Tennessee Match Play Championship Field Trimmed to Top 16
Reece Britt has heard rumors that the Fairvue course at Tennessee Grasslands Golf and Country Club has a full complement of 18 holes. But the Maryville native wouldn’t know, as he has yet to experience anything beyond No. 15 through the first two days of the 25th Tennessee Match Play Championship.

The senior golfer at Austin Peay made quick work of his three pool play matches, winning by margins of 4&3 and 7&5 on Tuesday then continuing his solid play on Wednesday with a 5&4 win over Kaiser Godinez to earn a spot in the Round of 16 matches that commence Thursday.

Eight other golfers went undefeated in their trio of pool matches to advance, while seven pools required a playoff to determine their qualifier.

Keoni Vidrine of Ooltewah found himself 2-down after two holes in his match against Matt Mitchell of Burns and the match was tied after 10 holes. But Vidrine sealed the win with a birdie on No. 16 to win, 2 up, and remain unbeaten in his pool.

Jeff Reuter put together three solid rounds that failed to go the distance, winning each one by comfortable 4&3 margins to advance the Humboldt resident. Meanwhile, Knoxville’s Jack Smith birdied No. 16 to go 1-up in his match with Nashville’s Jackson Bechtol, then sealed the 2-up victory with an eagle on the par 5 closing hole to go 3-0 in pool play.

Others who had perfect results in their pool matches were College Grove’s Grant Clark, Caleb Tipton of Elizabethton, Chris Barron of Hendersonville, Winston Margaritis of Germantown and Church Hill’s Lucas Armstrong, who birdied 18 for his 1-up win to remain perfect.

Among the matches that required a playoff, it took Jake Eickhoff four additional holes to seal his berth in the round of 16 over fellow Nashville resident Jaron Leasure, atoning a 2&1 loss to Leasure in Tuesday’s pool play.

Murfreesboro’s Spencer Provow, the 2007 Match Play champion, had a similar measure of retribution with Jackson’s Trace Robinson. Robinson bested Provow, 5&3, in their opening match on Tuesday, but Provow captured the berth by eliminating Robinson on the second playoff hole.

Luke Beadles of Nolensville won his pool on the opening hole of his playoff against Jacob Garland. Minutes earlier, Garland birdied No. 17 to defeat Beadles, 2&1, in their pool match to force the sudden death showdown.

Grant Leaver of Murfreesboro won his pool playoff on the second hole against Nashville’s Lucas Herring after the pair tied their match on Tuesday. Rosario Falzone of Nashville moved on in his pool by ousting Franklin’s Coleman Jones on the second playoff hole, having defeated Jones 5&3 earlier in the day in their final pool match.

After their head-to-head match on Tuesday ended in a tie, Grant Milling of Nashville needed only one extra hole to claim his entry into bracket play by downing Lee Maxwell.

Ben Blackburn, who downed defending champion Cooper Hayes, 1 up, in their Tuesday encounter, won his playoff on the second hole against Michael Hake on Wednesday after they had tied their opening pool match.

The Round of 16 matches will be followed by the afternoon quarterfinals on Thursday, while Friday will feature the semifinals and the championship match.

For complete results go to Tennessee Match Play results

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com

Wednesday’s Results

Pool 1: Michael Hake (Brentwood) def. Cooper Hayes (Strawberry Plains), 2 up

Ben Blackburn (Franklin) def. Jonas Reynolds (Gallatin), 5&3

Blackburn advances after defeating Hake on second playoff hole

Pool 2: Keoni Vidrine (Ooltewah) def. Matt Mitchell (Burns), 2 up

Jeb Blackburn (Franklin) def. Hunter Stoneman (Crossville), concession

Vidrine wins pool and advances

Pool 3: Jeff Reuter (Humboldt) def. Brad Burling (Knoxville), 4&3

Tripp Hall (Charleston) def. Scotty Hudson (Nashville), 1 up

Reuter wins pool and advances

Pool 4: Jacob Garland (Nashville) def. Luke Beadles (Nolensville), 2&1

Antonio Farinella (Knoxville) def. Micah Stangebye (Brentwood), 2 up

Beadles advances after defeating Garland on first playoff hole

Pool 5: Spencer Provow (Murfreesboro) def. Ryan Greer (Knoxville), 2 up

Trace Robinson (Jackson) def. Ian Taggart (Harrogate), 5&3

Provow advances after defeating Robinson on second playoff hole

Pool 6: Andrew Weathers (Chattanooga) def. J.G. Wilson (Boliver), 7&6

Jack Smith (Knoxville) def. Jackson Bechtol (Nashville), 2 up

Smith wins pool and advances

Pool 7: Grant Clark (College Grove) def. Travis Womble (Nashville), concession

Gavin Clements (Franklin) def. Wilson Borders (Nashville) 2 up

Clark wins pool and advances

Pool 8: Caleb Tipton (Elizabethton) def. Michael Wakefield (Lookout Mtn), 4&3

Nick Daugherty (Andersonville) def. John Thomas McKenzie (Cleveland), 5&3

Tipton wins pool and advances

Pool 9: Grant Leaver (Murfreesboro) def. Colby Johnson (Kingston), 6&5

Lucas Herring (Nashville) def. Bill Wellons (Franklin), 2&1

Leaver advances after defeating Herring on second playoff hole

Pool 10: Jaron Leasure (Nashville) def. Tanner Davis (Knoxville), 1 up

Jake Eickhoff (Arrington)def. Patton Samuels (Clarksville) def, 4&2

Eickhoff advances after defeating Leasure on fourth playoff hole

Pool 11: Rosario Falzone (Nashville) def. Coleman Jones (Franklin), 5&3

Aaron Ingalls (Jackson) def. Paul Banish (Brentwood), 5&3

Falzone advances after defeating Jones on second playoff hole

Pool 12: Lee Maxwell (Cookeville) Sidney Melvin (Hartsville), concession

Grant Milling (Nashville) def. Will Demersseman (Chattanooga), 6&4

Milling advances after defeating Maxwell on first playoff hole

Pool 13: Reece Britt (Maryville) def. Kaiser Godinez (Collierville), 5&4

William Moser (Hermitage) def. Cody Skipper (Cleveland), 5&4

Britt wins pool and advances

Pool 14: Chris Barron (Hendersonville) def. Darrin Wilson (Gallatin), 5&4

Jacob Wilson (College Grove) def. Parker Elkins (Clarksville), 1 up

Barron wins pool and advances

Pool 15: Steven Haremski (Knoxville) def. Ethan Rimmer (Knoxville), 3&2

Winston Margaritis (Germantown) def. Alexander Broyles (Greeneville), 3&2

Margaritis wins pool and advances

Pool 16: Lucas Armstrong (Church Hill) def. Josh Loveday (Englewood), 1 up

Elliot Macgregor (Jefferson City) def. Kevin Stallings (Brentwood), 3&2

Armstrong wins pool and advances

Thursday’s Round of 16 Matches:

Ben Blackburn (Franklin) vs. Keoni Vidrine (Ooltewah)

Jeff Reuter (Humboldt) vs. Luke Beadles (Nolensville)

Spencer Provow (Murfreesboro) vs. Jack Smith (Knoxville)

Grant Clark (College Grove) vs. Caleb Tipton (Elizabethton)

Grant Leaver (Murfreesboro) vs. Jack Eickhoff (Arrington)

Rosario Falzone (Nashville) vs. Grant Milling (Nashville)

Reece Britt (Maryville) vs. Chris Barron (Hendersonville)

Winston Margaritis (Germantown) vs. Lucas Armstrong (Church Hill)