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Fall 2019 - Winter 2020
TEE TIMES
19
Kok completes 3-peat as Tennessee PGA Professional champ The stage was set for the 51st Tennessee PGA Professional Championship. The Championship was being contested at the historic Holston Hills Country Club designed by the famous Donald Ross. The course conditions were magnificent with a firm golf course, thick rough and lightning-fast greens. In the field we had a two-time defending champion, a few rookies ,who were newly elected PGA Members or Members that transferred into the Tennessee Section since the previous year’s Championship. The field also included several young guns who were trying to make a statement, some folks looking for the senior tees, but were unsuccessful in finding them as they are still trying to defy our friend Ole’ Father Time, and a player who won the event as far back as 1991. They all hoped to be crowned the 2019 Tennessee PGA Professional Champion. These competitors would be greeted with a crisp fall day to start the first round of the tournament. The beautiful course would show its teeth early with Round 1 having a scoring average of 4-over par. These tough conditions gave some players the opportunity to distance themselves from the field with a strong first round. Two-time defending champion Johan Kok and Spring Creek Ranch Head Professional Matt Brock would make their move early. Kok would get his title defense off to a hot start with birdies on the first two holes. He would finish his opening front nine with three birdies in a row on holes 6 through 8 to go out in 5-under 31. He would sprinkle in two birdies on the back nine to close out the only bogey-free round of the tournament, finishing with a 7-under 65. However, Matt Brock would not let Kok distance himself too far as they would jockey for the lead throughout Round 1.
Brock would birdie two of his first four holes before giving one back at the long Par-5 5th hole. He would bounce back with an eagle on the Par-5 7th and a birdie on the 9th hole to go out in 4-under 32. He would also sprinkle in two birdies on the back-9 to finish his first round with a 6-under 68 to trail Kok by one shot. Loren Personett and Chris Stacy would round out the top of the leaderboard by both
Kok Threepeats! Johan Kok 2019 Tennessee Section PGA Champion
shooting 3-under 69. Day 2 would be moving day at Holston Hills Country Club as rain and strong winds made it the most difficult scoring day of the tournament. Our Senior PGA Professional Champion Walt Chapman would take advantage of the tough conditions to move him up the leaderboard. Chapman used five birdies to three bogeys to shoot a 2-under 70 to put him within striking distance. Our newcomer to the section, Andrew Bateman would also make his move with a 2-under 70 to put him near the top of the leaderboard. Kok and Brock would battle all day to keep their positions at the top of the
5 players qualify for the 53rd PGA Professional Championship at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas on April 26-29, 2020.
leaderboard. They both had up and down front nines but would give us some fireworks at the end to keep pace with each other. Kok would make the turn with a 2-stroke lead over Brock but that would disappear with a double-bogey on the tough Par-4 12th hole. A bogey on the 14th hole for Kok would propel Brock into the lead with four holes to play in the round. Kok would not be fazed as he would finish the last three holes birdie, eagle, birdie to Brock’s par, birdie, and birdie to take his lead back. They would both shoot an impressive 1-under 70 with Kok maintaining his one-stroke lead heading into the final day. The Final Round of the tournament would start off as a two-man race to the finish line. Matt Brock would make the early move with birdies on holes 1 and 5 to give him the lead. Johan Kok would stay poised and birdie the 7th hole to draw square with Brock at the top of the board. They would both
stumble on the 9th hole, Brock with a double bogey and Kok with a bogey to regain the lead. It would be smooth sailing for Kok from there as Brock could not make up ground coming in. He used a 33 on the back nine to cap off a 3-under 69 and win by an impressive 6 shots to win for the third year in a row. We had 5 players qualify for the 53rd PGA Professional Championship at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX on April 26-29, 2020. Congratulations to Johan Kok, Andrew Bateman, Casey Flenniken, Matt Brock, and Walt Chapman for qualifying and representing the Tennessee section! It goes without saying how appreciative we are to Chris Dibble, PGA and his staff at Holston Hills for hosting and having their amazing facility prepped and ready for this tournament. Huge kudos to the Superintendent, Ryan Blair, and his crew for the awesome course conditions.
Harpeth Hills Ladies Golf Association had our “Pink Power Fore a Cause” golf tournament on September 5, 2019. We donated the $2600 raised to Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center for Breast Cancer research.
Left to Right Front Row: Representative from Vanderbilt, Kathy Ashworth, Elaine Baxter, Sue Graham, Ruby Ross-Ernest, Mary Marble, Jeannette Higbe, Beth DiMaggio, Susan Napolitano. Middle Row: Sally Davis, Carol Glasgow, Lu Cole, Ruth Lakore, Andie Beatty, Eileen Springer, Diane Dalius, Fran Hoff, Toni Osborne. Back Row: Kevin Forte, Karin Rader, Matte Campbell, Janet Becker, Martha Hueneke