Metro golf tournament starts today

Moccasin Bend Golf Club is the host course for the Chattanooga Men’s Metro tournament this weekend. Play in the annual event that began in 1929 starts this morning at 8.

“Moccasin Bend is in as good of shape as I’ve seen it,” said Mike Jenkins, who is competing in the super senior division and directing the tournament along with senior division competitor Richard Keene. “That’s probably why we have 87 entered in it.”

There are 51 golfers competing in the open division, 26 in the senior division (55 and older) and 10 in the super senior division (65 and older). Jenkins counted 10 former winners of some sort of Metro title among this year’s field.

One is Mitch Hufstetler, who won the senior division last year. Also back is 2017 super senior winner Ronnie Law.

Today’s threesomes will include the 13-team competition for the Harold Lane memorial trophy, won last year by Cleveland’s Chatata Valley.

“It’s just a low ball for Friday, almost like a dog fight,” Jenkins said of the battle for the Lane trophy, which was first awarded in 1992. “It’s competitive. Everybody wants to win it.”

This year’s senior and super senior winners will be determined Saturday. The open division winner will be decided Sunday. Play also starts at 8 a.m. those days.

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.