Team Tennessee had their second practice round preparing them for the 2026 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup that will take place on May 11, 2026. We would like to welcome our new member to the team, Erik Dines, as he will join the team to compete!

Our day began at the prestigious Honors Course.... Head Professional Skylar Thompson kicked things off with a tour and a deep dive into the club’s rich history. After a focused range session and a 9-hole practice round, the team enjoyed a fantastic lunch provided by the club. A huge thank you to Henrik Simonsen, Skylar Thompson, and the entire Honors Course staff for their incredible hospitality!

From there, we headed to the UTC Development Center to gear up. The team is officially locked in and looking the part thanks to our generous partners. This year’s “swag pack” included:

• Sun Mountain & Pukka: New golf bags and hats (shoutout to Paul Branlund!)
• 423 Customs: Custom ball markers, alignment sticks, and divot tools (thanks, Paul Mason!)
• Imperial: Hoodie and t-shirt
• Callaway: New golf balls and gloves (courtesy of Doug Schoerke)
• FootJoy: Golf shirt and hoodie (thanks to Kyle Gromes)

The preparation is hitting its stride and the team is ready to represent. Let’s go, Team Tennessee!

Next stop: Oregon.

Five of our PGA Professionals will travel to Bandon to take on the PGA Professional Championship at the legendary Bandon Dunes Golf Resort from April 26–29.

Good luck—representing Tennessee well!

The Classic is in the books!

Congratulations to our Professional Division Champion Josh Bevell, PGA and Amateur Division Champions Matt Mitchell (a), and Jackson Whaley (a).

Shoutout to our Senior Professional Division Champion Jake Reeves, PGA and Senior Amateur Division ...Champion Hubie Smith (a).

Well played, everyone!

We kicked off the 2026 golf season in the best way possible at the Ladd’s Pro-Pro-Pro Scramble at Old Fort Golf Club! It was an incredible day filled with great golf, good company, and the perfect start to a new season. Congratulations to our winners @fennellsgolf PGA , @gregwyattgolfgclc PGA, ...and Mark Houser, PGA on an outstanding performance!

A special thank you to Ladd’s for serving as our title sponsor and helping make this event such a success.

We’d also like to thank our amazing partners for their support today: Levelwear, Rapsodo Golf, Garmany Golf, PTE Golf, 2 Travel Anywhere LLC / The Sand Lady, and RB Hawk Accessory Solutions. We appreciate each of you for being part of a fantastic day!

Yesterday we hosted another successful PGA HOPE networking event at TopGolf in Knoxville. We had 36 in attendance with some being PGA HOPE graduates and some coaches. Great fun was had by all! We cannot wait for the next one! #pgahope #welovethisgame #pgareach

We are so proud of our National Finalists! Each of them represented Tennessee so well! It was a day they will not soon forget! #drivechipandputt #themasters #augustanational

Best of luck to our Tennesseans in the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals! Be sure to tune in at 8am ET to watch them compete!

Andie Deck

Cade Reel

Ace Pizzuti

⭐️April Members on the Move⭐️

Congratulations to new member: Matt Heath, PGA

Congratulations to our new associates: Payton Brannom, Grae Miller, & Ethan Rimmer.

Congratulations to Quarter-Century Members: Mark Brown, PGA, Micah Hicks, PGA, Paul Moody, PGA, ...Michael Trinley, PGA, Scott Wilson, PGA, & Greg Wyatt, PGA!

Last week our PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup team shared their first team practice together. The members are as follows (Left to Right):

- Casey Willet: Ooltewah, TN
- Shellie Smith: Knoxville, TN
- Angela Hammontree: Tunnel Hill, GA
- Rosalee Bayless: Murfreesboro, TN
- Lamar ...Mills, PGA: Cleveland, TN

The weather did not cooperate, but the group was still treated to a great experience. They received a tour of the University of Tennessee’s golf facilities by PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings and had a great practice @fairwaysknox with Stallings providing expert coaching. We were very thankful to Britton Spann and Coach Webb for the top tier hospitality shown to the team!