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"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Chris Dortch
September 11, 2001
With only the Chattanooga TPC remaining on the area golf
calendar, now is a good time to take a look back at the 2001 season.
Several players emerged to have good years, one veteran showed he
still has his winning ways, and another stalwart battled through
health problems.
Jimmy White, the University of Tennessee senior, finally began to
harness his talent this summer. An 11th-place finish in
the Eastern Amateur, White’s highest finish in a national event,
proved as much. What was White’s secret? Once White, his own worst
critic, began to take it easy on himself after a bad shot, his
scores got lower and lower. The high point (or low point) came in a
friendly dogfight at Council Fire, White’s home club. Putting
everything out, White fashioned a 12-under-par 60, coming amazingly
close to a magical 59. He missed a pair of four-foot birdie putts en
route to a front-nine 32 and lipped out two birdie putts on the back
nine, where he shot 28.
Another young player who showed signs of taking his game to
another level was Baylor senior Josh Nelms, who finished tied for
sixth in the Tennessee Amateur and was second at the Brainerd
Invitational.
Nelms’ secret was taming his erratic driver. He worked hard
with his uncle, Creeks Bend head professional Mike Nelms, to correct
his one weakness.
"We worked on shortening up my swing quite a bit,"
Nelms said. "I was taking it back way past parallel and I’d
just lose control. I just wanted to hit my driver like I do my
irons. Usually when I hit the ball in the fairway, I’m in pretty
good shape."
And sure enough, when Nelms hit the ball in the fairway, he was
in contention.
The veteran who served notice that he hasn’t gone away is Pat
Corey, who at 43 won his fourth Men’s Metro. Corey took advantage
of the fact the tournament was played in his backyard at Lookout
Mountain Golf Club. Few play that demanding layout better.
It’s not unreasonable to suggest Corey has a chance to catch
the master, Lew Oehmig, who won seven Metro championships in his
storied career. Oehmig won his last Metro at 62. Corey is still in
his prime, so it will be interesting to see if going for
Sweet-Swinging Lew’s record appeals to him.
Along with Corey, few players in Chattanooga have been as
consistent the last 10 years as Richard Keene. But this year, a
variety of health problems derailed him. The most serious was a
heart valve blockage that required emergency medical attention.
Keene stayed away from golf for several weeks, but eventually
returned to play a limited schedule.
Keene is still in his prime, too. A renewed emphasis on healthy
living should eventually pay off and get him back on track on the
golf course.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the fine play this season
of 55-year-old Ronnie Law, who proved that golf really is a game for
a lifetime by having his best year on the tournament circuit. Law,
who took early retirement, won the Cleveland Invitational and
combined with son Kevin to win the Tennessee State Four-Ball at Black
Creek.
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It came as no surprise that Hendersonville’s Trey Lewis was
medalist at the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier at Council Fire on
Tuesday.
Lewis has had the best year among state amateurs, not easy to do
in a state with so many excellent players, including Tim Jackson and
Danny Green, former Mid-Amateur winners. So far this season, Lewis has
won the Tennessee Open and finished second to Tim Jackson in the
state amateur.
Lewis shot 68 at Black Creek, an amazing achievement considering
how difficult the course can play to anyone seeing it for the first
time.
Expect Lewis to make a fine showing at the US Mid-Amateur.
By the way, Black Creek is taking all the right steps to host the
US Mid-Am some day. Courses that hope to do so have to host certain
events, including a Mid-Am qualifier and a state Mid-Amateur. The
TGA will bring its Mid-Am to Black Creek in 2003. With all the
positive buzz Black Creek is receiving in the national golf media,
the USGA’s interest is obviously high.
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