"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Chris Dortch
August 29, 2000

After last week’s United States Amateur, I had to do some checking to try and answer a question:

When was the last time three Chattanoogans made the elite Amateur field?

The answer to that question, as far as I could find out, is never.

Thus, it was really a big deal when Georgia senior Michael Morrison of Signal Mountain, Tennessee junior Andrew Black and Richard Keene advanced through sectional qualifying to Baltusrol Golf Club. Only Morrison survived into match play—he defeated Jeff Belk of Marietta, Ga. in the first round before losing to Nathan Smith of Brookville, Pa. in the second—but the accomplishment was worthy of mentioning here nonetheless.

For Keene, the 43-year-old who has won countless state and local tournaments, the trip to the Amateur fulfilled a long dream.

"Last year, I was looking at some of the tournaments I’d never been to, and (the Amateur) was No. 1 on my list," Keene said.

With that in mind, Keene dedicated himself over the winter, actually working out with a personal trainer. ("Instead of sitting on the couch drinking beer," he said.) The result: When it came time for the grueling 36-holes-in-one-day qualifying, Keene was ready.

He shot 69-70 at Atlanta's Cherokee Golf Club to earn his coveted berth into the Amateur. Keene shot uncharacteristic rounds of 75-79 and failed to qualify for match play, but he left Baltusrol hungry for more USGA tournaments and secure in the knowledge he could do better.

"I brought (long-time playing buddy) Donnie Phillips up there to caddy for me, and we figured out every (dropped) shot was from inside 75 yards,’’ Keene said. "If I'm going to compete at that level, I’m going to have to put the time in. It’s like a job. (Tennesseans) Richard Smith, Danny Green and Tim Jackson (who all qualified for match play) were playing in a tournament for the seventh straight week. It's tough to compete against that."

Still, Keene might try. He’s close to a decision that would clear his schedule of anything but USGA events, which means his 2001 schedule will include qualifiers for the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open and U.S. Mid-Amateur. Keene, who has played in several U.S. Public Links championships, is no longer eligible for that tournament because he’s a member at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

"I think I can compete at that level," Keene said. "It’s just a matter of if I want to go for it. It’s a decision I’m going to have to make."

If Keene has any trouble reaching that decision, he need only think back to Baltusrol.

"It was a great experience," Keene said. "We played two exceptional golf courses, and you can’t believe the nice treatment we got. It was a big deal for me."

Tennessee’s reputation as a top amateur golf state wasn’t tarnished a bit by the Amateur, even though only Richard Smith advanced past the second round of match play. Thirteen Tenneaseans played in the tournament.

Besides the above-mentioned players, Andrew Pratt (Bartlett), Clay Uselton (Tullahoma), Steve Golliher (Knoxville), William Wellons (Franklin), Jason Powell (Knoxville), Brandt Snedeker (Nashville) and Charlie Gibson (Brentwood) all played at Baltusrol.

The University of Tennessee’s golf team had great representation, though neither Black, Powell nor Pratt advanced to match play.

Tennessee and Chattanooga also have decent representation in the USGA’s next major tournament of the summer, the U.S. Mid-Amateur, which will be played Sept. 9-14 at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va.

Randy Yoder, whose game has improved drastically the last three years, qualified for the tournament by shooting a 72 at Cincinnati’s Clovernook Country Club. Joining him from the area is Steve Johnson, who also traveled to Clovernook and shot 72.

Keene and Tom Schreiner are both alternates after just missing out in qualifying. Keene shot a 73 at Atlanta National and Schreiner a 73 at Knoxville’s Fox Den.

In all, nine Tennesseans are playing at The Homestead, one of the country’s favorite resorts and the home of the incomparable Sam Snead.

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