Dickson Duo Tankersley, Herrington With Strong Starts At U.S. Amateur

With temperatures in San Francisco remaining in the lower 60s with overcast skies on Monday, The Olympic Club provided unfamiliar conditions for the Tennessee golfers competing in the 125^th U.S. Amateur Championship who are accustomed to sweltering heat and humidity found in the South this time of year.

But the cooler temps didn’t seem to bother Cameron Tankersley or Jackson Herrington.

With the first of two days of Stroke Play Qualifying taking place on Monday, the Dickson natives compiled rounds under par to place themselves in prime position to advance into the Match Play sessions with another solid round on Tuesday.

Tankersley and Herrington – both graduates of Dickson County High School – posted rounds of 1-under 69 on the Lake Course, landing in tie for 11^th place among the 312 participants competing where only 20 golfers managed to break par.

Among the other entrants with Volunteer State connections, Payne Denman is also in good shape to earn a spot in the Top 64 after carding a 1-over 71 to land among those tied for 38th. Lance Simpson (2-over 72) is also in contention to advance into Wednesday’s bracket play after finding himself in a logjam at 64th.

Tankersley overcame a bogey on his fourth hole at the Lake course – No. 12 – by converting three birdies in a five-hole stretch to move to 2-under after 10 holes. But a pair of bogeys early in his final nine returned the Ole Miss senior to level par. He responded with birdies at 3 and 4 – giving him five on the day – to move back into red figures a 2-under, eventually settling for his 69 after giving back a shot on No. 7.

Herrington began play on the Lake Course, and he started well with a birdie on his first hole at No. 9. A bogey at 12 was followed by a second birdie at 13 from the Tennessee sophomore, and eight straight pars kept him at 1-under with five holes remaining. Herrington then alternated between bogeys and birdies over his next four holes before closing his morning with a par.

Denman’s round took on an inauspicious start with a double bogey on his opening hole competing on the Lake layout. Things looked even bleaker after two more bogeys left him at 4-over thru seven holes. But the two-time defending Tennessee Amateur Champion refused to wilt, carding three birdies and 11 pars over his remaining holes to finish with a 71.

Three straight bogeys after an opening par on the Lake course’s No. 9 put Simpson in an early hole. Matters worsened for the Knoxville native after the Tennessee senior posted a double bogey on No. 16 to drop to 4-over after eight holes. But he was able to rally by shooting 2-under across his last 10 holes for his 72.

Nashville’s Ryan Terry found himself 2-over thru four holes after starting at No. 9 on the Lake Course. But he played the rest of his round in superb fashion, earning birdies at 14 and 5 to offset a double bogey on No. 3 to eventually wind up at 3-over 73 (T102).

Knoxville native Kaleb Wilson, who is entering his senior year at West Virginia, shot 5-over-par 70 on the Ocean course. Wilson covered his first 14 holes in 1-over after beginning play on the back after recording his first birdie at No. 5. However, an unfortunate triple bogey on the next hole followed by another bogey at 9 left him tied for 156th.

Toby Wilt of Nashville opened play by shooting 2-over on the back nine on the Lake course, but he discovered plenty of trouble after making the turn. The TCU junior struggled to cover his final nine holes in 40 shots, completing his round at 8-over-par 78.

Lee University senior Bennett McNabb of Ringgold, Ga. encountered trouble from the outset of his round on the Lake course. He was 5-over through his first four holes after starting on No. 9, but managed to find a pair of birdies during his loop to close with a score of 8-over-par 78 to join Wilt in a tie for 235th.

Winburne Hughes of Memphis was able to start his round on the Lake with five consecutive pars. But the Olympic Club got the best of Hughes as he covered his last six holes in 6-over to finish at 9-over-par 79 (T263).

England’s Charlie Forster, who finished his college career at Long Beach State, and Texas senior Tommy Morrison posted the low rounds on Monday by shooting 4-under-par 66, both on the Ocean Course. Two other golfers are tied for 3^rd at 3-under 67.

For tee times and complete results, go to U.S. Amateur.

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com