Josh NelmsThe 2012 champions of the TGA Match Play Championship and Senior Match Play Championship will not be defending their titles as the 2013 tournaments start Thursday at Nashville Golf & Athletic Club in Brentwood, but plenty of former winners will be taking part.
Among them are Brett Patterson (2010) of McMinnville and Josh Nelms (2006) of Hixson in the 60-player Match Play field and 2010 champion and last year's runner-up Tom Baird of Signal Mountain among the 30 seniors. Beginning with 36 holes of stroke play, the tournaments run through Sunday.
Men's Metro apps
The Chattanooga Men's Metro Championship will be held July 12-14 at Lookout Mountain Golf Club. Applications for the tournament -- eligible to golfers who live within a 30-mile radius of any CDGA golf club -- are available at www.IfYouLikeGolf.com and at the Lookout Mountain pro shop. The field will be limited to 120 players, and the top 15 percent will earn prizes. New this year is a senior division playing from a senior teeing ground.
Cleveland has spots
The Cleveland Invitational, which was rained out in April, has been rescheduled for July 20-21 at Cleveland Country Club. With points going toward the Chattanooga TPC, it has an entry fee of $135. Applications are available at the pro shop and at www.IfYouLikeGolf.com.
PGA Tour update
A victory at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis has moved former Baylor School and University of Georgia golfer Harris English up to No. 17 on the FedEx Cup points list for this season on the PGA Tour. Heading into the weekend, he sits one spot behind former UGA teammate Russell Henley and one spot ahead of Steve Stricker. Fellow Baylor alumnus Luke List is ranked No. 163. The top 70 advance to a playoff for the season championship.
Web.Com update
Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Baylor golfer Stephan Jaeger is ranked No. 95 on the Web.com Tour money list. The top 25 at the end of the year will compete with PGA Tour golfers ranked 126th or lower for PGA Tour cards for 2014. Jonathan Hodge, who also played at UTC, is ranked No. 139. Neither Jaeger nor Hodge will be competing this week in the Web.com Tour event in Newburgh, Ind.
NGA Tour update
Paul Apyan, who played at Hixson High School and played at Southern Miss, is ranked No. 30 on the NGA Hooters Tour pro series. He has won more than $18,000 this season. Apyan tied for sixth place last weekend in the Cutter Creek Classic in Snow Hill, N.C. Hunter Green from Rhea County and Middle Tennessee State is ranked 60th. Former UTC golfer Derek Rende is ranked 71st. Jaeger, who bounces between tours, is 84th.
Area aces
David Crisp made a hole-in-one on June 18 at Brainerd. He used a 5-hybrid club for the 159-yard shot on No. 2, witnessed by Gene Jennings, Rommel Ramos and Richard Bennett.
Sammy Henry knocked in a hole-in-one during Monday's Chattanooga Chapter Tennessee PGA Pro-Am at Chattanooga Golf & Country Club. It was on No. 9 and witnessed by Tony Parrish, John Massey and Garry Browning.