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TEE TIMES
August / September 2017
www.teetimespaper.com
Kok wins Tennessee PGA on home turf
Tee Times report ARRINGTON – Maybe Johan Kok’s win in the Tennessee PGA Professional Championship had a little something to do with home course advantage. Maybe it was because Kok was just a touch better in the 54-hole tournament than his fellow competitors. Any way you slice it, Kok emerged victorious to earn one of five spots in the National PGA Professional Championship and pocket the $10,000 winner’s check on his home course in late August. Even though he was playing a track that he plays often, the win didn’t come easy. Kok outlasted Brian Wood and Jake Reeves in a threehole playoff to get the victory. Kok, Wood and Reeves each tied at 6-under-par 207. Jake Flenniken and Oliver Peacock were two shots back. All five players qualified for the national tournament. Kok, Reeves and Brock Shafer were tied for the lead heading into the final round at 7-under. Peacock was at 6-under and Wood was 5-under, and things remained tight with nine holes to play. Kok let a two-shot lead slip away on the final nine and Wood got to 6-under with a birdie putt on No. 18. Reeves tied him for the clubhouse lead with a routine par, leaving it up to Kok to make a 15-foot birdie putt to forge a three-way tie. “At first look, I really was just looking at a 2 putt,” Kok said. “I knew I needed to get it close and walk away with a par, that would get me in the top 5 and I would qualify for
the national event. After looking it over, I felt really confident about the read and thought I would go for it. As it topped the hill, you could tell it had a chance if it had the speed.” Kok made the putt to get into the playoff, which he won on the third extra hole, to claim his first Tennessee PGA Professional Championship. Reeves and Wood each won $5,000 for their runner-up finish. Alternates for the national tournament are Bobby O’Brien, Jared Melson, Dave Ambrose and Brock Shafer. The Tennessee PGA would like to thank all of our partners who made this event happen. Without the support of Club Car, Omega, Mercedes Benz, TaylorMade, Adidas, Titleist, Foot-
joy, Magnolia Golf Group, Premier Golf Services, Signs By The Sea and ProGolfWeather this event would not be possible. Thank you
to the staff at Hideaway at Arrington for their hospitality and generous efforts throughout the week.
NASHVILLE – Things looked grim as John Swoboda made the turn in the final round of the Tennessee State Amateur at Belle Meade Country Club. Trailing by five shots at 3-under par for the tournament, Swoboda didn’t appear to have much of a chance to claim his first Tennessee Golf Association victory. Then, like it happens so often, things began to change. Tournament leader Austin Carter came back to the pack and Swoboda got hot. Eventually, a routine two-putt par on the final hole was good enough for the 24-year-old from Mount Juliet to claim the state amateur title. Swoboda’s winning score was 6-under-par 282. Four golfers finished a shot back at 283 – Kevin Burns, Austin Carter, Ryan Greer and Brayden Garrison. “This is the biggest win I have had,” Swoboda said after tapping in a one-foot par putt for the victory. “I have played amateur tournaments the last six years. I did not play college golf. I had a nice year last year but this is definitely the biggest win. I had ups and downs this week, but going into today I knew I was going to win this thing.” Swoboda opened with a 2-under 70, fell back with a 74 in the second round and moved back into contention with a
third-round 68. But it was Carter who took command of the tournament on the final day. Two early birdies and then a three-birdie barrage on the final three holes of the front nine took Carter to 8-under. William Nottingham, who plays at Clemson, was cruising along at 6-under par before a triple bogey/bogey finisn on the front nine took him out of contention. Carter opened the door with back-to-back birdies and Garrison temporarily seized the lead at 7-under with two straight birdies. But he followed those birdies with two bogeys that took him out of the picture. Swoboda, in the final pairing, started his surge to victory with a birdie at No. 15. “I made a nice little putt on No. 15 and decided to check the leaderboard for the first time,” Swoboda said. “I knew I had to get on a hot streak. Two more birdies left him tied with Carter going into the final hole. Carter bunkered his second shot at No. 18 and missed a five-footer for par to drop to 5-under par. Realizing a par was good enough for the win, Swoboda played his approach to the middle of the green and two-putted to become the 102ndTennessee Amateur Champion.
Swoboda Swoops in to Win 102nd Tennessee State Amateur