The road to PGA Tour glory is never easy, but for a group of determined Tennessee golfers and a resilient Will Zalatoris, the 2025 season is shaping up to be one filled with comebacks, breakthroughs, and hard-fought victories. As the PGA Tour Q-School First Stage wrapped up this week, five golfers with Tennessee roots punched their ticket to the highly anticipated Second Stage, while Zalatoris, a fan favorite, continues his arduous journey back from injury with renewed optimism and grit.
Let’s start with the Q-School drama. Knoxville’s Tyler Johnson put on an absolute show at the Indiana qualifier, finishing as runner-up with a spectacular 18-under 270. Johnson’s week was a masterclass in consistency: he held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds and closed with an even-par 72 on Friday, featuring 16 pars, a birdie, and a single bogey. His 22 birdies at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Henryville were a testament to his aggressive play, and he managed an impressive streak of 35 straight holes without a bogey until a minor slip on No. 6 in the final round. Johnson finished just one shot behind R.J. Manke, who secured medalist honors and a spot in the Latin America Swing of the 2026 PGA TOUR Americas season. For Johnson, this marks the first time advancing to Second Stage in his second attempt—a milestone that surely bodes well for his future.
But Johnson wasn’t the only Tennessee golfer making headlines. Grant Leaver of Murfreesboro surged up the leaderboard at the Alabama qualifier, climbing seven spots to tie for 12th with a bogey-free 68 on the front nine. Leaver’s final tally of 13-under 275 was built on a hot stretch where he birdied four of his last five holes on the front. Just a stroke behind, John Houk of Athens carded a 68 to finish at 12-under 276, keeping his dream alive for a return trip to the Final Stage in only his second year as a professional. Over in North Carolina, Kingsport’s William Nottingham—known for winning back-to-back Tennessee Junior titles in 2015 and 2016, as well as a Tennessee Match Play championship—finished fourth with 11-under 273, thanks to three rounds of 69 after opening with a sizzling 66. Meanwhile, Walker Crosby from Memphis tied for 11th at Bermuda Run Country Club, closing at 7-under 277 after a steady even-par 71.
Of course, Q-School is as much about heartbreak as it is about triumph. Several Tennessee hopefuls fell just short of advancing. England native and Maryville resident Harry Lord, despite racking up 23 birdies (second most in the tournament), finished at 7-under 281, tied for 37th alongside Dickson’s Billy Tom Sargent. Farragut’s Keegan Bronnenberg was close behind at 6-under 282 (T40), and Knoxville’s Kyle Cottam closed with 5-under 283 (T43). Other notables included Paul Conroy of Ireland, a former Chattanooga golfer, who tied for 38th at the Ocala qualifier at 2-under 286, and JJ Zimmer of Humboldt, who finished at 7-under 281 (T37) in Alabama. Knoxville’s Jake Mynatt ended at 3-under 285 (T53), Jake Hall of Knoxville wrapped up at 5-over 289 (T52) in North Carolina, and Nashville’s Kymer Li posted a 4-over 292 (T53) in West Palm Beach.
With the Second Stage of Q-School set for December 2-5 at five different sites, the field is shaping up to be fiercely competitive. Joining this week’s qualifiers are eight other Tennessee golfers who advanced last week: Dawson Armstrong of Spring Hill, Gregory Odom Jr. of Memphis, Spencer Cross of Knoxville, Hunter Eichhorn of Nashville, Harrison Ott of Franklin, Nicklaus Sutton of Nashville, Ryan Hall of Knoxville, and Owen Stamper, a former MTSU standout and Kentucky native. There’s even more Tennessee flavor in the mix, as 18-year-old professional rookie Blades Brown of Nashville and former Tennessee golfer Bryce Lewis of Hendersonville will tee it up thanks to their Korn Ferry Tour points standings.
While the next generation of Tennessee golfers chases their PGA Tour dreams, the state’s seasoned pros are also making waves. In the Senior PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Henrik Simonsen of The Honors Course in Ooltewah led three Tennessee PGA Section members who survived the first cut. Simonsen carded a 74 for a two-day total of 2-over 146, good for a tie for 36th. Mike Vance of Jackson National Golf Club and Greg Wyatt of Crossville’s Golf Capital Learning Center both posted rounds of 72, finishing at 3-over 147 and tied for 50th. Jared Melson of Bear Trace at Tims Ford in Tullahoma narrowly missed advancing, falling just one stroke short with a 7-over 151 total. The stakes are high: only the top 35 finishers at the conclusion of the tournament will earn a coveted spot in the 2026 Senior PGA Championship, slated for April 16-19 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.
Meanwhile, the golf world has been buzzing about Will Zalatoris, who at 29 is already a household name among fans. Plagued by back injuries the last three years, Zalatoris has undergone two surgeries to repair herniated discs—a saga that has limited him to just 41 tournaments and threatened to derail a promising career. But in a recent interview, Zalatoris sounded more upbeat than ever. "I feel like the nightmare of three years of back pain is gone," he said. "Finally, I am able to be a 29-year-old kid and go to work. I am getting a lot of advice this week on the PGA Tour Champions since there are a lot of guys with a lot of mileage on their bodies so I am definitely taking some notes this week. I'm already back playing, I'm grinding every day. Trying to get in at least 18 (every day). It's been a long grind, don't get me wrong, but this is the most positive I've felt in three years."
Zalatoris’s determination is palpable. He’s not just working hard—he’s soaking up wisdom from PGA Tour Champions veterans, fine-tuning his game, and pushing himself to play at least 18 holes daily. For fans who’ve watched him flirt with greatness, only to see injury hold him back, this latest chapter is nothing short of inspiring. Zalatoris’s optimism—"this is the most positive I've felt in three years"—is a rallying cry for anyone facing adversity on or off the course.
With the Second Stage of Q-School looming and the Senior PGA Professional Championship intensifying, Tennessee’s golf contingent is poised for more drama, while Zalatoris’s comeback story continues to capture imaginations. The next few weeks promise plenty of action, heartbreak, and—if the golf gods allow—a few more dreams realized.