2026 NSH Local Finals

Division 1: Mitchell Controls the Two-Day Test at Hermitage 

Matt Mitchell turned in the kind of steady performance that wins a two-day championship, opening the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals with a strong round on General’s Retreat and then doing just enough Sunday on President’s Reserve to keep the Division 1 title firmly in his hands. 

Saturday’s opening round came under hot late-August conditions in Hermitage, with the Nashville area reaching 94 degrees and no measurable rain. Mitchell handled the heat particularly well, jumping out quickly with birdies on the first two holes. Another birdie at No. 6 and additional gains at Nos. 8 and 10 kept his round moving in the right direction. He briefly gave back some ground with bogeys on 13 and 14, but answered with a birdie on 15 and another gain at 16 before closing with a birdie on 17. He finished the day 2-under 18 and carried the outright lead into the final round. 

Sunday’s move to President’s Reserve brought a different challenge. Mitchell did not have the same clean start, but his patience kept the round from getting away from him. He picked up birdies at Nos. 2, 4 and 5 to build momentum, then ran into his toughest stretch of the tournament at six and seven. A double bogey at No. 6 followed by a bogey at No. 7 erased much of the early progress and put pressure back on the leader. 

Mitchell responded the way a champion needed to. After settling in with pars at Nos. 8 and 9, he birdied the 10th and then followed with another birdie at 11. He remained composed coming home, trading shots over the final seven holes but avoiding the kind of late mistake that could have reopened the championship. 

The result was a 1-over final round, leaving Mitchell at 1-under for 36 holes and at the top of Division 1. With the Local Finals awarding 2.5 times the Player of the Year points, every shot carried added weight, making Mitchell’s ability to recover from Sunday’s difficult middle stretch especially important. 

Division 2: Beachy Builds on Saturday Lead to Capture Local Final 

Sonny Beachy turned a strong opening round into a Division 2 championship at the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals, holding off a talented group at Hermitage Golf Course to finish at 3-over par for 36 holes. 

Beachy gave himself some breathing room on Saturday at General’s Retreat, posting a 3-under round to take the early lead. He made his first birdie on No. 2. After a string of pars, Beachy found another gear on the middle portion of the course, making an eagle or equivalent two-shot gain on the eighth hole before adding birdies at 11 and 12. He stumbled slightly coming home with a bogey on 14 and 16, but he stayed under par and gave him a two-shot advantage heading into Sunday. 

Chris Bernosky was Beachy’s closest challenger after the opening round. Bernosky carded a 1-under round, while Lee Busey and Anthony Mancini were both three shots over par and facing a larger deficit. 

Sunday’s round on President’s Reserve produced a very different picture. 

Beachy had to work much harder for his scoring, opening with a bogey before answering with a birdie on No. 2. He then mixed a few mistakes with some important recovery shots, making another birdie on the fourth before bogeying the sixth. Another birdie at No. 7 steadied the round, but the back nine became a fight to maintain control. 

Beachy moved to 1-over after the first 12 holes, but the closing stretch offered little relief. He surrendered shots at 13, 16, 17 and 18, ultimately signing for a 6-over round. Even with the rougher final day, however, his Saturday advantage proved decisive. 

Bernosky and Busey both finished at 6-over for the tournament, three shots behind Beachy. Bernosky’s Sunday round was particularly eventful. Starting two shots behind the leader, he never found a prolonged rhythm, opening with four consecutive bogeys before settling down. A steady run through the middle of the round was interrupted by a double bogey on No. 13, and although he closed with a birdie on 18, his 7-over round left him tied for second. 

Busey took a different route to the same 6-over finish. After his opening-round 3-over, he played President’s Reserve in another 3-over, producing a much steadier final round. That consistency allowed him to catch Bernosky in the final standings and share second place. 

Mancini also improved on Sunday, posting a 5-over round after Saturday’s 3-over, but his 8-over total left him alone in fourth. 

Division 3: Murphy Holds Off Guthrie to Win a Tight Local Final 

Madison Murphy walked away with the Division 3 title at the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals, but there was nothing routine about the way he got there. 

After opening Saturday with a 2-over 74 on General’s Retreat, Murphy carried a two-shot lead into Sunday’s final round on President’s Reserve. Chris Guthrie made a strong push to erase that advantage, but Murphy absorbed the pressure and held on to finish at 11-over for 36 holes, one shot ahead of Guthrie. 

