Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Golf Tournament set, joining Brandt Snedeker's tour in 2024
The 98th annual Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 28-30 at McCabe Golf Course.
The tournament is usually played the first week of June, but was moved this year so it would not conflict with Brandt Snedeker's popular Sneds Tour events, which were already scheduled.
Beginning in 2024 the Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Tournament will become part of the Sneds Tour. It will be the first match-play style tournament on the tour.
In February of 2022 Snedeker and the Tennessee Golf Foundation donated $10,000 to the Schooldays Tournament. Snedeker and Tennessee Golf Foundation president Whit Turnbow faced each other in a match in the 1996 Schooldays Tournament. Snedeker played in the tournament a total of six times.
"Being associated with a name like Brandt Snedeker, a veteran on the PGA Tour, will be outstanding for our tournament," McCabe pro and co-tournament director Loren Personett said. "On top of that, the Sneds Tour is established and the most popular youth golf tour in the state."
The 2024 Sneds Tour schedule will be announced in the fall.
The 2023 Schooldays Tournament, for ages 12-17, will have a new girls champion. Two-time girls champion Ava Bankston from Lipscomb Academy is too old to compete this year, but the 2022 boys champ Lane Walton from Old Hickory will return.
Bankston defeated Addisyn Newman from Knoxville 7-and-5 in the final. Newman is eligible to return. Alex Crews, who lost to Bankston in the 2021 championship and advanced to the semifinals in 2022, will also return.
Walton, 16, who attends Friendship Christian, beat Mt. Juliet's Cooper Gettler 3-and-2 in the final last year.
The application period will open in April. Applications will be available at tennessean.com.
There is no entry fee. The application period will remain open until all 200 spots are filled.
The top 16 boys and eight girls advance after the first round of medal play into match play the final two days.
BGA and MTSU pitching great Stephen Smith elected to Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame
Former Battle Ground Academy and MTSU pitcher Stephen Smith, now chairman of the MTSU board of trustees and a championship walking horse rider and breeder, was named to the 2023 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame class on Feb. 11.
Smith was surprised with the news prior to the Lady Raiders home basketball game against UAB. MTSU president Sidney McPhee, athletics director Chris Massaro, and Lady Raiders coach and Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame inductee Rick Insell were present for the announcement."Stephen Smith's connection to Middle Tennessee covers the last six decades; from his time at Battle Ground Academy, to MTSU, to the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, Stephen has made an impact throughout his life," said Brad Willis, executive director of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. "To this day he continues to contribute his time and efforts to athletics."Smith graduated from Battle Ground Academy as a three-sport letterman, before pitching for MTSU. He played an important role in the OVC Championship team in 1976 and overcame a life-threatening auto accident in 1977 to lead MTSU to a Western Division OVC Championship.
He later spent time as a scout with the St. Louis Cardinals, was an original partner and board member of the Nashville Sounds, a board member of the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association, and winner of the association's 2009 Mr. Baseball award.
Pro wrestling great Jerry Jarrett dies at 80
Former pro wrestler and promoter Jerry Jarrett died Tuesday. He was 80.
Jarrett won multiple NWA tag team championships during his career. After retiring from the ring Jarrett joined Jerry "The King" Lawler and created the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis. The CWA later merged with World Class Championship Wrestling to form the United States Wrestling Association.
Jarrett joined his son Jeff in 2002 and founded Total Nonstop Action, which was associated with NWA.
Jarrett was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2018.
Former East Nashville star Erica Haynes-Overton is OVC's top newcomer
Former East Nashville basketball standout Erica Haynes-Overton, now at Tennessee State, was named the OVC newcomer of the week.
Haynes-Overton scored 24 points including a season-high three 3-pointers against Southeast Missouri. She scored 21 points in the second half. Haynes-Overton made three 3-pointers again and had six assists in the next game against Tennessee Tech.
Haynes-Overton is second in the OVC in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and first in steals (2.7).
Lipscomb soccer assistant joined Louisville staff
Lipscomb assistant soccer coach Stephen Lunney has joined the Louisville staff as an assistant.
Lunney helped the Bisons earn a No. 9 national ranking and NCAA Tournament berth in 2022.
The native of Dublin, Ireland, spent eight seasons at Lipscomb. He played collegiately at UT Southern.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Schooldays Golf Tournament set, joins Brandt Snedeker's tour in 2024
