3^rd at 1-over 145 after posting a round of 72, one shot ahead of Brentwood’s Hayden Cherry at 2-over 146 following her round of 75. Meredith Eller of Mount Juliet placed 5^th at 7-over 151, just ahead of Catherine Bowie of Memphis and Maryville’s Sophia Gambini who tied for 6^th at 8-over 152.

For complete results, go to TN Girls' Junior Championship.

Boys’ Junior Amateur to be Decided on Thursday

A long week at GreyStone Golf Club got even longer thanks to early evening rain pelting the course as Franklin’s Will Pinson and Parker Tenent of Memphis prepared to decide the champion in a playoff.

The duo will commence play on hole 10 Thursday morning, and both golfers will surely endure a restless night knowing they are one hole away from claiming the Tennessee Junior Amateur Championship. After separating themselves from the rest of the field early in Wednesday’s final round, they staged a classic duel down the stretch.

Tenent eagled the 490-yard par-5 9^th hole to grab a one-shot lead at the halfway mark, covering his front nine in 32 while Pinson shot 34. They matched identical scores over the next six holes – including birdies at 10 and 12 – as Tenent moved to 12-under and Pinson lurked one back at 11-under.

The stage was then set for a furious roller coaster finish over the final three holes.

Pinson pulled even when Tenent bogeyed the par-3 16^th, and a birdie on 17 buoyed Pinson to a one-shot lead at 12-under after Tenent registered a par.

Needing a birdie on the challenging 413-yard closing hole, Tenent responded under pressure to join Pinson at 12-under with a round of 66. Meanwhile, Pinson - a Middle Tennessee State signee - closed with a par to shoot 67 on the day to prompt the need for extra holes to determine a winner.

Second-round leader Jack Doyle of Brentwood entered Wednesday with a one-shot lead but was unable to keep pace with his red-hot playing partners, shooting 73 to finish tied for 3^rd at 7-under 209 with 2024 champion Maddox Crowder of Lafayette.

Walker Webb of Brentwood posted a tidy 67 to join Knoxville’s Colmore Sprouse and Turner Cline of Nashville at 4-under 212, good for a 5^th place tie.

Franklin’s Leo Froio was 8^th at 3-under 213, one shot better than Ben Blackburn and Braden Ray of Franklin who closed at 2-under 214 to deadlock in 9^th.

In addition to competing to have their name added to the Harold Eller Trophy, Tenent and Pinson will also be vying for a spot into the U.S. Junior Amateur slated for July 21-26 at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.

For complete results, go to TN Junior Amateur Championship.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com