Wilson Sets Pace At Tennessee Senior Match Play

With a new venue serving as host of the 22^nd Tennessee Senior Match Play Championship, Monday’s first round of stroke play qualifying at Oak Ridge Country Club featured a crowded leaderboard as the top 26 golfers were separated by a total of only six strokes.

With 16 Seniors moving on to match play following Wednesday’s last qualifying round, it will be a grueling grind to determine the champion. Leading the way after the first day is Kenny Wilson of Murfreesboro after bagging six birdies and an eagle on his way to a round of 5-under 67.

Three golfers lurk one shot behind Wilson at 4-under 68. Pat Chisholm of Franklin carded four birdies over a six-hole stretch to highlight his round, while Rick Mays of Riceville managed five birdies and an eagle on his round.

Rounding out those knotted in 2^nd place is defending Tennessee Senior Amateur champion Clay Uselton of Tullahoma, who closed his steady round by covering his final 12 holes in 4-under.

Tullahoma’s Alan Jones, who finished runner-up in this event two years ago, is among six golfers tied for 5^th at 3-under 69. Joining Jones are Ken Lee of Franklin, Ray Morton of Lenoir City, Allen Rhea of Johnson City, Charles May of Nashville and Gallatin’s Tom Paulsen.

Three others are tied at 2-under 70, while another four golfers sit at 1-under 71 in hopes of advancing beyond Wednesday.

Torrential rains forced the Tennessee Golf Association to declare Todd Burgan and Jay Potter as co-champions last year for the first time in its storied history as RiverBend Country Club was saturated from several days of persistent storms. Burgan is not among the participants while recovering from surgery in May, while Potter is tied for 43^rd at 5-over 77 in defense of his shared crown.

The Round of 16 and Round of 8 matches will be staged on Thursday, followed by the Semifinal matches Friday morning preceding that afternoon’s Championship Final.

In the Super Senior stroke play qualifying that advances the low eight golfers into Thursday’s match play, Buzz Fly of Memphis leads the pack with a bogey-free opening round score of 5-under 67. Fly was the 2013 Senior champion of this event.

David Apperson of Memphis sits alone in 2^nd place at 4-under 68 after recording four birdies over his final seven holes, while Chattanooga’s Richard Keene is at 3-under 69 good for 3^rd.

Seven golfers are tied at 1-under 71 who will be battling on Wednesday hoping to advance to match play. Those deadlocked in 4^th place are Stuart Smith and Lenny Sisselman of Nashville, Mark Halvorsen and Scott Negrotto of Kingsport, Tom Baird of Signal Mountain, Lyman Fulton of Johnson City and College Grove’s Tom Provow.

Defending champion Danny Green is among a trio of golfers tied for 14^th at 1-over 73.

The Super Senior bracket will conduct its Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches on Thursday, followed by the Championship Final on Friday morning.

For complete results, go to Tennessee Senior and Super Senior Match Play.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com