"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Chris Dortch

October 3, 2000

Mike Jenkins has given up countless hours of his free time in support of amateur golf in Chattanooga. Without question, he’ll give up countless more.

No matter what efforts he puts forth in upcoming years, Jenkins might not do anything to match the significance of his greatest contribution to Chattanooga golf, the Chattanooga Tournament Players Championship (TPC).

On the occasion of the eighth playing of the TPC (Oct. 5-8 at Council Fire), it seems an appropriate time to retrace the tournament’s short history.

The idea had its genesis in the late ‘80s, when, as vice president of the CDGA, Jenkins was responsible for running the Chattanooga Junior Classic. Played every August at The Honors Course, the Junior Classic brought together the top four juniors—as determined by a points system based on their finishes in local junior tournaments—for a match-play championship.

"There was always much excitement around this event," Jenkins said. "One day while I was working the tournament, it occurred to me that this same concept would be as well received for local adult amateurs as it had been for the juniors.’’

It took him four more years, but Jenkins finally devised a formula whereby his season-ending TPC could determine the city’s top amateurs. Jenkins’ formula brought all the major local tournaments into the mix, as well as state-wide tournaments such as the Tennessee Open and Tennessee Amateur. Awarding stars for high finishes, making cuts or winning, the TPC formula clearly selected the best players. And if the field needed to be padded, Jenkins reserved the right to select at-large picks, much like the NCAA Tournament. Jenkins, a college basketball fan, loved that.

"I approached Hunt Gilliland and Jon Kinsey about the possibility of hosting the tournament each year at Council Fire Golf Club," Jenkins said. "They both liked the concept of the golf tournament and both were generous enough to invite the TPC to Council Fire."

Once he had the course, Jenkins approached several area businesses about sponsoring the tournament. After several of those businesses agreed to back the tournament, the Chattanooga TPC became a reality.

That was in 1993, and the tournament has been going strong ever since, with exciting finishes the norm. Although most of the same cast of characters makes the field year after year, some familiar faces have dropped out of sight and new ones arrived to take their place. Some have even dropped out of sight and returned; former collegians and local high school stars Richard Spangler (Middle Tennessee State) and Kevin Law (Tennessee) come quickly to mind.

The tournament, with its stroke-play qualifying and match-play finale, has provided some excitement, especially with the match-play friendly Council Fire serving as its venue. And just as important, the TPC has helped improve the field of certain city tournaments because of the all-important qualifying stars they offered.

Having had the privilege of covering the first six TPCs for the Chattanooga Times, I feel confident enough to offer this best-of look at the tournament:

• Best player in TPC history: Pat Corey, of course, who won the first TPC in 1993, took a year off enjoying a European vacation with his wife, and then won the next two.

Corey has long been considered the best putter in Chattanooga, and that skill served him well in his three TPC victories. He also had a runner-up finish in 1999.

• Best player in TPC history with a bullet: That has to be Chris Treadway, who took advantage of the tournament being played at his home course. Treadway, inch-for-inch the longest player in the city, has won the last two TPCs. He’d set a record for consecutive victories if he comes through this week.

• Best match play golfer who hates match play: Richard Keene, who learned to tolerate the format after he won in 1997. Keene also has two runner-up finishes, to Corey in 1993, and to Treadway in 1998.

• Runnerup award: Dr. Neil Spitalny and Keene finished second twice.

No doubt this week’s tournament will feature some quality golf. The players are good, and Council Fire is a great match-play venue, given its five par-5 holes. Not every match gets to the par-5 18^th, but the drama at Council Fire is usually unequaled by any tournament in the city.

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