The Grove hosted the 70th Annual Tennessee State Open May 22-24, 2018. 144 professional and amateur players converged at The Grove to compete for the title of Tennessee State Champion.
The top three finishers from this year’s event are part of the Rewards Program, an exclusive partnership between The Grove and the Tennessee Golf Foundation to support collegiate golfers pursuing a pro career.
Joey Savoie (finished 10-under par) and Eric Ansett (finished 7-under par) claimed the top two spots among amateurs, and Chas Narramore finished third among professionals. Savoie is the first amateur to win the Tennessee State Open since 2012. Narramore tied for 3rd place with Michael Nagy at 5-under and split the top monetary prize for the pros, which ended up being $7,500 for each of them.
Jude Lenahan, Golf Professional at The Grove says, “According to the players we spoke with the course was set up very fair. The hole locations were fairly easy and the wind was down all three days. Combine that with lift clean and place all three rounds and they felt like they had a chance to make a lot of birdies.”
Jude continues “The players that really struggled were the ones where the speed of the greens gave them fits. Several of the better players who have played in multiple Web.com Tour events this year said this was the best course they have played all season, by far. In every TGA or NCAA event, we have held at The Grove the best player (highest ranked) in the field has won. That tells you all you need to know about the quality of the course and how it forces you to hit shots and have control of your golf ball.”
Getting chosen to host the Tennessee State Open further solidifies The Grove as a leading private golf course in the region. The design of The Grove’s world-class golf course provides both a challenging and enjoyable experience for golfers of even the highest skill levels. The Grove is proud of the hard work of our staff to maintain The Grove’s reputation for a world-class golf experience.
Take a look at how the field performed on our course with our hole-by-round breakdown, HERE
Photos via Tennessee Golf Association