The stage was set for the 51st Tennessee PGA Professional Championship. The Championship was being contested at the historic Holston Hills Country Club designed by the famous Donald Ross. The course conditions were magnificent with a firm golf course, thick rough and lightning-fast greens. In the field we had a two-time defending champion, a few rookies who were newly elected PGA Members or Members that transferred into the Tennessee Section since the previous year’s Championship, the young guns trying to make a statement, some folks looking for the senior tees, but were unsuccessful in finding them as they are still trying to defy our friend Ole’ Father Time, and a player who won the event as far back as 1991. They all were looking to be crowned the 2019 Tennessee PGA Professional Champion.

These competitors would be greeted with a crisp fall day to start the first round of the tournament. The beautiful course would show its teeth early with Round 1 having a scoring average of 4-over par. These tough conditions gave some players the opportunity to distance themselves from the field with a strong first round. Two-time defending champion Johan Kok and Spring Creek Ranch Head Professional Matt Brock were the ones to make their move early. Kok would get his title defense off to a hot start with birdies on the first two holes. He would finish his opening front nine with three birdies in a row on holes 6 through 8 to go out in 5-under 31. He would sprinkle in two birdies on the back nine to close out the only bogey-free round of the tournament, finishing with a 7-under 65. Matt Brock would not let Kok distance himself too far as they would jockey for the lead throughout Round 1. Brock would birdie two of his first four holes before giving one back at the long Par-5 5th hole. He would bounce back with an eagle on the Par-5 7th and a birdie on the 9th hole to go out in 4-under 32. He would also sprinkle in two birdies on the back-9 to finish his first round with a 6-under 68 to trail Kok by one shot. Loren Personett and Chris Stacy would round out the top of the leaderboard by both shootings 3-under 69.

Day 2 would be moving day at Holston Hills Country Club as rain and strong winds made it the most difficult scoring day of the tournament. Our Senior PGA Professional Champion Walt Chapman would take advantage of the tough conditions to move himself up the leaderboard. Chapman used five birdies to three bogeys to shoot a 2-under 70 to put himself within striking distance. Our newcomer to the section, Andrew Bateman would also make his move with a 2-under 70 to put him near the top of the leaderboard. Kok and Brock would battle all day to keep their positions at the top of the leaderboard. They both had up and down front nines but would give us some fireworks at the end to keep pace with each other. Kok would make the turn with a 2-stroke lead over Brock but that would disappear with a double-bogey on the tough Par-4 12th hole. A bogey on the 14th hole for Kok would propel Brock into the lead with four holes to play in the round. Kok would not be phased as he would finish the last three holes birdie, eagle, birdie to Brock’s par, birdie, birdie to take his lead back. They would both shoot an impressive 1-under 70 with Kok maintaining his one-stroke lead heading into the final day.

The Final Round of the tournament would start off as a two-man race to the finish line. Matt Brock would make the early move with birdies on holes 1 and 5 to give himself the lead. Johan Kok would stay poised and birdie the 7th hole to draw square with Brock at the top of the board. They would both stumble on the 9th hole, Brock with a double bogey and Kok with a bogey to regain the lead. It would be smooth sailing for Kok from there as Brock could not make up the ground coming in. He used a 33 on the back nine to cap off a 3-under 69 and win by an impressive 6 shots to win for the third year in a row.

We had 5 players qualify for the 53rd PGA Professional Championship at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX on April 26-29, 2020. Congratulations to Johan Kok, Andrew Bateman, Casey Flenniken, Matt Brock, and Walt Chapman for qualifying and representing the Tennessee section!

A big thank you to Chris Dibble, PGA and his staff at Holston Hills for having their amazing facility prepped and ready for the tournament. Another thank you to the Superintendent, Ryan Blair, and his staff for having the course in such great condition for the tournament.

