The crafty veteran struck again in the Chattanooga TPC at Council Fire on Saturday.

In his first-round match on Friday, 50-year-old Pete Webster defeated the 2006 Tennessee Match Play champion, Josh Nelms. A day later, Webster made it two-for-two against limberbacked state champions, defeating Tennessee State Amateur champion Thomas Smith, 2 and 1.

Webster didn’t have to dig deep to find the reason for his mastery thus far in the tournament.

“I’ve missed one putt inside of six- to eight-feet all week,” he said.

That lone miss came at the par-4 15^th on Saturday. Webster couldn’t convert an eight-foot par putt, allowing Smith to square the match with a par. But after that one-hole hiatus, Webster’s putting skills returned. He nestled a 40-foot birdie putt to within conceded par range at No. 16, and when Smith missed the green left and couldn’t save par, Webster once again had a 1-up lead.

The match ended on the 17^th, when Smith, a run-the-tables type of putter himself, three-jacked from 30 feet for a bogey. Webster saved par from off the green with a nice pitch that came to rest 18 inches from the hole.

“I’ve putted the ball well all year,” Webster said. “Two years ago, I couldn’t have two-putted 16. I would have probably three-putted and wound up halving the hole.”

Webster has become well versed on the putting arc system taught by Dalton Country Club pro Russ Allstun, who also imparted some wisdom about scoring shots from 100 yards in to the green. Webster has been a willing pupil and has begun to carry four wedges—one for every occasion and distance.

With a short game equal to that of his younger competitors, Webster could probably get by. But another key to his ability to beat players half his age is length.

“I was hitting it past [Smith] most of the day,” Webster said. “I don’t think I give up much to the younger guys off the tee. Length and putting have given me a chance to stay with these young kids.”

Webster won’t be facing a youngster in Sunday’s semifinals. His opponent will be an old friend, Chris Schmidt, who honed his scrappy game after several years competing on the mini tours. Schmidt, who plays out of Battlefield, took out UTC sophomore Tripp Harris on Saturday, 2 and 1.

“People don’t realize how good he is,” said Webster, also a member at Battlefield. “We played a lot of golf with him when he was an amateur. Then he played the mini tours for a while. He’s got a battle-tested game.”

In the other semifinal match, David Burris will square off against Tom Baird. Burris got in a full day’s work after draining a 25-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18^th to square his match with Pat Corey. The twosome went to extra holes, and Burris finally won 1-up at No. 5, his 23^rd hole of the day, when Corey drove into the right hazard and made bogey. Burris rammed home a birdie putt, but could have won by two-putting for par.

That sets up an interesting scenario for Burris, who still has an opportunity to win Chattanooga amateur player-of-the-year honors.

Burris has 129 points and is in ninth place in the POY standings. But if he were to win the TPC, he would earn 75 points. A top-20 finish in next week’s Tennessee Mid-Amateur at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club would secure Burris another 20 points. With those 95 additional points, Burris would finish the season with 224 and vault past Josh Coley, who is currently first place with 216. Coley isn’t old enough to play in the Mid-Amateur, so he’s done for the year.

But Burris won’t have an easy path to the final. In his way is Baird, a Chattanooga G&CC member and current CGCC club champion who has roughed up his opponents so far in match play. On Friday he took out Larry McGill, 4 and 3, and Saturday he defeated Matt Mathis, 5 and 4.

Saturday’s Scores

Quarterfinals

No. 9 Tom Baird def. No. 16 Matt Mathis, 5 and 4

No. 5 David Burris def. No. 13 Pat Corey, 1-up 23 holes

No. 15 Pete Webster def. No. 10 Thomas Smith, 2 and 1

No. 11 Chris Schmidt def. No. 3 Tripp Harris, 2 and 1

Sunday’s Pairings

Semifinals

8:10 a.m.

Baird vs. Burris

8:20

Webster vs. Schmidt

Championship

Noon (following lunch)

Baird-Burris winner vs. Webster-Schmidt winner