By Lohan Sutton
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— It only took one tournament for Tennessee golf to make its mark, as it opens up the 2025-26 campaign with a wire-to-wire victory over stout competition at Tennessee National Golf Club.
The team commanded the field from the opening shot till the final putt. Tennessee dominated the field, finishing a total of 19-under par. Individually, transfer Reed Lotter claims the top spot for the Volunteers and the tournament at seven-under par.
Top Tournament Results:
Tennessee –19
Ole Miss –12
LSU –6
Charlotte –4
Georgia Tech –4
This title marks the 12th win for head coach Brennan Webb, and his second time leading the Volunteers to the Visit Knoxville Collegiate title.
Over the weekend, the Volunteers faced challenging conditions with rain on Saturday and harsh wind conditions on Sunday. These tough conditions did not slow the charge by the Volunteers. Tennessee had five players finishing the tournament inside the top-10.
Top Tennessee Finishers:
Reed Lotter –7
Lance Simpson –5
Jackson Herrington –4
Bruce Murphy –2
Josh Hill –2
Lotter, a transfer from Auburn, is already making himself known to the Volunteer fans. Lotter had two rounds of 66 on his way to winning the individual title this weekend.
Lance Simpson had an impressive weekend opening with a first-round 66. Simpson’s strong play continued through Sunday, highlighted by a chip-in eagle on the fourth hole of the final round.
U.S. Amateur runner-up Jackson Herrington had a strong performance in his season opener, shooting 69-68-69 for a combined score of 206. Herrington looks as if he will continue to build off his strong performance
at the Olympic Club in August.
Tennessee’s next match is the Invitational at the Honors Course beginning Sept. 15.