VONORE, Tenn. — The 24th Tennessee Match Play Championship is making its first stop at The Links at Kahite. A strong 64-player field is set to test their game at Tellico Village’s newest course.
The players have been split into 16 different pools. Each golfer is guaranteed three rounds of match play within their pools with the top point earner advancing to bracket play. The top 15 players were seeded into separate pools with the remaining 49 spots selected by random draw. Once in bracket play, it’s win and advance.
Meet the field below and who they’ll have to face in order to advance to the elimination bracket.
Pool 1:
Brendon Wilson, Ringgold - After a runner-up finish in the 2021 Tennessee Mid-Amateur Championship, Wilson came back the next year and earned a first-place finish at the 2022 Tennessee Mid-Amateur Championship. At last year’s Tennessee State Open Championship, Wilson ended the week in a tie for 4th place.
Will Jackson, Nashville
Ben Johnston, Farragut
Ethon Stanford, Franklin
Pool 2:
Matt Mitchell, Burns
Tyson Venable, Chattanooga
Nick Daugherty, Andersonville
Matthew Ott, Chattanooga
Pool 3:
Coleman Jones, Franklin - As a 2021 semi-finalist at the Tennessee Match Play Championship, Jones is back in the field at this year’s event. The Franklin native was also the 2017 Junior Amateur Champion before attending Belmont University.
Alex Hamm, Brentwood
Kevin Watford, Franklin
Austin Pfeifer, Nashville
Pool 4:
Aaron Ingalls, Jackson - The winner of the 2018 Tennesse State Amateur at Spring Creek Ranch, Ingalls returns to the men’s Match Play field ready to play. He also tied for 9th place at this year’s Tennessee State Open Championship. Ingalls was also a representative of Team Tennessee at the 2023 Simmons Bank Cup, helping earn the TGA’s second-straight win in the event against Team Arkansas.
Nolan Griggs, Brentwood
Justin Clevenstine, Knoxville
Jackson Twerdahl, Nolensville
Pool 5:
Steven Haremski, Knoxville - Haremski was a runner-up finalist at the 2021 Tennessee Match Play Championship who will be back this year to secure a win. He also placed 3rd at the 2021 Willow Creek Invitational.
Hudson Wilt, Nashville
Justin White, Franklin
Steve Rudesill, Germantown
Pool 6:
Jack Smith, Knoxville - Smith is a winner of the 2016 and 2021 Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship. Smith also ended the 2022 Tennessee Mid-Amateur Championship in a tie for 5th place.
Bennett McNabb, Ringgold
Chad Homan, Knoxville
Alexander Broyles, Greeneville
Pool 7:
Matt Cooper, Collierville - A winner of both the 2017 and 2020 Tennessee Mid-Amateur Championships, Cooper has made quite the name for himself in the Tennessee golf community. The 2020 win came at perennial PGA Tour stop TPC Southwinds in Memphis. Cooper, a former University of Memphis golfer, was also the winner of the 2014 Memphis Mid-Am Championship.
Phillip Lee, Fairview
Cooper Hayes, Strawberry Plains
Conner Brown, Shelbyville
Pool 8:
Adam Condello, Brentwood - At the 2022 Tennessee Amateur Championship, Condello finished the tournament in a tie for 4th place. He also tied for 11th at this year’s Tennessee State Open in the Amateur division. Condello also advanced to the elimination bracket in last year’s Tennessee Match Play Championship at Tennessee National.
Sean Anderson, Jonesborough
Niccolo Cristofalo, Nashville
Sam Levine, Chattanooga
Pool 9:
Jonas Rayfield, Cleveland
Antonio Farinella, Knoxville
Brad Burling, Knoxville
Jay Grove, Nolensville
Pool 10:
Lucas Armstrong, Church Hill - With a win already under his belt this year from the 2023 Tennessee Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Armstrong is coming in strong to this year’s Match Play. His 2022 season was highlighted by his win at the Tennessee PGA’s Players Championship at Stones River Country Club. In 2021, he placed 1st at the Ridgefields Invitational.
Trey Jones, Memphis
Dalton Sutton, Ooltewah
Ed Williams, Nashville
Pool 11:
Grant Milling, Nashville - He was a semi-finalist last year at the Tennessee Match Play, and is returning this year as a tough competitor. Milling was a top ten finisher at the Tennessee Mid-Amateur Championship.
Reece Britt, Maryville
Toby Wilt, Nashville
Nathan Frazier, Rising Fawn
Pool 12:
Ryan Terry, Brentwood - Ending in a tie for 6th this year at the Tennessee State Open Championship, Terry will be a fierce competitor on the course. He is also 2018 Tennessee Mid-Amateur winner, and placed 3rd at the 2022 Tennessee Mid-Amateur.
Ethan Rimmer, Knoxville
Bill Wellons, Franklin
Mike Zarraonandia, Germantown
Pool 13:
Mike Poe, Loudon - Poe will be joining the field once again for this year’s Match Play Championship, and is coming off his emotional Tennessee Senior Match Play Championship in 2022. Other impressive accomplishments from Poe include a 2012 and 2023 Senior Four-Ball win, and tied for runner-up at the 2022 Tennessee Senior Amateur Championship.
Eric Russell, Pigeon Forge
Jake Headrick, Maryville
Connor Caparos, Germantown
Pool 14:
Jeff Reuter, Humboldt - Reuter is looking to keep the momentum going after his Low Amateur finish last month at the Tennessee PGA’s Players Championship at Jackson Country Club. Another recent accomplishment of his was a win at the 2022 Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Cash Hendon, Nashville
Sidney Melvin, Hartsville
Samuel Gray, Nashville
Pool 15:
Jacob Garland, Nashville - Making it to the semi-finals in last year’s Match Play Championship, Garland is back to battle for his spot at the top of the leaderboard. Him and his father, Rob Garland, are also the winners of both 2021 and 2023 Parent-Child Championships. With a top 10 finish at this year’s Tennessee State Open Championship in the amateur division, Garland will be one to look out for on the course.
Carson Kammann, Knoxville
Taylor Mottern, Sewanee
John Thomas McKenzie, Cleveland
Pool 16:
Carson Johnson, Signal Mountain - Johnson is making his way back to the Tennessee Match Play Championships after finishing last year’s in quarterfinals. A junior at UT-Chattanooga, Johnson helped the Mocs to two wins this past season. Johnson is also an accomplished junior golfer, collecting TSSAA State Titles in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Rich Taylor, Clarksville
Riley Grindstaff, Thompsons Station
Jacob Wilson, College Grove