Record man Chris is a hit in the States

Oct 26 2007 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

CHRIS Paisley has landed his first victory on the US college circuit to break into the top 50 of world amateurs and be voted Golfer of the Week by the American national magazine Golf World.

Earlier this year the Northumberland champion, from Mickley, became the first amateur in history to capture a PGA North Region event when he won The Rock at Matfen Hall.

He also reached the quarter-finals of the English Amateur at Royal St George’s in Kent. Yet the 21-year-old from the Stocksfield club, in the third year of a four-year golf scholarship at the University of Tennessee, described his latest success as containing “easily the best round of my life”.

Paisley shot an eight-under 64 in the second round of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate to equal the course record at The Ridges.

This is a testing track in Jonesborough containing water on seven holes and designed by Arthur Hills, twice voted the US Golf Course Architect of the Year.

Paisley recorded 10 pars and eight birdies, including birdies on five of the last seven holes, to sign for the lowest score of his career.

“I didn’t putt the lights out. It wasn’t like I made putts from all over the place,” he said. “I just hit it great. I only missed two greens and hit it inside 15 feet a lot. I was never stressed to make par. It was one of the few stress-free rounds I’ve ever had.” Having returned 70 in the first round, Paisley went into the third and last round three shots ahead of the field and shot par 72 to finish on a 10-under total of 206.

That put him two shots clear of the joint runners-up, John Hahn from Kent State and Maryland’s Chris Gold. Paisley has moved up to 42 in the amateur world rankings and said: “I am just going to keep working hard and see if I can get a few more wins under my belt.” His brother Andy Paisley, a former Northumberland champion and now a professional and a coach at Matfen Hall, said: “Chris’ dedication is incredible. He is soaking up everything Tennessee can teach him on and off the course.

“He’s doing a sport management degree and he finished 18th out of 70 in another tournament at a US Open venue, Olympia Fields, even though he had been getting up at 4 in the morning just before the event to fit in some exam revision before his gym work.

“And all that was before starting his normal day.”