Todd Burgan was thrilled that the 69th U.S. Senior Amateur was held in his home state, just a short drive from his residence outside Knoxville.

Now he must ask himself who he has offended, as his home advantage has been relegated to a challenging path in the Honors Course, as the last of three Tennessee natives remain in the tournament.

Burgan, who turned 55 in April, had his sights set on making the Honors Course, and he arrived after a 900-mile drive and limited preparation time, having hosted the State Amateur across the state in Memphis last week, which then led to the U.S. Senior Amateur.

He had hoped to start later on Saturday to catch up on some much-needed rest, but was awarded the first tee time in stroke play. So much for sleeping in.

After an impressive performance in stroke play, Burgan then drew 2023 runner-up Jody Fanagan of Ireland as his opponent in the round of 64, whom he defeated 5 and 4 on Monday.

His reward for sending Fanagan packing? Burgan now faces defending champion Todd White of Spartanburg, SC in his Round of 32 match on Tuesday.

“Sometimes you get a draw that’s not that challenging, and sometimes you just get a brutal one. But you still have to play them one at a time,” Burgan said.

Burgan led Fanagan by 4 strokes after five holes and never let his lead get below 3 strokes as he cruised to victory with ease.

“I knew he was going to be a good player and probably wouldn’t leave any gaps,” Burgan said. “If anything, knowing he was second last year probably made me focus a little more. But I’m sure if they had put a cap on it, I would have gotten more money.”

With White next in line, Burgan is hoping for a similar bounce back performance to the one he made at the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Atlantic Golf Club, when he reached the semifinals.

“When I competed in Long Island, I beat Tim Jackson and Tim Mickelson on the same day. That was pretty cool. I hope I can do something similar here on a course I know very well,” Burgan said.

Burgan is one of four rookies in the US Senior Amateur who had a strong performance, joining David Tassell of Jupiter, Florida, Dan Sullivan of Pasadena, California, and England’s Michael Creed in the ranks of newcomers who made waves in their Round of 64 matches.

Having never seen the Honors Course before, Tassell didn’t know what to expect. He’d heard rumors about how challenging the Pete Dye layout could be, so he needed to find someone to help him unlock the mystery of the fabled design.

After all, this was Tassell’s first appearance at a USGA event after failing to qualify in numerous attempts over the past twelve years. He even considered skipping this year’s tournament, but managed to qualify in Palm Beach Gardens, near his home.

After securing his ticket to the tournament, Tassell contacted a friend who had built a house in Tennessee in hopes of finding someone to caddy for him. What he found in Braden Smyth was more than just a caddy. He discovered someone with years of experience who would help him crack the code of the Honors Course.

“A buddy of mine is a member of another club in the area,” Tassell said. “He knows Braden and says to him, ‘My buddy is coming to play in the Senior Am. Will you be his caddie?’ He said yes, and that connection made all the difference this week.”

Smyth, whose father was a founding member of the Honors Course, caddied at the club for 16 years between appearances on the LPGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, and his knowledge of the intricacies of the devilish greens has given Tassell the confidence he needs at just the right time.

This was clearly evident in Monday’s round of 64, where he faced two-time U.S. Senior Amateur champion Paul Simson of Raleigh, NC. Tassell relied on Smyth’s deft ability to read the break accurately and sank a 30-foot putt on the 18th.^th hole and won 1-0, giving Simson his only loss in a match play opener.

“I had made bogey on 18 both days and was determined not to make another bogey,” Tassell said. “I hit a 7-iron about 30 feet over the hole and then made the putt. I’m glad the hole was in the way. I couldn’t believe it went in. I hadn’t made a putt that length all tournament.”

“This is something that usually happens to me in games, but it was a good feeling to be on the other side for a change.”

It was a dizzying experience for the 67-year-old Tassell, who began his day by fighting his way into match play in a 9-out-of-8 playoff.

