Kuester perseveres in playoff; Fly joins elite company with fifth straight title

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in its storied history, the Senior and Super Senior Amateur Championships rolled into the gates of Belle Meade Country Club.  The debut brought a loaded field, plenty of past champions, and an ending that was quick yet entertaining. 

The Super Senior division was stacked with heavy hitters like Danny Green, David Apperson, and Buzz Fly, aiming for the title. The Senior division was equally star-studded, featuring Steve Mann, Steve Golliher, and reigning champion Clay Uselton.

The opening round was tight, but it was Buzz Fly who put the field on notice with his fantastic play. The veteran led the entire field, firing a blistering 4-under performance.

In the Senior division, Murfreesboro’s Kenny Wilson snagged a one-stroke lead, but with a pack of challengers sitting within three shots, his number one position was anything but secure. 

Round Two tested everyone’s limits. Belle Meade woke up to sunshine and calm skies, but Tennessee weather has a sense of humor in several TGA events this summer. Just as the Senior players were preparing to make the turn, a raging rainstorm came in, soaking the course and halting play for over an hour.

When play finally resumed near dusk, golfers were racing daylight. Ultimately, darkness won, forcing the unfinished round into the early hours of the final day.

Players were left waiting to see if they’d even make the cut. Those who did found themselves grinding through more holes than they bargained for on championship day, turning the finale into both a mental and physical test.

Franklin’s own Pat Chisholm staged one of the tournament’s biggest moves, vaulting an incredible thirteen spots up the leaderboard after the early-morning conclusion of Round Two. 

Knoxville’s Brad Kuester joined the charge, forcing a tie with Chisholm for first. That set the stage for a Round Three shake-up, with the top five shuffling between Alan Jones and former Senior Amateur champs Steven Mann and Clay Uselton.

When the last round began, all eyes were on the Super Seniors — and Buzz Fly did what Buzz Fly does best. Calm, steady, and in complete control, Fly coasted through the day and once again hoisted the Midgett Family Trophy for the fifth straight year.

Fresh off a Super Senior Match Play title just weeks earlier, Fly added yet another prize to his overflowing Tennessee Golf Association trophy case. With the season winding down, he’s already eyeing history — a shot at becoming the first ever to win six consecutive Super Senior Amateur titles.

As for the Seniors division, the lead would change hands several times with Steve Mann controlling the early part of the day. 

As the action heated up on the back nine, it was Pat Chisholm and Brad Kuester battling it out for the top spot through 13 holes. 

Things only got more dramatic as they approached hole 17, where Kuester managed to grab a one-stroke lead with a clutch birdie. Heading into the final hole, he was still up by one.

The tee shots on 18 were solid from Kuester, Chisholm, and  Mann, but things got dicey on the green. Kuester missed a relatively easy putt, which sent the trio into a playoff, similar to the one he faced at Oak Ridge.

The trio would replay hole 18 for a 3-way playoff, and tough decisions would have to be made instantly.  

Mann would take his tee shot in the right bunker, Chisholm found the tall grass on the left side of the fairway, and Kuester—cool as ever—landed his ball right down the middle.

On their approach shots, Mann blasted out of the bunker but came up well short and Chisholm couldn't get anything going from the rough. 

Kuester, on the other hand, played it like a pro, sticking his shot just a few feet from the pin. 

With neither Chisholm nor Mann able to convert, Kuester calmly tapped in for par and claimed his first TGA Senior and Super Senior Amateur Championship title.

Overfilled with joy, Kuester would release an abundant amount of hugs to everyone, thanking them for not only another great event, but also allowing him to showcase his skillset on the stage with some of Tennessee’s best golfers. 

And let’s not forget the Legend Division! After tying for the lead in Round 1 at five-over, Jim Webb turned it on when it mattered most. He shot par over the final three holes and pulled away to win by three strokes, taking home the trophy after just two days of play.