‘Golf experience of a lifetime’
The date was Thursday, July 2, and Kuester — a 57-year-old golfer out of Cherokee Country Club in west Knoxville — was teeing off for the U.S. Senior Open in Columbus, Ohio.
When the starter announced his name, Kuester’s family and friends brought cheers that drew acclaim to the rest of the tournament.
Once off, he competed against players he had watched on television for 30 years prior: Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington, the eventual back-to-back winner of the tournament.
“It was fantastic,” Kuester said. “From the moment they announced me when the tournament started and friends and family are yelling, it was so cool to have that. It was a surreal experience.”
But, the sequence would not have happened without Kuester’s belief and persistence, which carried him to heights he had always dreamed.
A graduate of Greeneville High School, Kuester launched his career at Middle Tennessee State University, where he became an All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) selection.
He became an assistant golf pro at Bluegrass Country Club, then moved on to Cherokee as its assistant pro from 1993 to 1998. But meeting his wife Meredith led Kuester away from the life of a full-time golfer.
“Knowing that in the country club business, you work all holidays, I got out of the golf business and went to sell anything from toilet paper to urinal cakes cleaning products,” said Kuester, who has done that since 1999.
Still, he hit the links for club championships at Cherokee and the national level.
At 55 years old, after 19 years away from the professional ranks, Kuester began playing in Tennessee Golf Association events.
“So, I wasn’t quite sure how I would do once I got out there playing,” he said.
The results spoke for themselves, as he won the 2025 Tennessee Senior Amateur championship.
“That was sort of always a dream of mine,” Kuester said of the state amateur, “so to be able to do that as a senior was really cool.”
The victory pushed him into the final stage of U.S. Senior Open qualifying, as well as the North and South Senior Amateur championship at Pinehurst in August.
At the regional qualifier in Dayton, Ohio, Kuester posted a 2-under 69, finishing in fifth to earn one of 10 spots in the 46th U.S. Senior Open.
“I had it 3-under through 16, bogeyed 17 and had an idea that 1-under would be a playoff,” Kuester said. “So luckily I knocked it on the green, got a 21-footer.
“I’ve had a pretty good golf career locally and state-wise. But when you start thinking all you have to do is two-putt to make the U.S. Senior Open, it gets sort of real. That one was a big surprise, I won’t lie.”
With longtime friend Sam Niell as his caddie and his son Mac alongside him, Kuester made the trek back to Ohio the week before Independence Day.
Once there, he approached the tournament with lessons from Ted Lasso in the back of his mind.
“Even though you watched all those guys on TV that you’re going to play against, you have to go in believing you belong there,” Kuester said. “And you’ve got to be more forgiving, too, because golf can be a very hard and cruel sport. I’ve tried to work on not getting upset with myself when I hit bad shots.”
Having spent the week around several pros, Kuester hit the course that Thursday and Friday, July 2-3.
“Just a fantastic golf course,” he reflected. “Now, it was harder than heck. Probably a 5 1/2, 6-inch rough.”
He ultimately missed the cut for the weekend, shooting 75 on the first day before double bogeying three times that Friday for an 80.
But when Kuester did find success — like a birdie on 17 his final day — he relished the roars of those close to him.
“I had probably 30 or 35 folks from the club I play at, family and friends from college there, so when I made a birdie, it got loud,” he said. “With my l wife and son and one of my daughters there, that was special.”