“I’m just playing with the house money right now because my goal was to get to match play,” Tassell said. “I played the first two rounds with last year’s champion (Todd White) and today I’m up against the best amateur golfers in my first match. It’s very surreal but I’m having a great time.”

After growing up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Tassell tried playing college golf at Wake Forest his freshman year, but the experience gave him a dose of reality and made him believe a career as a lawyer would be a wiser choice.

“I tried to continue at Wake Forest, but they had Curtis Strange, Jay Haas, Soctt Hoch and Gary Hallberg,” Tassell said. “I played nine holes with Curtis Strange and realized that was the end of my golf career at Wake Forest.”

Tassell took a break from golf for a few years while he built his law practice and raised a family of three children, but he started playing competitively again 20 years ago and is active at his club, the Turtle Creek Club in Tequesta, and participates in local events.

“I like the thrill of a tournament and I like getting a result,” Tassell said. “I just love the competition. I’m on the board of the Palm Beach County Golf Association and we have phenomenal golf tournaments and great players, so you get a really good competitive experience.”

Tassell will face Sullivan in his round of 32 match on Tuesday. Sullivan overcame an early 2-down deficit to eliminate Miami’s Philip Josephson, winning five consecutive holes starting on the 8th hole for a 5-and-4 victory.

Having already competed in 12 USGA championships, competing at this level is nothing new for him. His first appearance was the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur at The Honors – his first of nine Mid-Am appearances – which marked Sullivan’s first appearance on the golf course.

He was also a regular participant in the John T. Lupton Memorial, which was held each year as part of the Honors, as his life had taken a different path than that of many of his older golf colleagues.

“I didn’t get married until I was 45 and I played all kinds of golf up until then,” Sullivan said. “I still play quite a bit and my wife is very supportive. Knowing that this tournament is here this year has given me even more motivation to come to Lupton this year.”

Sullivan finished second at the Lupton event in May, which gave him a confidence boost for this week.

“I don’t know if you can ever get comfortable on this golf course, but I think it’s a huge advantage to play here so often. The more I play here, the more comfortable I feel and the more I can focus. This is the first USGA event I’ve played on a course that I have so much experience on. It’s a huge advantage to come here and not feel like I have to learn the knowledge of a course in two days.”

Sullivan has a ten-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter and is happy to be able to put his golf clubs aside to become a parent later.

“My son plays every sport imaginable, so it keeps me busy,” Sullivan said. “I don’t get to practice as much as I used to, but it’s probably given me a little more perspective. He wants me to throw to him. He wants me to shoot hoops with him. Honestly, as a dad, I’d much rather spend more time doing this. It’s all worth it.”

Creed’s ability to win his opening match 5 and 3 against Kurt Reither of Bentonville, Arkansas, came down to the final round of stroke play on Sunday.

The Stratford-on-Avon Golf Club member had shot a 44 on his first nine holes and Creed was close to missing the cutline when he received a stern reprimand from his caddie Josh Davenport.

“Josh is a fantastic caddie, but I relied on him too much,” Creed said. “I hadn’t gone through the process that I normally go through internally. So on the back nine he said, ‘I’m backing off. You take control. If you want a yard or a club, I’ll give it to you. But now you take control because you have to get your game back under control.'”

Creed, processing his feelings of vulnerability and frustration, was surprised by Davenport’s words.

“I could have screamed and yelled at him because I felt like he had let me down,” Creed said. “But that was the tough love a caddie has to show, and that can only come from a player who understands.”

Creed managed to turn things around and get into match play. In his round of 64 match, he was four strokes ahead after eight holes and two strokes under par. Suddenly, the confidence he had been lacking had returned.

“I barely got in and I’m thinking, ‘OK, you’ve got some breathing room now. Now you have to refocus and perform,'” Creed said. “I can walk out of here with my head held high no matter what happens tomorrow morning. But I’m going to have the same fighting spirit that I had today because I know what I’m capable of.”

You can reach Paul Payne at [email protected].