Three first-time champs crowned at Senior Four-Ball

This story was originally published by Paul Payne at the Chattanoogan.com

When perusing the list of champions who have won Tennessee Golf Association tournaments, it speaks to the storied history of golf in Tennessee. Icons such as Lew Oehmig, Mason Rudolph, Ed Brantly and Tim Jackson dominate the pages of former winners, and many a golfer spends a lifetime hoping to join that elite fraternity of TGA champions.

Three golfers became the newest members of the special group on Friday at The Ooltewah Club, bringing about a sense of sheer joy and grateful appreciation.

After competing as partners in four-ball events across the country, Collierville’s Fred McCord and Gary Simpson of Memphis claimed their first TGA title by winning the last two holes to dethrone two-time defending champions Tony Green and Garry Siddons, 1 up, walking away with the 13th Tennessee Super Senior Four-Ball Championship.

Also adding his name to the ranks of revered state champions was Alan Jones, who teamed with fellow Tullahoma resident Clay Uselton to take down Rick Mays and Zeb Patten in the 32nd Tennessee Senior Four-Ball competition by a 2 and 1 count.

Jones came close two years ago by finishing runner-up to Dan Crockett in the Tennessee Senior Match Play at Cleveland Country Club. But being able to finally break through on Friday was the crowning achievement on a successful year that saw him win the senior division in both the Music City Amateur and the Knox County Amateur earlier in the summer.

“I've won some stuff, but I haven't won a state event,” Jones said. “Coming so close at Cleveland was very disappointing. Then I was leading State Senior Amateur this summer but didn't play that good the last day and finished fifth. So, this was big for me.”

It was the fifth TGA title for Uselton, but this one was meaningful in being able to share the moment with Jones.

“It's all about him today,” Uselton said while giving a nod toward Jones. “We've been playing golf together for a long time. When he barely missed out on the Senior Match Play, we started talking that I wanted to help him get his first one. We both played really good for all five rounds.”

Jones and Uselton first had to complete their semifinal match that was suspended due to darkness Thursday evening. They held a 1 up lead over Craig McElhaney and John Thomas with three holes to play when Jones birdied 16 – his sixth of the round to go with an eagle – to put his side 2 up before eventually claiming a 1 up decision.

In the championship match, Uselton and Jones took a 1 up lead with a winning par at No. 5 before eventually stretching their advantage to 4 up through 13 thanks four birdies from Uselton in a five-hole span.

Consecutive winners from Mays with an eagle at 14 and a birdie at 15 cut his side’s deficit to 2 down, and Patten’s clutch birdie on top of a Jones birdie at 16 kept their hopes alive.

Both Jones and Uselton managed to find the putting surface in two at the par 5 17th while Mays and Patten had short chip shots that left long birdie tries. The match concluded when Uselton’s eagle putt cozied to within inches of the cup, his tap-in for birdie conceded.

In the Super Senior final, a birdie at the par 3 opening hole gave McCord and Simpson a 1 up lead that they were able to maintain as the teams halved the next ten holes. However, Green drained a lengthy birdie putt at 12 to square the match, then they took the lead on the next hole with a par.

Both teams burned the edges with birdie tries on the next three holes, leaving Siddons and Green 1 up with two to play in pursuit of pulling off a three-peat in this event.

McCord snuck home a 12-footer for birdie at 17 to bring the match back to all-square, and Simpson calmly canned a par putt from four feet on 18 to flip the final tally in his team’s favor.

“We’ve been tying for a long time,” McCord said. “My partner played awesome today, and we just sort of brother-in-lawed it pretty well all week long.”

The mixture of jubilation and relief was evident on Simpson’s face as he reflected on the win.

“We’ve been teaming for around 15 to 20 years,” Simpson said. “We go all over the country playing four-balls, and I’ve been playing in TGA events for close to 30 years. We’ve been trying forever and have come close. To finally win one in a state with the golf history of Tennessee is so special.”

For complete results, go to Tennessee Senior and Super Senior Four-Ball.