Murphy’s first round was a study in momentum swings. He opened with three straight pars before a bogey on the fourth. Rather than let the early mistake dictate the round, he immediately got a shot back on No. 6 and then made the biggest move of the day with an eagle on the eighth. A birdie on No. 9 followed, moving Murphy to 3-under through the first nine holes and putting him firmly in control. 

The back nine proved considerably more difficult. Murphy gave two shots back with a double bogey on 11, but answered immediately with a birdie on 12. Another double bogey on 16 created more trouble, and a final double bogey on 18 brought him back to 2-over for the round. Even with the late struggles, the damage was limited, and Murphy finished the day with the lead. 

Guthrie, meanwhile, posted a steady 4-over round on Saturday and remained within striking distance. He did not have Murphy’s explosive stretch on the front nine, but he avoided the kind of major setback that can take a player out of a championship and gave himself a legitimate chance heading into Sunday. 

That chance became very real on President’s Reserve. 

Murphy opened the final round with a bogey, but answered with a birdie on No. 2. He then endured a difficult stretch from the third through the sixth, including double bogeys on Nos. 3 and 5. Another bogey followed on the sixth, leaving the leader scrambling to keep control of the tournament. 

From there, Murphy relied on damage control. He made a string of steady holes through the middle of the round before adding a birdie on 18 to close with a 9-over round. It was not the round he would have envisioned after taking a two-shot lead into the day, but it was enough. 

Guthrie made Murphy work for every bit of it. He played a largely controlled round through the front nine, including a birdie on No. 9. A costly double bogey on 11 and a triple bogey on 14 prevented him from taking control, however. Guthrie rallied again with birdies on 16 and 18, finishing with an 8-over round and pulling to within a single shot of Murphy in the final standings. 

The race behind the two leaders was also competitive. Christian Carpenter finished third at 15-over, posting a 10-over opening round before improving to 5-over on Sunday. Will Houston finished fourth at 17-over, while Jeff Adams rounded out the top five at 18-over. 

Division 4: Jarrell Holds Off Stogsdill in Tight Two-Day Finish 

Brandon Jarrell survived a late push from Tyke Stogsdill to capture the Division 4 championship at the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals at Hermitage Golf Course, finishing just one shot clear after 36 holes on General’s Retreat and President’s Reserve. 

Jarrell entered Sunday with a two-shot advantage after opening the tournament with a 6-over round on General’s Retreat. His first round was not without trouble, but he consistently answered mistakes before they could turn into a bigger problem. He opened with back-to-back bogeys, settled into a stretch of pars, and then picked up his only birdie of the day on No. 8. Another bogey on the ninth sent him back in the wrong direction, but Jarrell steadied himself through the middle of the round and reached the closing holes still holding the lead. 

Stogsdill had made the more aggressive start. He opened his round with a birdie on the first hole and added another on No. 6, but those gains were offset by a difficult stretch later in the round. He gave strokes back on Nos. 5, 7, 8 and 9 before a particularly costly stretch on 15 and 16, where back-to-back double bogeys pushed his opening-round score to 8-over. 

That left Jarrell in front, but the championship was far from settled. 

Sunday on President’s Reserve turned into a grind for both players. Jarrell struggled to find the scoring that had helped him separate on Saturday and finished with a 16-over round, but Stogsdill could not quite make enough of the opportunity despite shooting one stroke better at 15-over. 

Jarrell’s final round featured several stretches of trouble, including a triple bogey on No. 8 and another triple on No. 13. He followed that second major setback with a double bogey on 14, putting the pressure squarely back on his shoulders. Yet every time the round threatened to unravel completely, Jarrell managed to settle down and get to the next hole without compounding the damage. 

Stogsdill was unable to take full advantage. He played a more consistent round overall, but the mistakes that did arrive were costly. His biggest setback came on No. 14, where a triple bogey interrupted an otherwise steady back nine. He finished with bogeys on both 17 and 18, leaving him one shot short of forcing a tie. 

After starting Sunday two shots behind, Stogsdill ultimately gained one stroke on the leader but ran out of holes before he could catch him. Jarrell finished the championship at 22-over, while Stogsdill closed at 23-over. 

