Golf Notebook: Harris English Finishes Runner-Up In Second Major This Year

While all of the conversation rightfully surrounds Scottie Scheffler’s march toward the career Grand Slam in capturing his fourth major at this weekend’s Open Championship, it should also be noted the accomplishments of Baylor School alum Harris English in this year’s majors.

English was runner-up to Scheffler at Royal Portrush, four shots off the lead at 13-under par. It was the former Georgia Bulldog’s best finish in ten Open Championship appearances, eclipsing the tie for 15^th he had in 2013.

“I knew it was going to take my best, and I gave it my best shot,” English said in an NBC Sports post-match interview. “I wouldn't say I had quite my A-plus game, but I got around, made some really good par saves on the front line to keep me in it. I’m really happy with the way I finished on 16 and 17, made some really good putts and hung in there to try to battle for that second place.”

It was the second time English has earned a runner-up spot in a major this year. At the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in May, English tied Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley at 6-under, five shots behind Scheffler.

The best showing for English at the U.S. Open is a 4^th place result in 2021, while this year’s tie for 12^th was his best finish in six appearances in the Masters Tournament.

Tankersley Has Top 10 Finish at Southern Am

Cameron Tankersley continued his successful summer prior to entering his senior year at Ole Miss by finishing tied for 7^th at the 119^th Southern Amateur Championship.

The Dickson native compiled rounds of 74-67-70-75 to close at 2-under 286 at The Blessings Golf Club in Johnson, Ark. Entering Saturday’s final round in 5^th place three shots three shots off the lead, Tankersley encountered five bogeys while finding only two birdies.

Tankersley competed in the U.S. Open at Oakmont and has qualified for the upcoming U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club on the strength of his Top 100 ranking in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

University of Tennessee rising senior Lance Simpson of Knoxville wound up tied for 31^st at 5-over 293 after recording scores of 75-71-70-77. Simpson also competed at Oakmont in the U.S. Open and has secured his spot in the U.S. Amateur both via his Top 100 WAGR ranking in addition to winning last week at the Elite Amateur Series event in the Trans-Mississippi Amateur.

A familiar name claimed the victory in the Southern Am, with John Daly II finishing at 10-under to win by five shots. The Arkansas senior is the son of two-time PGA TOUR major winner John Daly, who also played collegiately for the Razorbacks.

U.S. Junior Amateur Starts Monday

Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas will be the site of this week’s 77th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, and a handful of golfers with ties to Tennessee hope to join the ranks of past winners Tiger Woods, Johnny Miller, Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.

Will Pinson of Franklin earned an exemption for winning the Tennessee Junior Amateur. Others who punched their ticket through qualifying are 15-year-old Wick Baker of Bristol, Greyson Collard, 16, of Memphis, Drew Madigan, 16, of Collierville and Andrew Sciortino, 17, of Brentwood. Also competing are Cole Stockard from just across the Tennessee state line in Dalton, Ga., while incoming University of Tennessee at Chattanooga freshman Evan Rogers of Duluth, Ga. is also in the field.

Two days of 18-hole stroke play will commence Monday morning, followed by the low 64 advancing to match play on Wednesday. The Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches are slated for Thursday, the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches on Friday, and the 36-hole championship match on Saturday.

Two entrants among the field of 264 entrants have fathers who are household names from their time of the PGA TOUR. Charlie Woods – Tiger’s son – qualified for the second straight year, while Matt Kuchar’s son, Cameron, is also competing.

U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying Continues

Four more of the 19 Final Qualifiers for the U.S. Amateur will take place on Monday, with the event at the Standard Club in John’s Creek, Ga. attracting a large number of Tennessee golfers.

Those competing in the 18-hole qualifier hoping to advance to The Olympic Club in San Francisco in August include Winburne Hughes of Memphis. Clark Akers of Nashville, Luke Beadles of Nolensville, Griffin Law of Chattanooga, Evan Woosley-Reed of Knoxville, Tucker Jenkins of Nashville, Patton Samuels of Clarksville, Bennett McNabb of Ringgold, Ga. and UTC golfer Dalton Burts of Peachtree Corners, Ga.

Nashville natives Ryan Terry and Michael Shivers will be competing in Monday’s qualifier at Sara Bay Country Club in Sarasota, Fla.

They hope to join those Tennesseans already in the field headed by two-time Tennessee State Amateur champion Payne Denman. Others who are exempt are Nashville’s Toby Wilt, who earned his spot by winning the Texas State Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur champion Lance Simpson of Knoxville, and Dickson’s Cameron Tankersley who is exempt as a Top 100 points leader in WAGR rankings.

Jackson Herrington of Dickson was medalist at last week’s Wilmington, N.C. final qualifier to earn his spot, while Kaleb Wilson of Knoxville finished tied for 3^rd at the Houston final qualifier.

Tennessee Women’s Open Championships This Week

For the 17^th straight year, Stonehenge Golf Club at Fairfield Glade will serve as the site of the Tennessee Women’s Open Championship. Defending champion Chelsea Dantonio seeks to become the first back-to-back winner in the tournament’s 27 years.

Other former champions in the Open division field are Adeena Wilcox (2022) and amateur Michaela Morand (2020).

The 10^th playing of the Senior division of the Tennessee Women’s Open will run concurrently with Cheryl Fox seeking to defend her title won last year. Jeannette Kohlhaas, the 2023 champion, also returns, while Kathleen Robinson hopes to add a Senior crown to her Open division title won in 2006.

The tournament begins on Thursday with the Senior champion determined on Friday after 36 holes. The field will be cut to the low 40 and ties in the Open division after 36 holes, with the final round scheduled for Saturday.

Local Qualifiers on Tap for U.S. Senior Am and U.S. Senior Women’s Am

Nashville’s Harpeth Hills Golf Club will host a pair of qualifiers on Tuesday with tickets to senior national championships hanging in the balance.

Forty-six senior golfers will be competing for two spots and two alternate positions hoping to advance to the U.S. Senior Amateur at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio, Texas on August 23-28.

This tournament was at The Honors Course in 2024, and was scheduled to be held at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C. this year. However, the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on the region prompted the USGA to amend its schedule, with Biltmore Forest now scheduled to host in 2028.

In the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier, 14 golfers will be competing for three spots and two alternates to advance to Omni Homestead Resort – Cascade Course in Hot Springs, Va. on September 13-18.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com