Ingalls, Reuter take lead in State Mid-Amateur Four-Ball tournament

Jeff Reuter (left) and Aaron Ingalls lead the way ahead of Sunday’s final round of the Tennessee Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championships

photo by Tennessee Golf Association

Aaron Ingalls and Jeff Reuter proved in early May that they can navigate the Towhee Club in Spring Hill with ease when they 4^t The Tennessee Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship was originally scheduled.

But their impressive first round of 10-under 60 was washed away by heavy rain, which postponed the tournament until this weekend.

The Jackson Country Club duo didn’t care about their special round being canceled, but instead used it as an opportunity to do even better.

Jackson Ingalls and Humboldt native Reuter each had seven birdies Saturday for a combined score of 59 (11 under par) on the 6,513-yard, par-70 course in ideal conditions, giving them a three-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round.

The pair are hoping to reclaim their title in the event with a win in 2022. After both players birdied the first hole, Reuter closed the first nine holes with three consecutive birdies to lead his team to an opening 29th.

Ingalls, the 2018 State Amateur champion and a qualifier for this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur over the course of two weeks at Virginia’s Kinloch Golf Club, caught fire on the back foot, making four straight birdies starting at No. 13 to improve his score to 11-under par before the duo finished with two pars.

Matt Mitchell of Burns and Ben Fisher of Germantown are in second place with 8-under 62. The Spring Creek Ranch golfers started on the 29th at the turn, and Mitchell made three of his six birdies of the afternoon over the final four holes to finish strong.

Casey Talbert of Murfreesboro and Bracton Womack of McMinnville finished with 6-under 64s to secure third place. Womack, who played in college at Tennessee Tech University, had an eagle on each of his nines, including par-3s on the par-5 7th and 16th.^t holes.

Three teams are tied for fourth with 5-under-par 65s. John Jonas and Richard Oref of Hermitage Golf Course in Nashville, Jake Fait and Scotty Hudson of Nashville Golf and Athletic Club, and Todd Burgan of Powell and Travis Womble of Nashville are six shots behind the leader.

For complete results, visit the State Mid-Am Four-Ball results page.

Paul Payne can be reached at [email protected]