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Ryan Botts from Five Oaks Golf & Country Club battled through a tough second round and came back strong to win the 57th Tennessee PGA Professional Championship at the Links at Kahite.
After opening the tournament with a 2-under 70, Botts struggled on Tuesday with five bogeys and a double bogey. Sitting 7-over for the day, he finished on a high note by making eagle on the par-5 18th hole, keeping himself within reach of defending champion Josh Bevell.
That momentum carried into Wednesday’s final round. Botts birdied the first two holes and stayed steady the rest of the way, shooting 4-under 67 to finish at even-par 213. His strong finish gave him a four-shot win.
Bevell, who teaches out of Profectus Golf in Nashville, was in position to defend his title after a 1-under front nine, but three big mistakes on the back nine dropped him into a tie for second at 4-over 217. He was joined by Knoxville’s Allie Knight (Fairways & Greens Golf Association), who shot 68, Lee Whitehead (Williams Creek GC), and Jared Melson (Bear Trace at Tims Ford).
Also finishing strong was Johan Kok (Troubadour Golf & Field Club), who tied the low round of the day with 67 to finish tied for sixth at 5-over with Paul Apyan (Choo Choo Golf Academy) and Dan Parker (Troubadour G&FC). Audie Johnson (McCabe GC) and Henrik Simonsen (The Honors Course) rounded out the top 10 at 6-over 219.
With the win, Botts, Knight, Bevell, and Whitehead earned spots in the 2026 PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Melson is the first alternate, followed by Parker, Apyan, and Kok.
