Defending Ridgefields Invitational champion Brandon Worley and two-time winner Lucas Armstrong headline the list of entries at this year’s 74th version of the tournament. It’s also the 75th anniversary of the Ridgefields Golf & Athletic Club which started in 1949. Worley won by seven strokes over fellow Kingsport golfer Taylor Kilgore last year when the tournament was cut short after two rounds due to damage from storms.
Still, it didn’t dampen the spirits of Worley, who was thrilled to win the historic tournament on a course which he played growing up. “I absolutely love that golf course. It had been years since I’d been up there and it felt awesome,” Worley said.
“I was hoping we’d get to play that Sunday round, but unfortunately it got washed out. Fortunately, I got a nice big trophy.” Worley waxed nostalgic about the old McDonald’s Invitational tournament for high school teams at Ridgefields when he was at Sullivan South.
He talked about so many of the South and Dobyns-Bennett alumni still playing in the area. “We have so many of the old South and D-B golfers still playing in the local area,” Worley said. “It’s always good to get together and reminisce.
” That includes Nick Cohen, another South alum, won his second East Tennessee Amateur title at Elizabethton back on June 30. Cohen went 10-under 61 to lead the first round of the Lonesome Pine Invitational last weekend. He ultimately finished third behind Garland Green who had a two-day total o.