A strong finish earns Herrington a spot in Tennessee golf history at State Open

DICKSON, Tenn. —  Dickson-native Jackson Herrington, has etched his name in history, becoming the youngest player ever to hoist the Curtis Person, Sr. trophy and just the second amateur to win in the last 10 years.

Expectations were mild coming into the week, the 18-year-old said. Between family vacations and resting to deal with some tendinitis, he simply hadn’t played a lot of golf leading up to the 75th Tennessee State Open. But still, the competitive fire within him continued to burn.

“After coming up short so many times… this year, I didn't want to finish second again,” Herrington said. “All I was focused on was ‘How can I get this shot to where I can make birdies?’ Because I did not want to finish second again. I was tired of that.”

Herrington found himself 4-shots back after the first round, but he kicked his game into high gear the following two rounds. A second-round 7-under-par 64, which included an eagle-eagle finish, catapulted Herrington to 10-under-par, tying Ryan Terry for the lead and earning himself a spot in the final pairing. 

After a bogey on the first hole in the final round, Herrington recorded a par on seven straight holes. A birdie on the par-5 9th got him back to even for the day, but he still trailed Terry by 3 strokes after the leader’s bogey-free 33 front nine. 

Following birdies from both players on holes 10 and 11, Herrington needed to make up three shots in seven holes. 

“I feel like the big one for me was on 13,” Herrington said. “I made a 30-footer for birdie. [I hit] a terrible wedge shot, but still made it happen.”

Herrington made what he called a “sloppy bogey” on 14, but bounced right back with a birdie on 15, getting himself within one shot with three to play. When the opportunity presented itself, Herrington seized it with authority. Then-leader Ryan Terry recorded a double-bogey on the par-3 16th while Herrington finished with a birdie. The two-shot swing put Herrington in a tie for first with Billy Tom Sargent while Terry found himself playing from behind.

The real magic from Herrington’s win took place on the 53rd hole of the tournament. After a wayward tee shot placed him on the tee box of hole 15, Herrington stuck a 9-iron from about 165 yards to 8 feet. His putt dropped in the hole, giving Herrington a one-shot lead heading to the final hole. A birdie from Terry on the final hole wasn’t enough to force a playoff but resulted in a tie for second place with Sargent. A two-putt par from Herrington on the final hole secured his first-place finish and spot in Tennessee State Open history. 

“I’ve gone into these bigger events knowing that I can win,” Herrington said. “It's a relief. It's great. I love it.”

Although he couldn’t bring home top honors at the 75th State Open, Ryan Terry played exceptionally throughout the week. The 2018 Mid-Amateur champion shot a gross 199, with his worst round of the tournament coming in at 3-under par 68. 

Tied for runner-up with Terry was Billy Tom Sargent, a former member of the Korn Ferry Tour. A final round at 7-under par 64 shot Sargent up the leaderboard, earning him the title of low professional and a nice $10,000 payday. 

Tre Mullins finished tied for 4th place but submitted some of the more interesting scorecards throughout the event. After shooting a 38 on the first nine holes of the opening round, he came roaring back with a 28 on the back that included three eagles to record a 4-under-par 67. He closed out with rounds of 68 and 65, finishing at 13-under-par 200.

Ben Wolcott continued his streak of top 5 finishes, marking the third State Open in a row he has placed in the top five. Wolcott finished in a tie for 4th place with the aforementioned Mullins, recording 19 birdies over 54 holes.

For the full results and leaderboard, click here.