Wilt Brothers storm back to win Tennessee Four-Ball crown

The trip to The Ooltewah Club to participate in the 56th Tennessee Four-Ball Championship was merely to serve as a tune-up for Toby and Hudson Wilt, an opportunity to get the competitive juices flowing again.

It had been several weeks since the brothers from Nashville had completed their spring season at Texas Christian University, and they needed a test to see where their games stood as they both prepared for the upcoming British Amateur Championship later this month at Royal Liverpool.

What began as test run ended up being much more than they expected. The Wilts overcame a 3-down deficit after ten holes against Evan Spence and Bennett McNabb by winning the next five holes to walk away with a 1-up decision in capturing their first Tennessee Golf Association titles.

“We figured we needed to play in something before we go play in the British Am to kind get ourselves back into it,” Hudson said. “What better way to kill two birds with one stone than to play together in the Four-Ball? So, we went there and did exactly what we wanted to do. We felt pressure all week, whether that be the last five holes of stroke play to advance or trying to battle back from 3-down today. We came to feel pressure, and we did what was needed to prepare ourselves for what’s next.”

Being able to partner for the championship presented a special opportunity for the Wilt brothers. With Toby being two years older than Hudson, they played together at Ensworth in high school and have one more season together next year at TCU.

They battled down the stretch in the Texas Amateur Championship last summer where Toby claimed the title and Hudson tied for second two strokes back. Toby’s win granted him a spot in the U.S. Amateur. They were then able to share that experience at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, where Hudson served as his big brother’s caddie.

But Friday’s victory provided another special memory for the brothers.

“Honestly, I don't think we've ever played in a tournament of this caliber together as partners,” Toby said. “I know we've played in matches at our home course and stuff, but we've never won together, which makes this one even more special.”

McNabb just completed his senior season at Lee University where the Flames finished tied for third in the NCAA Division II Championships under Spence’s third season as head coach. They grabbed an early 2-up lead through three holes, only to have the Wilts draw even over the ensuing three holes.

An eagle from Spence at No. 7, followed by winning birdies by McNabb at 8 and 9, gave them a 3-up advantage they carried to the 11th hole.

That is when Hudson and Toby flipped their games into another gear that resulted in wins over the next five holes to change the tenor of the match.

“I remember after Bennett made his birdie putt on nine to put us 3-down, I looked at Toby and said, ‘If there's ever a time where we're going to need to turn something on, it needs to be now. We're not going to have the opportunity to just sit around and make pars and try to nail this one down,’” Hudson said.

Toby won No. 11 with a birdie, and Hudson followed suit with a 23-footer for birdie at the par-3 12th to pull within one.

“Hud made a big one on 12, and then we just kind of got hot and kept it going,” Toby said. “We regained our self-belief and felt like we were the better team, and putts started dropping.”

Hudson could sense a palpable emotional shift after his clutch putt at 12.

“I told Toby I could feel my heart racing knowing what the situation was and what I needed to do to continue this match,” Hudson said. “That’s where I really think a ton of the momentum switched and we realized we were not out of this by any means.”

Birdies on the next two holes by Hudson gave the Wilts their first lead at 1 up through 14, and Toby’s birdie at 15 gave them five straight wins to go 2 up.

“Winning five straight holes was pretty awesome,” Toby said. “We made some big-time putts, and it's hard to replicate that feeling if you're not playing in events and tournaments. It was pretty fun to have a little bit of pressure and have to make putts and getting the job done.”

After winning their first two matches in methodical fashion, it had been since Wednesday’s stroke play round that the Wilts had played the closing holes. Their quarterfinal 4 & 3 win ended at 15, and they only needed 12 holes for their 7 & 6 semifinal thrashing.

Meanwhile, Spence and McNabb’s quarterfinal win took 21 holes before McNabb ended it with a long eagle putt, and they advanced to the finals with a 3 & 2 decision. So, there was still an element of uncertainty as to how things would unfold.

McNabb managed a birdie at No. 17 to keep their hopes alive, but neither he nor Spence was able to find the green in regulation on the final hole for needed looks at birdie. After finding the hazard on his tee shot, Hudson was able to seal the match with a lengthy putt for par at the 18th.

What began as a quest to knock off some rust ended up with the Wilt brothers hoisting a shiny trophy for their efforts. They will now head to England, brimming with confidence, hoping that their week in Ooltewah will serve as a springboard into a full summer schedule that includes a number of key tournaments, including final U.S. Amateur qualifying. They are cherishing these times together as they embark on their last year as teammates with Toby heading into his final season at TCU in the fall.

“We've been playing golf together since we were probably eight or nine years old,” Toby said. “We've been on the same team for 10- plus years, and we love to compete against each other. Just to have this week was with him was pretty special, just to crawl our way out of stroke play and barely make it into match play, and then to turn the jets on and play a different level of golf down the stretch was pretty fun.”

For full results from the 56th Tennessee Four-Ball, click here.