Mays Claims Long-Awaited State Title At Senior Match Play

Rick Mays wondered if this moment would ever happen. Once it did, the long wait suddenly became worthwhile.

For many years, the Riceville resident has been a regular participant in Tennessee Golf Association tournaments. He’s competed in a litany statewide Four-Balls, Match Plays, Mid-Amateurs and State Amateurs all with the same result – some near misses, but no wins.

But all of that changed on Friday at Oak Ridge Country Club in the 22^nd Senior Match Play Championship where Mays claimed his first state championship by defeating Bradford Kuester of Knoxville.

The fact it took 20 holes to decide the outcome was no big deal for Mays. What’s two extra holes when you’ve been waiting a lifetime?

“I've played a lot of state events, and I’ve had some good finishes,” Mays said. “I've won quite a few tournaments over my career, but I've never won anything of this magnitude. This is a major tournament in my world.”

No longer are the multiple Springbook Invitational titles or his senior division win at the East Tennessee Amateur in 2020 the crowning achievements of Mays’ lengthy career. At last, he has a TGA win that trumps them all.

In his showdown with Kuester in the finals, neither golfer could gain more than a 1-up separation in the evenly-contested match. Kuester took the lead with a par on No. 15, and the duo halved the next two holes, leaving Mays in need of a win on the final hole to extend the match.

Mays’ chip shot on the par-5 18^th settled six feet from the cup, while Kuester had 20 feet for a potential birdie that would seal the match. Kuester missed his attempt, and Mays calmly drained his birdie try to send the match to extra holes.

The combatants returned to No. 18 to settle the outcome, and Mays’ dreams of winning seemed to be in jeopardy when his approach shot caromed off the cart path before settling in thick grass. He was able to salvage a par with a clutch 10-footer, while Kuester misfired on a birdie try from 20-feet to take the match to a 20^th hole.

With the action moving to hole No. 1, Mays snuck home a seven-footer for par. Needing to convert his par putt to remain alive, Kuester missed from five feet to give Mays his long-awaited win.

“When you get into a match like that with so much on the line, everything feels different,” Mays said. “I mean, golf tournaments are hard to win, and it was definitely a grind. I hated that it finished with him missing like that. But I'm never going to turn down a win.”

With Mays moving up to the Senior division after turning 55 in February, he’s discovered a renewed outlook on his golf fortunes.

“Playing my first year in the Seniors gives me the chance to be young one more time,” said Mays, who plays out of Tennessee National Golf Club. “But it’s a small window that doesn’t stay open for very long.”

Mays had another tight match earlier in the day against Lenoir City’s Ray Morton to seal his spot in the finals. A par on the 15^th hole gave Mays a 1-up lead, and both golfers tied the remaining three holes including matching birdies on the last hole for the 1-up decision.

Kuester advanced to finals by eliminating top-seeded Clay Uselton by a 4 & 3 score. His fourth birdie on the day gave him a 3-up lead through 11, and another birdie at 16 closed the door.

Fly Wins Super Senior Title

Winning never gets old for Buzz Fly. The Memphis native has certainly had plenty of experience in hoisting championship trophies over the past dozen years that surely his arms must be getting tired by now.

Fly added to his sterling resume on Friday in the Super Senior Match Play final, defeating Chattanooga’s Richard Keene by a 2 & 1 margin to earn his ninth TGA title since 2013. Add in a pair of Super Senior State Open crowns, and Fly’s 11 statewide wins places him among some elite company in Tennessee golf history.

“I'll turn 70 next month, and it's getting harder,” Fly said. “But it's still a lot of fun to practice and get ready for the tournaments, and you never really know if you're going to play good or not. I can’t play against 55-year-olds now, but it keeps me working out and focusing on my preparation, which keeps me feeling younger.”

Fly grabbed an early 3-up lead after five holes and was 4-up at the turn thanks to four birdies, shooting 32 over his opening nine. Keene was able to cut the deficit in half with winning birdies at 11 and 16, but could draw no closer.

It was a masterful display of golf over 17 holes as Fly finished with six birdies while Keene compiled four birdies and an eagle.

“We had a great match today,” Fly said. “We just went back and forth, and it was a lot of fun. You have so many average days in golf, and it’s really satisfying when you have a day like today with six birdies. Richard played great, too, and it came right down to the end.”

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com