Gregory Odom Jr. is hoping to advance to the Final Stage of PGA Tour Q-School this week
photo by Christina Leung/Howard University Athletics
The fact that Gregory Odom Jr. carries with him his late father’s name serves as a constant reminder of the reason he first became drawn to the game of golf. Now more than four years after the death his namesake, best friend and mentor, the younger Odom continues to honor the family legacy in a manner they could not have imagined when he was first introduced to golf as a four-year-old.
Odom Jr. emerged from humble roots in Memphis, where his father made his mark as a skilled craftsman in running his own business that specialized in wrought iron as well as a skilled amateur golfer on the local scene, someone who was constantly giving back to the game through his involvement in youth golf events and charity tournaments.
It was at these charity scrambles where Odom Sr. would invite his son to tag along, providing him with an early glimpse into his future pathway.
The next chapter of Odom Jr.’s odyssey takes place this week as he participates in the Second Stage of PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry that takes place at five different sites Tuesday through Friday. Odom Jr. is one of eight golfers with Tennessee ties who will be competing in Valdosta, Ga.
Joining Odom Jr. at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club are former Lipscomb standout Dawson Armstrong of Spring Hill; Furman alum Walker Crosby of Memphis; Ryan Hall of Knoxville who played at South Carolina; Murfreesboro’s Grant Leaver who competed at Austin Peay; former Tennessee stars Bryce Lewis of Hendersonville and Hunter Wolcott of Dickson; and former Vanderbilt All-American Matthew Riedel.
Ten other qualifiers will test their luck at the Second Stage events taking place in Savannah, Ga. and Dothan, Ala. in hopes of moving into Final Stage qualifying at TPC Sawgrass on Dec. 11-14.
Middle Tennessee State alum Owen Stamper returns to the Alabama qualifier where he was medalist in last year’s Second Stage event. He will be joined by former Clemson golfer William Nottingham of Kingsport, Chattanooga graduate John Houk of Athens, former Lee University standout MJ Daffue of South Africa and Nashville’s Blades Brown who is wrapping up his rookie professional season as an 18-year-old.
A pair of former Tennessee golfers – Spencer Cross and Tyler Johnson of Knoxville – are among those competing in the Savannah qualifier. They will be joined by Nashville’s Hunter Eichhorn and Nicklaus Sutton along with former Vanderbilt standout Harrison Ott of Franklin.
Six golfers are hoping to make a return appearance in Final Stage after advancing last year. Those include Riedel, Lewis, Armstrong, Hall, Stamper and Houk.
Odom Jr. tied for fourth at his First Stage qualifier held in Texas to keep his hopes alive of securing his playing status for 2026. He shot 14-under over four days at Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club, and he’s focused on improving on his return visit to Valdosta where he failed to make the cut last year in his inaugural Q-School try after turning pro earlier in the year.
“I think this time last year I feel like the light switch went off,” Odom Jr. said. “I was just taking the game too serious. It was just something that I was good at. I found myself trying to play perfect golf, and that’s just not me. I’m more like a Jordan Spieth type of golfer, where I can hit it anywhere, but the scorecard looks way different.
“I feel like this year I’m just trying to be more like myself and just be free, and whatever happens, happens. Ever since I got to that mindset, I feel like the light went back on three months ago. Golf seems more fun now, and the journey is just me learning to trust the process.”
After earning three trips to the TSSAA Boys’ Golf State Championships playing as an individual out of Memphis Middle College High School, Odom Jr. was the Small Class runner-up up in 2017. He signed with the University of Memphis out of high school, becoming the first African American to play in the program’s storied history before opting to transfer to Howard University.
The 25-year-old Odom Jr. had learned a valuable lesson from his father to never be afraid to try something new, approach everything with confidence and even if he occasionally failed, learn a lesson and keep going. Those lessons of perseverance hit home in 2021 when Greg Sr. passed away due to kidney failure while his son was preparing to compete in the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
With a heavy heart, Odom Jr. won the first of his back-to-back titles in the prestigious event, leading to a successful career at Howard that drew national recognition thanks to the financial support of NBA star Steph Curry into the program.
