Decades of memories ‘par for the (Ken-Tenn) course’

The 80th annual Jasper Vowell Ken-Tenn Men’s Invitational Golf Tournament will be held June 27-28 at Fulton Country Club, with practice rounds set for June 22-26.

Entry fee is $85, and $50 for Junior Division entry fee, cart not included.

The number of flights, flighted after Saturday’s round, will be determined by the number of entries.

To ensure tee times, foursomes must be paid in full, with senior flights to tee from the yellow tees, ages 65-69; and super seniors must be declared prior to play.

Junior division, ages 14-18, must also be declared prior to play.

All tournament participants must agree to abide by all rules set by Fulton Country Club Board of Directors and the tournament committee.

The 2019 Ken-Tenn winner, Ron Mangold, of Pocahontas, Ark. will return this year to defend his title. Also returning this year will be 14-year-old Luke Beadles of Nashville, Tenn., who won the Junior Division last year.

According to Kirk Vowell, the son of Jasper Vowell, for whom the tournament has been named, the Ken-Tenn began in the late 1930s, after the club was constructed in 1925, first sporting a nine hole course, and then later adding the other nine holes in 1975.

“I remember in the late 1950s and 1960s, about 50-70 golfers played in the tournament. When we got 18 holes, we would sometimes have up to 230 participants,” he said.

As the Club did not acquire golf carts until about 1967, prior to that time, bags were carried by the golfer, or caddies were hired, with youth from the area securing a way to make money in Summer months.

“The Ken-Tenn was the biggest and best tournament for many years. Big name golfers would come and want to win the prestigious event. It was by far the hardest course around with six inch rough and beautiful tight bermuda fairways. Par was rarely broken,” Vowell said.

Vowell shared some Ken-Tenn trivia, including the distinction of the only father and son duo to win the tournament, Pat Nanney and Pat Nanney, Jr., and the youngest winner of the event, at the age of 16, Jack Moore, in 1942.

The late Jasper Vowell won the Ken-Tenn two times, with Twin Cities residents Mickey Brockwell recording four wins; Max McDade, two wins and Pat Gossum recording a win.
For more information, or to register, contact Fulton Country Club at 731-479-3016.