(Murfreesboro, TN) – The 55th Tennessee PGA Professional Championship is now complete and a champion has been crowned. Over the course of the three day championship 64 players were tested at Stones River Country Club in one of the strongest heat waves of the 2023 summer. Players battled for four qualifying spots in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Texas. In addition, professionals played for a total purse of $40,000 with the first place prize of $6,800 up for grabs. After a grueling 54-hole event in hot and humid conditions, Casey Flenniken, PGA, of Tansi Golf Course, went wire-to-wire to win his second straight Tennessee PGA Professional Championship.
The course showed its teeth over the three rounds with a scoring average of 75.55. Holes 7 and 13 proved to be the most difficult holes for players. The 414 yard par-four seventh played the second hardest posting a scoring average of 4.54. In addition, over the course of the event the hole only allowed four birdies to the field of 64. The 470 yard par-four thirteenth played the most difficult on the course this week with a scoring average of 4.61.
Casey Flenniken, PGA, of Tanasi Golf Course, came out hot posting the low round for the first day carding six birdies to finish at 4-under par (67). Flenniken was able to gain his lead by seeing some putts drop early, opening his tournament with three birdies through his first four holes.
Golfers were greeted with similar conditions in the second round with another hot August day making it difficult to score.
Audie Johnson, PGA of Ted Rhodes Golf Course, fired the low round in round two posting a 67 (-4) to to move back to even par through 36-holes. Flenniken was able to add to his lead in round two by posting a 70 (-1) to move to 5-under par overall to hold a one-shot lead going into the final round.
Going into the final round eight different professionals were under par and within striking distance of the lead. Jared Melson, PGA, Alex Cox, PGA, and Johan Kok, PGA, all were three shots off the lead while Mike Vance, PGA was at 3-under and Jake Reeves was 4-under just one shot back. Vance came out of the gate firing, opening his round with two birdies through his first three holes. However Flenniken would get it going on the front carding three bridies before the turn. Flenniken extended his lead to five-shots with five holes left. Flenniken would go on to hold the lead throughout the round and win the 55th Tennessee Professional Championship by three-shot at 8-under par overall, 205.
Chase Harris, PGA went on to finish tied for runner-up after carding the lowest round of the tournament in his final round posting a 65 (-6) to post a final score of 5-under par, 208.
Jake Reeves, PGA, finished tied for runner-up after posting rounds of 68-70-70 to finish 5-under par overall, 208.
Mike Vance, PGA finished in fourth at 4-under par overall, 209.
Flenniken, Harris, Reeves, and Vance round out the team of four that will represent the section at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Texas.
Josh Bevell, PGA, of Profectus Golf will be the first alternate for the tournament, Johan Kok, PGA, of Troubadour Golf and Field Club, will be the second alternate, Scott Moran PGA, of Cutter and Buck, is the third alternate, and Chris Zumpano, PGA of Hillwood Country Club will be the fourth alternate.
The 55th Tennessee PGA Professional Championship is an official TN Rolex Player of the Year points event.
Partners
This event would not be possible without the support of the Presenting Sponsors for this year’s Section Professional Championships.
Club Car
Club Car is the Official Golf Car of the PGA of America.
Club Car boasts nearly 60 years of industry-leading innovation and design, initially focused on golf cars and then expanding to commercial utility vehicles and personal-use transportation.
https://www.clubcar.com/en-us
Corebridge Finacial
Corebridge Financial is an American multinational financial services company. It provides annuities, life insurance, asset management, retirement solutions, and other services. Corebridge was formed after AIG performed a spin-off on the company via an IPO in 2022.
https://www.corebridgefinancial.com/
Rolex
Rolex is the Official Timekeeper of the PGA of America.
- A way of doing things unlike any other. 2. The way we make watches, the only thing we will ever make. 3.‘Precise’ is too imprecise for our attention to detail. 4. ‘Tradition’ is too conventional for the innovation we undertake. 5. We sculpt, paint and explore. But sculptors, painters and explorers we are not. 6. There is no word for what we do. 7. There is only a way. 8. The Rolex Way.
https://www.rolex.com
The TNPGA expresses its gratitude to the following Supporting Sponsors.
Titleist / FootJoy
We are the steward of two of the most revered brands in golf – Titleist, one of golf’s leading performance equipment brands, and FootJoy, one of golf’s leading performance wear brands.
https://www.titleist.com
Nike
Nike’s mission statement is, “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” And as co-founder Bill Bowerman once said, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” Sports is a great business to be in, and an even better business to lead.
https://www.nike.com/golf
TaylorMade
At TaylorMade, we are driven by the pursuit of product innovation and reaching new thresholds of performance.
https://www.taylormadegolf.com
The TNPGA expresses its gratitude to the following PGA of America Supporting Partners.
Golf Channel
Co-founded by Arnold Palmer and Joe Gibbs on January 17, 1995, Golf Channel in 2011 became part of the NBC Sports Group and – serving the most-affluent audience in all of television – now is available to nearly 500 million viewers in nearly 80 countries and nine languages around the world.
www.golfchannel.com
PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a Supporting Partner of PGA of America Professional Tournaments.
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, we engage, inspire and positively impact our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
www.PGATour.com
In addition, we thank our Section Supporting Partners for their involvement.
Maui Jim
Maui Jim got its start in 1980 as a small company selling sunglasses on the beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. Seeing a need in the market for technology that could combat intense glare and harmful UV while bringing the brilliant colors of the island to life, we engineered the revolutionary PolarizedPlus2® lens. Incorporated into seven new sunglass styles, our Classic Collection was introduced. We now offer over 125 styles of sunglasses, 100% of which are polarized and protect from 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
Inspired by the beauty and culture of Maui, our mission is to spread aloha through vivid color, clarity, and detail. For those who appreciate the sun, Maui Jim provides more vibrant colors of the world while protecting your eyes from the harsh effects of glare and harmful rays.
We always show our true colors – true colors that come shining through in our superior customer service. We promise that you will always be greeted with a friendly voice and a dedicated representative. We want you to be happy. That’s why we stand behind every pair of sunglasses we make.
https://www.mauijim.com/
Premier Golf Services
Premier signage provider for charity, club, college, competitive, and corporate events. Leave your guests with a gift that shows how much you appreciate their participation. We have selected only the highest quality, on trend items, sure to leave your guest smiling.
https://www.premiergolfservices.com/
About Tennessee National Golf Club
Tennessee National Golf Club is ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top 10 golf courses in Tennessee. With five holes playing to or from the water, beautiful views of Watts Bar Lake are not hard to find. This, in addition to 13 water features and stacked sod bunkers reminiscent of Scottish links, make Tennessee National refreshingly different from other courses in the southeast. With five sets of tees, generous landing areas, and a delightfully walkable layout, our Greg Norman Signature course is uniquely playable, yet challenging to accomplished golfers.
https://www.tennesseenational.com/play-here/golf
About Tennessee PGA
The PGA of America is the world’s largest sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in teaching and growing the game. Founded in 1916, the PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position by conducting premier spectator events – PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – as well as significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions.
Formed in 1968, The Tennessee Section PGA is one of the 41 sections that comprise the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. It is one of the largest sections, with over 500 members and associates. Tennessee PGA seeks to elevate the standards of the professional golfers’ vocation, to promote the interest in the game of golf, to protect and advance the mutual interest of the Members, to conduct tournaments and offer educational opportunities for the employment and benefit of the Members and to promote good relations with clubs and communities within the Tennessee Section’s boundaries. For more information, contact Brandon Moore, Marketing and Communications Manager, at 615-686-3397 or bamoore@pgahq.com