Odom made his PGA Tour debut at the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac, and has had seven starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. He’s hoping that a successful week in Georgia will bring him one step closer to realizing his dreams.
“Turning pro has been good, but it’s been an adjustment,” Odom Jr. said. “Just playing against guys older than me that have all this knowledge was different. But I moved to Dallas and I surrounded myself with way better players, so the mindset has been a lot different, and I think the game is coming along.”
His father’s memory will accompany Odom Jr. this week as he prepares for his run at Q-School, and he will resort to the shared strengths of his game that he learned from his dad.
“You can’t overcomplicate golf, because boring golf really gets you through,” Odom Jr. said. “Everybody wants to hit the big driver, but that can get you into trouble sometimes. My dad taught me that chipping and putting was where tournaments are won. So, my short game play is where I find the most comfort.”
The brutal reality of next season’s fortunes hanging in the balance with how this week’s Second Stage unfolds can be a daunting proposition. Some golfers such as former Vol Lewis have their status in hand and are merely hoping to catch lightning in a bottle to improve their position. But for others, it boils down to a make-or-break week of golf.
This year has included its share of highlights for Ott, the former Vanderbilt star who has made it to Second Stage three times in four Q-School appearances. He won the Tennessee State Open in July after earning a spot in the U.S. Open the previous month at iconic Oakmont Country Club.
“I think it’s important to try not to get too emotional about this event,” Ott said. “I know what’s at stake, but I’m just trying to go enjoy golf and compete hard. It’s certainly the biggest event of the year for someone in my shoes.”
After making the cut in one of four Korn Ferry tournaments this season, Ott is hopeful to play his best golf to secure his professional status for the 2026 season.
“I don’t think I’d measure my success on reaching Final Stage, but obviously that would earn me the right to play on a tour next year which would be awesome,” Ott said. “A lot of my practice or training was done with the motivation of playing better at Q-School this year and playing through the adversity and emotions of that.”
Lewis was able to enjoy a successful debut season on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing 67th on the points standings with a pair of top 10 finishes to secure his spot for ’26 on the KFT. Having that security already in hand has Lewis approaching this week with a different mindset.
“It will be a little different emotions than last year,” Lewis said. “I have full status next year on KFT so I’m just trying to finish top 5 at finals to get a tour card. That’s kind of a big shot, but I signed up to give it a shot.”
The 25-year-old former Vols golfer who turned professional in 2024 is brimming with confidence entering this week’s action knowing he’s playing with house money.
“I had a great year on the KFT so I know I can compete with the best in the world,” Lewis said. “If I make it to finals or not, I know my good golf can finish top 20 on the points next year and get a Tour card. I’m hoping for the opportunity to have the nerves of trying for top 5 this year at finals. It will be a great experience whether I get my card or not.”
Houk discovered valuable lessons of patience and perseverance during last year’s Second Stage event in Dothan. After finding himself 6-over through 14 holes on his opening round, the former UTC star turned things around by shooting 16-under over his last 58 holes to advance to Final Stage in his rookie season.
“I started off terrible, and then kind of gave up, and then once I gave up, I started playing better.,” Houk said. “That one tournament taught me a lot. In the grand scheme of things, your motivation can’t be for yourself. It won me tournaments in college, and I just had the wrong motivation. It wasn’t a sustainable way of living. I couldn’t live my life like that.”
Recognizing how much mental and physical energy was being spent rehashing the past, the newly married Houk has a more even-tempered approach to his game these days.
“I’m definitely more relaxed,” Houk said. “I feel like that’ll help me coming down the stretch a little bit, just to know that it’s one week is not the most important thing. You learn more from your adversity than you do success, so I’ve got a different perspective than I’ve had in the past.”
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
Reigning Tennessee State Open champion Harrison Ott hopes to punch his ticket to Q-School Final Stage this week.
photo by Tennessee Golf Association
