UTC’s Ethan Whitaker holds a three-shot lead entering Friday’s final round of the Tennessee State Amateur.
photo by Tennessee Golf Association
Over a period of ten years in the not-too-distant past, golfers from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were in the habit of regularly adding their names to the Martin Condon Trophy awarded to the Tennessee State Amateur champion.
From 2006 through 2016, four different Mocs captured the coveted title starting with Thomas Smith in 2006 weeks after graduating from UTC. Rising junior Derek Rende followed up with a win in 2008, then Steven Fox claimed his State Amateur win in 2013 the year after his stunning U.S. Amateur championship entering his senior season. Wes Gosselin completed the Mocs’ run of success as a rising senior in 2016 after finishing as runner-up the previous year.
Come Friday afternoon, Ethan Whitaker is hoping to become the latest UTC golfer to find his name on the iconic trophy. On a day that saw a reshuffling of the leaders at the 110th Tennessee State Amateur, Whitaker was able to rise to the top on Thursday while navigating his home course, Holston Hills Country Club.
The rising sophomore from nearby Powell fired a 6-under 65, surging to the 54-hole lead by three shots with a cumulative total of 11-under 202.
Whitaker accounted for seven birdies and only one bogey on his round. The turning point of his loop started at No. 6 where he began a stretch of five birdies in six holes.
Occupying second place are Clarksville’s Patton Samuels and Payne Denman from Knoxville at 8-under 205. Samuels posted a 68 for his day’s work, his six-birdie round highlighted by three straight at 7, 8 and 9.
Denman’s round was one he’d probably rather forget. The defending champion carded a 5-over 76, managing only two birdies after picking seven in each of his first two rounds. He tumbled from the lead after surrendering six shots over a four-hole span capped with a triple bogey at No. 16.
Dain Richie of Franklin recorded a nifty 66 thanks six birdies over seven holes early in his round to move into a tie for 4th place at 7-under 206. He is joined by Whitaker’s future UTC teammate, Griffin Law of Chattanooga, who tallied a 70 on Thursday that featured five birdies offset by a quartet of bogeys.
Church Hill’s Lucas Armstrong parlayed four consecutive birdies on his opening nine holes into a round of 69 to find himself alone in 6th at 6-under 207. Deadlocked in a three-way tie for 7th at 5-under 208 are Nashville’s Toby Wilt, who shot 67 on the day, along with Bennett McNabb of Ringgold, Ga. (71) and Ryan Terry of Brentwood (74).
Nick Daugherty of Andersonville shot 67 to finish at 4-under 209, tied for 10th with Shelbyville’s Conner Brown.
For complete results and live scoring, go to Tennessee State Amateur.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com