Top of Form 

Bottom of Form 

Division 5: Guthrie Holds Off Martino to Claim Local Final 

Rachel Guthrie captured the Division 5 championship at the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals, turning a three-shot overnight lead into a hard-earned victory over Michelle Martino at Hermitage Golf Course. 

Guthrie began Saturday’s round on General’s Retreat with a +18 round, but the scoreboard tells only part of the story. She opened with consecutive bogeys, then settled into a stretch of steady play before making a double bogey on No. 7. Another shot dropped on No. 8, followed by a bogey on the ninth, leaving her with plenty of work still to do. 

Martino was right there with her. Her opening round was highlighted by a birdie on the fourth hole, but she also endured several difficult stretches, including a triple bogey on No. 7 and a double bogey on No. 8. Still, she closed out the round well enough to remain within three shots of Guthrie at +22. 

That four-shot margin proved important once the players moved to President’s Reserve on Sunday. 

Guthrie did not have an easy final round. She started with three consecutive pars before a bogey on No. 4, and another bogey followed on the fifth. The seventh through ninth holes became particularly costly, as Guthrie posted a double bogey followed by two more double bogeys, creating a run of six over par in just three holes. 

But Martino could not quite capitalize. She played the opening nine in a steadier fashion, but a triple bogey on No. 6 and another on No. 14 kept her from making a serious run at the lead. While Martino eventually posted a slightly better round than Guthrie, the gap established Saturday remained just large enough. 

Guthrie found herself navigating another difficult stretch on the back nine, including a triple bogey on No. 13 and a double bogey on 15 and 18. She finished with a 24-over Sunday round, while Martino posted 23-over, but Guthrie’s three-shot advantage at the start of the day gave her just enough cushion. 

Guthrie finished the 36-hole championship at 42-over par, three shots ahead of Martino at 45-over. 

Mid-Am Net: Murphy Builds Early Cushion and Holds Off Gassmann 

Madison Murphy added another title to his weekend at the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals, winning the Mid-Am Net competition by four shots at Hermitage Golf Course. 

Murphy created the separation he needed on Saturday at General’s Retreat, posting an impressive 5-under round. His scoring run included a three-shot gain on the eighth hole and another two-shot gain on No. 9, helping him move well clear of Justin Gassmann. Murphy also picked up strokes on Nos. 6, 12 and 14, and despite giving a few shots back late, he finished the opening round firmly in control. 

Gassmann entered Sunday facing an 11-shot deficit, but he made the most of the opportunity on President’s Reserve. He fired a 5-under round, cutting seven shots from Murphy’s advantage. Gassmann’s round included a double bogey on the third, but he recovered impressively, making birdies on Nos. 5, 14, 15 and 18 while closing with a strong finish. 

Murphy did not have his best scoring day, posting a 2-over round, but the lead he established Saturday proved too large to overcome. His Sunday round included a pair of dramatic scoring swings, with a two-under stretch on the second and another two-shot gain on 18 helping him withstand the late charge. 

Murphy finished at 3-under for 36 holes, while Gassmann finished at 1-over, giving Murphy a four-shot victory. 

Senior Net: Guthrie Runs Away With Senior Net Title 

Chris Guthrie put together the strongest two-round performance in the Senior Net competition, winning the title by eight shots at the Amateur Players Tour Nashville Local Finals at Hermitage Golf Course. 

Guthrie built the foundation for the victory Saturday on General’s Retreat, firing an impressive 6-under round. He got off to a steady start before catching fire through the middle of the round, making consecutive two-shot gains on Nos. 8 and 9 and continuing to pick up strokes throughout the back nine. A strong finish left Guthrie comfortably in front after 18 holes. 

Branden Mortensen was his closest challenger after the opening round at 3-under, while Jeff Adams and Dana Moore stood at 2-over and 4-over, respectively. 

Guthrie maintained control Sunday on President’s Reserve, posting another 2-under round. He mixed birdies with a few blemishes but never allowed the lead to come under serious threat. His two-day total of 8-under gave him a commanding eight-shot victory. 

Mortensen and Adams both finished at even par for 36 holes, sharing second place, while Moore finished fourth at 2-over. Mortensen followed his strong opening round with a 3-over Sunday, while Adams closed with a 2-under round to move back into contention and secure a share of second.