Brad Kuester celebrates his first Tennessee Golf Association win at Belle Meade Country Club after claiming the Tennessee Senior Amateur
photo by Tennessee Golf Association
As Brad Kuester basked in the afterglow of his first Tennessee Golf Association title Friday afternoon at Belle Meade Country Club, he was still trying to process what had just unfolded.
The Knoxville resident captured the 55th Tennessee Senior Amateur with a short par putt on the first hole of a three-way playoff. But after several near misses in other tournaments, the reality of his victory began to sink in.
“I've gotten a little bit emotional,” Kuester said. “When I was walking off the green, it hit me. I’ve had a chance to win earlier but couldn’t get it done. So, it’s a big deal for me and an honor to win it at such a great golf course.”
It’s not like Kuester suddenly appeared out of nowhere to make his mark at Belle Meade. He lost in 20 holes to Rick Mays in the finals of the Tennessee Senior Match Play, and had picked up three wins and pair of 2nd place finishes in other tournaments this summer to put himself on top in the race for TGA Senior Player of the Year. But his stellar body of work compiled throughout the year didn’t have him brimming with confidence entering the tournament.
“You know, my goal when I got here was just to make the cut,” Kuester said. “I was wanting to have a good finish so I could improve my chances of making the (Challenge) Cup team. I honestly didn’t think I’d be here talking about winning.”
But Kuester found some magic over the closing nine holes, overcoming a three-shot deficit to Franklin’s Pat Chisholm with five holes to play to force a playoff with Chisholm and Steven Mann.
Kuester entered the final round tied for the lead at 1-under with Chisholm and Tullahoma’s Alan Jones, while Mann was tied for 5th at 1-over. Mann made made an early statement with birdies on three of his five opening holes, with the Franklin resident taking over the lead.
Chisholm held a one-shot advantage at even par over playing partner Kuester at the turn, while Mann also had a share of the lead playing two groups ahead. But when Chisholm opened the back nine with three birdies and a bogey, Kuester found himself down by three.
“I didn't give myself a whole lot of chance, at that point,” Kuester said.
But Kuester responded with birdies at 14, 15 and 17 to draw even with Chisholm at 2-under, while Mann was in the clubhouse at 1-under after a pair of clutch par savers on the last two holes.
“I finally made a birdie at 12, and generally if I make one birdie, I can make a few of them,” Kuester said. “Making the first one is the hard thing. After 17, I could start to envision maybe getting into a playoff.”
Kuester had a chance to salt away the victory on 18, but three-putted from 45 feet while Chisholm also tallied a bogey to bring Mann back into the mix for the playoff as the combatants closed at 1-under 215.
“When I missed that putt to win, I had visions of losing at Oak Ridge (in the Senior Match Play) again,” Kuester said.
With the playoff returning to No. 18, Mann and Chisholm were unable to find the green after safely landing in the fairway with their drives. Meanwhile, Kuester’s 7-iron from 170 yards out of a fairway bunker landed just short of the green. Mann and Chisholm failed to convert lengthy par attempts, while Kuester’s putt from off the green left him a short stroke for the win.
Defending champion Clay Uselton of Tullahoma finished 4th with a total of even par 216. Kenny Wilson of Murfreesboro and Tullahoma’s Alan Jones tied for 5th at 2-over 218, while Jay Potter of Tullahoma, John Harrington of Lakeland and Powell’s Steve Golliher finished 7th with scores of 3-over 219.
Kuester’s credits his wife, Meredith, with his emergence on the statewide stage. They first met when Kuester was her golf instructor at Cherokee Country Club during his time as a PGA professional. But the couple decided to choose a different career path, focusing on raising their two daughters and an adopted son from China.
“My dad was a country club manager and golf professional, and I saw how hard it was to be able to go to all your kid’s activities,” Kuester said. “So, I got out of the golf business because I wanted to stay around the house. But when I turned 55, Meredith encouraged me to start playing competitive senior tournaments. It’s been fun, and I’ve made some great friends out here. My wife deserves the credit for making this happen.”
For complete results, go to Tennessee Senior Amateur.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com