51st Tennessee PGA Professional Championship
Oct 15 – Oct 17, 2019
Professional Media Results
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Qualifiers: 5 Alternates: 4

QUALIFIERS
1 Johan Kok Nashville, TN 65-71-69–205 -11 $8,000.00
2 Andrew Bateman Knoxville, TN 72-70-69–211 -5 $6,000.00
T3 Casey Flenniken Knoxville, TN 70-73-69–212 -4 $3,000.00
T3 Matthew Brock Memphis 66-71-75–212 -4 $3,000.00
T3 Walt Chapman Knoxville, TN 71-70-71–212 -4 $3,000.00

ALTERNATES – IN ORDER
6 Oliver Peacock Franklin, TN 71-73-71–215 -1 $1,700.00
T7 Josh Bevell Nashville, TN 74-70-72–216 E $1,450.00
T7 Braxton Hunter Knoxville, TN 74-70-72–216 E $1,450.00
9 Loren Personett Mount Juliet, TN 69-76-72–217 +1 $1,300.00

DID NOT QUALIFY
T10 Jared Melson Tullahoma, TN 70-74-74–218 +2 $1,150.00
T10 Bobby Cochran Germantown, TN 72-73-73–218 +2 $1,150.00
12 Glenn Hudson La Follette, TN 77-73-69–219 +3 $1,050.00
T13 Kelvin Burgin Crossville, TN 70-78-72–220 +4 $916.67
T13 Brian Wood Lakeland, TN 75-73-72–220 +4 $916.67
T13 Chris Stacy Big Stone Gap, VA 69-74-77–220 +4 $916.67
16 Scott Moran Knoxville 73-76-72–221 +5 $825.00
T17 Garrett Campbell Chattanooga, TN 76-73-73–222 +6 $775.00
T17 Marshall Talkington Jackson, TN 72-73-77–222 +6 $775.00
T19 Richard Rebne Ringgold Georgia 74-76-73–223 +7 $700.00
T19 Skylar Thompson Woodstock, GA 76-73-74–223 +7 $700.00
T19 Bill Breen Nashville, TN 70-75-78–223 +7 $700.00
T22 Dave Ambrose Nashville, TN 72-79-73–224 +8 $637.50
T22 Alex Cox Old Hickory, TN 72-76-76–224 +8 $637.50
T24 Audie Johnson Mount Juliet, TN 74-75-76–225 +9 $587.50
T24 Bruce Bowen Bristol, TN 71-73-81–225 +9 $587.50
T26 Henrik Simonsen Ooltewah TN 77-75-74–226 +10 $525.00
T26 Nathan Blanchard Morristown, TN 78-74-74–226 +10 $525.00
T26 Scott Masters Nolensville, TN 74-74-78–226 +10 $525.00
29 Adam Forgey Crossville, TN 77-76-75–228 +12
T30 Christopher Woods Kingsport, TN 79-75-75–229 +13
T30 Chris Dibble Knoxville, TN 74-79-76–229 +13
T30 Matt Poff Pigeon Forge, TN 73-77-79–229 +13
T33 Joel Stark Nashville, TN 78-77-75–230 +14
T33 Bryan Bentley Kingsport, TN 74-81-75–230 +14
T33 Jake Bennett Harriman, TN 77-77-76–230 +14
T33 Buddy Harston Kingston Springs, TN 73-77-80–230 +14
37 Sean Wells Franklin, TN 76-74-83–233 +17
T38 Greg Wyatt Crossville, TN 78-77-79–234 +18
T38 Paul Moody Dandridge, TN 79-75-80–234 +18
40 Brock Shafer Olive Branch, MS 77-81-77–235 +19
T41 Paul Brannon Spring Hill, TN 83-77-77–237 +21
T41 Mark Houser Gallatin, TN 81-76-80–237 +21
T43 Scott Wilson Maryville, TN 78-82-78–238 +22
T43 Allen Fennell Kingsport,Tn 78-80-80–238 +22
45 Patty Eiselstein Kingsport, TN 83-80-76–239 +23
46 Erik Lundblad Knoxville, TN 78-80-82–240 +24
T47 Kevin Walker Nashville, TN 77-83-81–241 +25
T47 Tommy Baxter Brentwood, TN 81-80-80–241 +25
49 Drew Cain Memphis, TN 82-79-84–245 +29
T50 Sean Rice Chattanooga, TN 84-82-82–248 +32
T50 Keifer Clary Ooltewah, TN 81-83-84–248 +32
52 Craig Volentine Sevierville, TN 80-85-84–249 +33
53 Kevin Ashley Chattanooga, TN 82-87-82–251 +35
54 Kedric Perkins Jackson, TN 81-88-83–252 +36
55 Chris Apple Nashville, TN 91-84-79–254 +38
56 Adam Campbell Lookout Mountain, GA 87-89-86–262 +46

DID NOT FINISH

WD Randy Helton Shelbyville, TN +23