Results
Recap by tournament organizer Kyle Cutshaw
Lanham Wins Tennessee Pro Mini Golf Open; Graybeal Claims Third Smoky Mountain Match Play Title
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Some of the nation’s top miniature golfers converged on Jefferson City over the weekend as players representing 15 different states competed at Mossy Creek Mini Golf, with two days of competition producing a pair of champions.
David Lanham (Rutledge, TN) captured his second Tennessee Pro Mini Golf Open championship Saturday, Aug. 15, before Joey Graybeal capped the weekend Sunday by winning his third Smoky Mountain Match Play Championship.
Lanham fired a five-round total of 164 (32.8 stroke average), 16-under par, to win the Tennessee Open by one stroke over Joey Baldasano (Johnson City, TN). The victory gave Lanham his second Tennessee Open championship in three years after previously winning the event in 2024.
Lanham shot an opening-round 35. He followed with rounds of 32 and 33 to remain in contention heading into the afternoon session.
Kenny Jarnigan (New Market, TN) held the tournament lead after three rounds at 10-under par following rounds of 31, 33 and 34. Lanham, Baldasano and several others remained within striking distance as the field headed into the final two rounds.
Lanham made his move in Round 4, carding a 31 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round.
With the championship on the line, Lanham closed with a 33. Baldasano applied pressure throughout the final round and finished with a 32, but Lanham’s advantage proved just enough.
Lanham finished at 16-under 164 with rounds of 35, 32, 33, 31 and 33 totaling 22 hole-in-ones on the day. Baldasano finished at 15-under 165, while Jarnigan took third at 13-under 167.
Greg Newport (Hickory, NC) and Joey Graybeal (Bristol, TN) tied for fourth at 172. Newport recorded the lowest round of the tournament with a second-round 30.
Vannette Block (Landis, NC) claimed her third Women’s Division title and finished with a strong final round of 36.
The Tennessee Open also featured an amateur division contested over three rounds. Daniel Smith (Strawberry Plains, TN) claimed the amateur championship with a score of 110.
Saturday’s results also determined the field for Sunday’s Smoky Mountain Match Play Championship. The top 16 players qualified for the single-elimination tournament, with a $1,500 purse on the line.
It did not take long for the bracket to produce a major upset.
Lanham entered Sunday as the No. 1 seed following his Tennessee Open victory but was eliminated in the opening round by No. 16 seed and local competitor Carter Jarnigan (New Market, TN).
Jarnigan turned the upset into an impressive tournament run, advancing all the way to the semifinals.
Defending Smoky Mountain Match Play champion Kenny Jarnigan also made an early exit. Jarnigan, who captured the championship in 2025, was eliminated by Griffin Weiss (Parsippany, New Jersey).
Baldasano carried the momentum from his runner-up finish Saturday deep into Sunday’s bracket. He advanced to the semifinals, where he met 2021 Smoky Mountain Match Play Champion, Travis Robinson (Bristol, TN) in one of the tournament’s most competitive matches.
The two needed extra holes to decide a winner before Robinson eventually prevailed, ending Baldasano’s strong weekend and earning a spot in the championship match.
On the other side of the bracket, 2020 and 2023 Smoky Mountain Match Play champion Joey Graybeal advanced to the final, setting up a championship showdown between two former winners.
Graybeal took control of the championship match and defeated Robinson, 4 & 3, to capture the 2026 Smoky Mountain Match Play title.
The victory gave Graybeal his third Smoky Mountain Match Play championship at Mossy Creek, adding the 2026 title to previous victories in 2020 and 2023.
His success in match play at the Jefferson City course extends beyond the annual Smoky Mountain event. Graybeal also captured the 2022 U.S. National Match Play Championship when the national event was held at Mossy Creek.
Sunday also included an amateur match-play championship. Josiah Rosser (Jefferson City, TN) emerged as the winner, capturing his second amateur Smoky Mountain Match Play title at Mossy Creek.
The weekend showcased the continued growth of competitive miniature golf in East Tennessee. With competitors traveling from 15 states, the Tennessee Open brought a national field to Jefferson City while giving local spectators an opportunity to watch some of the sport’s most accomplished players.
The Tennessee Pro Mini Golf Open is part of the Southern Swing Pro Mini Golf Tour and is sanctioned by the United States Pro Mini Golf Association. The tournament also carried American Mini Golf Alliance ranking points and served as a World Adventure Golf Tour qualifying event.
After two days and two distinctly different formats, the weekend ultimately belonged to two familiar champions.
Lanham returned to the top of the Tennessee Open leaderboard two years after his first victory, while Graybeal navigated the pressure of single-elimination match play to add another championship to an already impressive résumé at Mossy Creek Mini Golf.
Group photo of the field
Tournament Info
AMA Scoring Tier & Region: White | South
Rounds: 3 (amateur) & 5 (pro)
Time: Start - 9 am | Lunch Break after 3rd round. Full schedule below.
Format: Individual Stroke Play
Course(s) Played: Only one course - Mossy Creek
Divisions: Amateur & pro
Entry Fee: $40 (amateur) & $75 (pro)
Registration: Online here
Overall Purse:$2500
Ball: Golf ball only
Exception from Standard AMA Rules: None currently
Additional Details
Part of the Southern Swing Pro Mini Golf Tour & World Adventure Golf Tour again for 2026.
All Southern Swing tournaments will be 5 rounds with a $2,500 purse. Top 15 spots payout.
The Southern Swing Tour Champion will receive an additional $500 and free entry into the USPMGA Master’s.
Historically, to play in the pro division, you must be a member of the USPMGA.
Rolling Start on Hole #1 for Pro & Am Divisions
Southern Pro Swing Website & Facebook
Tennessee Open Schedule
9AM to 12PM ~ Rounds 1-3 (Rolling Start for Pro & Am Divisions)
12PM ~ Lunch Break
1PM to 3PM ~ Rounds 4-5 (New pairings based on score)
Pro Division $75 (5 Rounds)
$2500 Purse (Top 15 Pay Out) and Prizes for 1st & 2nd Place
TN Open - Amateur Division $40 (3 Rounds)
August 16th is the non-AMA scoring but equally awesome Smoky Mountain Match Play event for the top 16 pros and top amateur competitors. The fee is $25 for pros and $15 for amateur competitors with a $1,500 purse. Schedule is 9AM ~ Round of 16 | 10AM ~ Quarter Finals | 11AM ~ Semi Finals | Noon ~ Finals and 3rd Place Match