Tennessee Volunteers golf
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Volunteers men's golf team represents the University of Tennessee
located in Knoxville, Tennessee
. The Vols compete at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference
(SEC). The Vols currently rotate between 16 different golf courses located in the state of Tennessee
. The current coach for the Volunteers is Jim Kelson who is entering his 13th season as Tennessee's head coach. Since the Vol's inaugural season in 1934 they have won three SEC championships and competed in thirteen NCAA Championships
.
and Stuart Smith who would both finish in the top five of the torunament. That same year the Vols would reach their highest finish in the NCAA Championships, finishing in 6th place. In 1988 Tennessee had it's deepest run in the NCAA singles competition when Tom Carr finished runner-up among the other individuals.
Kelson has guided Tennessee to consecutive NCAA Championship berths over the last two seasons. It was Tennessee's fifth NCAA Championship berth under Kelson since the 2003 season. He has also guided the Vols to regional play for a school-record 12 consecutive seasons. The 2007 season became a very memorable season for coach Kelson as he helped end a 17-year drought for the Vols in the SEC tournament by beating Alabama
by two strokes to claim the SEC title. In the 2010 sesaon Kelson helped the Volunteers capture the Carpet Capital Collegiate Golf Tournament for the first time in school history. Through his tenure the Vols have won 15 tournament championships, as well as several team individual accolades.
golf players have played on major golf tours.
and contains a 3-hole course. The new facility opened in 2010 but is still waiting for phase II to be completed in the near future. Phase II of the master plan will include adding the Furrow-Blackburn Clubhouse, offices for both the men and women's teams, heated hitting bays for year-round practice, video training space and locker rooms.
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
located in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. The Vols compete at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC). The Vols currently rotate between 16 different golf courses located in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The current coach for the Volunteers is Jim Kelson who is entering his 13th season as Tennessee's head coach. Since the Vol's inaugural season in 1934 they have won three SEC championships and competed in thirteen NCAA Championships
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
.
History
The Volunteers men's golf team began play in 1934 under coach James Walls. It would take forty-five years before the Vols would win their first conference title mainly under the terrific play of Jim Gallagher Jr.Jim Gallagher, Jr.
James Thomas Gallagher, Jr. is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Gallagher was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, a career club pro, started him in golf at age 6. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gallagher turned pro in 1983 and joined the PGA Tour in...
and Stuart Smith who would both finish in the top five of the torunament. That same year the Vols would reach their highest finish in the NCAA Championships, finishing in 6th place. In 1988 Tennessee had it's deepest run in the NCAA singles competition when Tom Carr finished runner-up among the other individuals.
Jim Kelson era
When Jim Kelson was hired in 1998 the Vols were just coming off a losing season that ended the three year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances. In his first year he led his team to 101 wins and a 5th place finish in the SEC Tournament.Kelson has guided Tennessee to consecutive NCAA Championship berths over the last two seasons. It was Tennessee's fifth NCAA Championship berth under Kelson since the 2003 season. He has also guided the Vols to regional play for a school-record 12 consecutive seasons. The 2007 season became a very memorable season for coach Kelson as he helped end a 17-year drought for the Vols in the SEC tournament by beating Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide golf
The Alabama Crimson Tide golf teams represents the University of Alabama located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
by two strokes to claim the SEC title. In the 2010 sesaon Kelson helped the Volunteers capture the Carpet Capital Collegiate Golf Tournament for the first time in school history. Through his tenure the Vols have won 15 tournament championships, as well as several team individual accolades.
Individual honors
In the past 76 years of the Vols men's golf program four UT golfers have won SEC individual titles and 32 UT golfers have earned 50 All-SEC honors.All-Americans
- George Cadle - 1971
- Tom Carr - 1988
- Charlie FordCharlie Ford (golfer)Charles Philip Ford is an English professional golfer.Ford was born in Leicester. He attended the University of Tennessee in the United States before turning professional in 2009. He qualified for the second tier Challenge Tour for the 2010 season by reaching the final stage of qualifying school...
- 2006 - Jim Gallagher, Jr.Jim Gallagher, Jr.James Thomas Gallagher, Jr. is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Gallagher was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, a career club pro, started him in golf at age 6. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gallagher turned pro in 1983 and joined the PGA Tour in...
- 1980, 1982 - Bert Greene - 1964, 1965
- John Hamarik - 1981
- David Holmes - 2009
- Kevin Janiga - 1980
- Mickey Mabry - 1972
- Ross McGowanRoss McGowanThis article is about the golfer. For the anchorman for KTVU, see Ross McGowan Ross Ian Thomas McGowan is an English professional golfer....
- 2005 - Chris Paisley - 2009
- David SkinnsDavid SkinnsDavid Skinns is an English professional golfer.Skinns was born in Lincoln, England. He attended the University of Tennessee and majored in psychology....
- 2002, 2003, 2005 - Stuart Smith - 1982, 1983
- Mike Sposa - 1990, 1991
Tour professionals
Several former University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
golf players have played on major golf tours.
- PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
- George Cadle
- Mike Emery, Jr.
- Jim Estes
- Jim Gallagher, Jr.Jim Gallagher, Jr.James Thomas Gallagher, Jr. is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Gallagher was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, a career club pro, started him in golf at age 6. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gallagher turned pro in 1983 and joined the PGA Tour in...
- Randy GloverRandy GloverRandy Glover is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s.Glover was born in Sanford, North Carolina. He attended the University of Tennessee. He turned professional and joined the PGA Tour in 1962....
- Bert Greene
- John Hamarik
- Tom McGinnisTom McGinnisThomas "Tom or Tommy" McGinnis is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.McGinnis was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended the University of Tennessee and was a member of the golf team from 1967–1969...
- Tad Rhyan
- Mason RudolphMason RudolphEdgar Mason Rudolph was an American golfer who won five times on the PGA Tour.-Early years and amateur career:...
- Stuart Smith
- Mike Sposa
- Harry Taylor
- European Tour
- Ross McGowanRoss McGowanThis article is about the golfer. For the anchorman for KTVU, see Ross McGowan Ross Ian Thomas McGowan is an English professional golfer....
- Ross McGowan
- Nationwide TourNationwide TourThe Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
- Tom Carr
- Gibby Gilbert III
- Andrew Pratt
- Jake Reeves
- Challenge TourChallenge TourThe Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
- Charlie FordCharlie Ford (golfer)Charles Philip Ford is an English professional golfer.Ford was born in Leicester. He attended the University of Tennessee in the United States before turning professional in 2009. He qualified for the second tier Challenge Tour for the 2010 season by reaching the final stage of qualifying school...
- Charlie Ford
Mack and Jonnie Day Golf Facility
Although the Vols men's golf team host its home matches at a variety of different courses in the state of Tennessee they have recently welcomed a new state of the art practice facility on campus where the team can practice all year round. The practice facilty resides on a 28 acre lot across from the University's Medical CenterUniversity of Tennessee Medical Center
The University of Tennessee Medical Center is an academic medical center located in Knoxville, Tennessee and serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee and regions in Kentucky and North Carolina. The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine oversees residency and medical student...
and contains a 3-hole course. The new facility opened in 2010 but is still waiting for phase II to be completed in the near future. Phase II of the master plan will include adding the Furrow-Blackburn Clubhouse, offices for both the men and women's teams, heated hitting bays for year-round practice, video training space and locker rooms.
External links
- SECSports.com – Official website of the Southeastern Conference.
- University Athletic Association – Official website of the University Athletic Association, Inc.