WKY – Paris Landing Championship

The Western Kentucky Amateur Players Tour headed south on Sunday, October 25th to the TN Golf Trail at Paris Landing in Buchanan, Tennessee, for one of the premier Western Kentucky amateur golf tournaments of the season. A field of 18 players competed across four divisions, with two net games running alongside, and players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.

Paris Landing opened in 1971 and plays entirely tree-lined, holes running through rolling ground with several skirting Kentucky Lake, and the layout has hosted numerous collegiate and high school championships over the years. The signature hole is the par-3 4th. The course was in good condition and was set up to play a little long, demanding accurate ball striking and patience, and figuring out the green speeds was the other half of the test — putting gave several players trouble all afternoon. The par-5 7th was the hardest hole on the card, surrendering no birdies at all and playing a shot and a half over par.

Conditions, at least, were on the players’ side. A chilly fall morning gave way to temperatures in the mid 70s by the time cards were signed — a beautiful day, and a great day to score for anyone finding the tree-lined fairways with any regularity.

Division 2 belonged to Todd Osinski. The Nashville chapter member from Spring Hill, Tennessee signed for a 1-over 73, the low round of the day, and backed it with the kind of card the golf course was asking for: four birdies, only two bogeys and eleven pars. Osinski turned in 1-under 35 after birdies at the par-4 5th and the par-4 6th, added a fourth-hole-of-the-back birdie at the par-5 12th and another at the par-5 16th, and came home in 2-over 38 having played the closing six holes in even par. Jeff Avant of Eads, Tennessee made it a genuine race, drawing dead level through twelve holes before Osinski pulled clear over the last six. Avant posted a 5-over 77 — out in 2-over 38, home in 3-over 39, with birdies at the par-5 3rd and the par-4 10th — and took runner-up honors four shots back. Steven Todd of McKenzie, Tennessee finished in 3rd.

Division 3 needed more than 18 holes to settle. James Newkirk of Brentwood, Tennessee and Sid Pomeroy, also of Brentwood, finished deadlocked at 14-over 86, and Newkirk won it on the first playoff hole for the title. The regulation 18 swung back and forth: Pomeroy was two clear after six holes, trailed by four after twelve, and had cut it back to three with three to play before the two arrived at the same number. Dana Moore of Owasso, Oklahoma was right there too, level with Newkirk through six and four back at the turn for home, and finished third with a 17-over 89. Three players finished within five shots of the lead.

In Division 4, Dustin Babb of Murray, Kentucky won his second tournament in a row, posting a 17-over 89 to claim both Division 4 and the Mid-Am Net. Babb birdied the par-4 6th and the par-3 8th on the way to a 6-over 42 on the front nine, was five clear after six holes and ten clear by the turn, and came home in 11-over 47 to win by seven. David Crockett of Princeton, Kentucky finished 2nd, with Cody Archie of East Prairie, Missouri in 3rd.

Division 5 turned on a single swing late. Joe Smolira of Nashville, Tennessee birdied the par-3 17th — the only birdie the hole gave up all day — and that was the shot that carried him to the win. Smolira had been chasing most of the way, a stroke behind through six and still two adrift with three holes to play after going out in 13-over 49, but he played the inward nine in 8-over 44 and the closing three in 1 over to card a 21-over 93 and win by three. Michelle Martino of Clarksville, Tennessee took runner-up honors with a 24-over 96 after leading on the margins for much of the round.

The Mid-Am Net completed the double for Dustin Babb and sealed his second straight tournament win, his 89 translating to a net 6-over 78, eight clear of the field. Babb never trailed at any checkpoint — three up after six, nine up after twelve and holding that cushion through fifteen. Adam Martino of Clarksville, Tennessee was second at net 14-over 86, and Nick Johnson of Metropolis, Illinois was third at net 16-over 88.

Osinski made it two trophies on the day in the Senior Net, where his 73 came back as a net 5-under 67 — the best net number of the afternoon and an eight-shot win. Joe Smolira added a second result to his Division 5 title, finishing second at net 3-over 75, and James Newkirk followed his playoff win in Division 3 with third place at net 4-over 76.

Next up in the Western Kentucky chapter — the Boots Randolph Elevated Event on Saturday, November 7th. Space is limited and registration closes November 2nd.