Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Golf Tournament: Four things to know

Mike Organ
The Tennessean
Logan Spurrier, whose great uncle is legendary football coach Steve Spurrier, advanced to the quarterfinals of The Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Golf Tournament last year and is back to play in again this year.

The Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Golf Tournament begins Tuesday at McCabe Course. 

The first round of the tournament for ages 12-17 will be stroke play. The top 16 boys and eight girls advance into match play for the final two rounds Wednesday and Thursday.

Here are four things to know:

► More:Pairings, tee times set for Schooldays Golf Tournament

It's the state's oldest tournament

At 93 years old the Schooldays is the state's longest continuous running golf tournament.

The first tournament was played in 1925 and won by Albert J. Wheeler. He won again in 1926. Shelby was the home for the tournament in its early years. 

The tournament, which used to be named the Schoolboy, was for boys only until 1983 when a girls field was added. Christi Parks won the girls title in 1983 and 1984.

The name was changed to Schooldays in 1989.

Dupont High's golf team is mighty happy about the 38th annual Schoolboy Tournament on June 5, 1962, and looking forward to the TSSAA State Tournament the next day. Richard Eller, second from left, proudly shows his second Blinkey Horn Memorial plaque for winning the Schoolboy to teammates Bobby Barbee, left, Ronnie Jackson and Gary Hunt.

Big name champions

Some recognizable golfers got their start in the Schooldays.

Current PGA Tour player Brandt Snedeker played five consecutive years in the tournament and Dawson Armstrong, who turned pro in May after being an All-American at Lipscomb, was the runner-up in 2012.

Lou Graham won the tournament three consecutive years (1953, 1954, 1955) and went on to win the 1975 U.S. Open.

Mike Eller, owner of Hermitage Golf Course, won in 1967. His brother Richard had won in 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964.

Harry Taylor, who later became a highly-successful club designer and the ambassador to TaylorMade Clubs, won in 1971 and 1972. 

Whit Turnbow, the new president of the Tennessee Golf Federation and former MTSU golf coach, was the 1996 champion.

Sarah Jacobs won the girls title in 1998 and went on to be an All-American at Vanderbilt and then played on the LPGA Futures Tour.

Age-group champions in the Tennessean Schoolboy Golf tournament, Hendersonville's Julie Scott (12-14), left, and Lawrenceburg's Christi Parkes (15-17), appear to be enjoying their group prizes on June 6, 1983 before heading into tourney match play the next two days.

Gilliam has chance to set record

There have been several repeat champions over the years.

Richard Eller is the only boy who won four titles.

Jennifer Haley (1989, 1990, 1991) and Alexandra Farnsworth (2011, 2012, 2013) each won three titles.

Defending Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays champion Ashley Gilliam finished as the medalist in Monday's qualifying round for this year's tournament at McCabe Course.

Two-time defending champion Ashley Gilliam, who is Haley's daughter, has the chance to become the first four-time girls winner. The Manchester native, who is committed to Mississippi State, is 16 so she will be eligible to play again next year.

It won't be easy. She barely won last year after having to hold off Clarksville's Catherine Caudill in a playoff on the 19th hole. Caudill is in the field again this year.

A new boys champ

Brentwood sophomore Trenton Johnson shakes hands with Science Hill senior Garrett Whitfield at the conclusion of his round in the Class AAA golf tournament on Oct. 12, 2016.

There will be a new boys champion since 2017 winner Michael Shears from Franklin is too old to compete.

Shears, a Vanderbilt signee, prevented Hendersonville's Bryce Lewis from repeating last year. Shears claimed a 1-up victory over Lewis.

Some of the top boys to keep an eye on include Brentwood's Trenton Johnson, the 2016 TSSAA Class AAA state champion and The Tennessean's 2017 Golfer of the Year, Drew Howard, who advanced to the quarterfinals in 2016 and 2017, Jack Steih, who advanced to the quarterfinals in 2017 and Logan Spurrier, who advanced to match play in 2017.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.