Hawkins Secures Top-Five Finish at Tennessee State Amateur

Tusculum College junior Brad Hawkins finished tied for fifth place at the 99th annual Tennessee Amateur Men’s Golf Championship at the Memphis Country Club.

Hawkins, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, finished the four-day, 72-hole tournament with 70-71-72-72=285 (+5) and was six shots behind champion Tim Jackson (Germantown, Tenn.), who finished with 279 (-1).

Hawkins opened his final round with four consecutive pars, but posted a bogey on two of his next three holes and finished his outward nine at two-over par 37. The two-time All-American at Walters State College birdied the par-five 11th hole, but would card back-to-back bogeys on No. 13 and 14 to go to +6 for the tournament.

He scored a birdie on the 15th hole, but suffered another bogey on the 16th. After par on the 17th hole, he finished strong with a birdie on the 18th hole to post a two-over par 72 on the day and secure a top-five finish for the championship.

Grant Hirschman (Collierville, Tenn.) was the runner-up at 282 (+2), while Davis Shore (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Zac Stolz (Chattanooga, Tenn.) tied for third place at 284 (+4). Sharing fifth place honors at 285 with Hawkins was Tanner Owens of Milton, Tennessee.

Tusculum sophomore Taylor Smith (Gray, Tenn./Daniel Boone HS) completed his stellar run at the State Amateur as he tied for 33rd place with 67-76-74-78=295 (+15).

TC senior Warren Cheney (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan HS) and sophomore Chris Hutson (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut HS) also qualified for this year’s championship, but did not advance following the 36-hole cut.