The 2026 TSSAA boys and girls golf season already teed off on July 27 ahead of the other fall sports.
Here are some of the top returning boys and girls golfers to watch for in the Knoxville area.
Girls
Sophie Parsons, Alcoa: So.: Alcoa returned three of its freshman state qualifiers from last year, including Parsons, who finished in a tie for No. 11 after shooting 158.
Molly Jackson, Anderson County, Jr.: Jackson qualified for state in Class A and shot 203.
Kalen Jackson, CAK, So.: Jackson shot 177 and finished No. 14 at the state tournament as CAK captured the Division II-A state championship.
Linzy Johnson, Catholic, Sr.: Johnson is one of two returning state qualifiers for Catholic from the 2025 season. She tied for No. 14 in DII-AA after shooting 160.
Teagan Walker, Catholic, Sr.: Walker, Catholic's other returner, was three strokes shy of wining the state tournament. The 2025 PrepXtra Girls golf team selection shot 141 and tied for third place.
Harper Holmes, Farragut, Sr.: Holmes is a two-time state qualifier for Farragut in Class AA and tied for No. 12 in 2025.
Sophie Williams, Farragut, Jr.: Holmes' teammate, Williams, reached Sevierville for the first time last season and shot 165, tying for No. 22.
Lydia Walker, Grace Christian, Sr.: Walker was Grace's lone representative at state in DII-A and shot 184. She was five strokes shy of a top-15 finish.
Brylee Catron, Greeneville, Sr.: Catron was selected for the PrepXtra Girls golf team for helping Greeneville win the state title in Class A. She tied for fourth with teammate Kylee Renner, and she finished first in the region tournament and second place t districts.
Kylee Renner, Greeneville, Jr.: Renner was also a PrepXtra selection for maintaining a 78.4 average throughout the 2025 season and medaling second in the region tournament, third in districts and tying for fourth at state.
Rylee Taylor, Hardin Valley, Sr.: Hardin Valley placed second in Class AA as a team last season. Taylor was one of three Hardin Valley golfers who placed, finishing with a 165 total and tying for No. 22.
Addisyn Newman, Hardin Valley, Jr.: Newman was the 2025 PrepXtra Girls Golfer of the Year. She finished as the state runner-up and was just one stroke behind the leader. Newman medaled in four regular season matches and led Hardin Valley to a region title and a second-place finish at state.
Zoey Shockley, Lakeway Christian, So.: Shockley helped Lakeway finish second in Division II-A. She shot 181 and was No. 16, two strokes behind graduated senior Lola McElhaney.
Daisy Gentry, Powell, Sr.: Gentry didn't qualify for state, but she led the Powell girls team to the District 2-3A title, the program's first district title since 2011.
Addison McConkey, Sequoyah, Sr.: McConkey placed third in the region and won district with an undefeated record in the regular season.
Bella Patel, Webb, So.: As a freshman, Patel placed 11th at state and shot 156 as an independent for Webb.
Boys
Maddox Tackett, Anderson County, Jr.: Tackett returns as the top golfer for Anderson County after tying for No. 12 in Class AA.
Tyler Stafford, CAK, Jr.: Stafford was a PrepXtra Boys Golf selection in 2025. He led CAK to a fifth place finish as a team and second place in the region tournament.
Grant Hannah, Clinton, Sr.: Hannah enters his senior season seeking a fourth consecutive appearance in the region tournament.
Alex Green, First Baptist, Sr.: Green powered First Baptist to its first golf state championship in DII-A with a third place finish and a 4-under, 140 total.
Beckett Stout, Fulton, Jr.: Stout made history as the first Fulton boy to make the state tournament since 1998. He tied for No. 25 and earned second-place medals in the district and region tournaments.
Hunter Mousa, Hardin Valley, Jr.: Hardin Valley won its first state title in Class AA with a team that had five golfers place within the top 30. Mousa, a PrepXtra selection, had the second-lowest score for the Hawks, shooting 143 and placing in a tie for seventh.
Arjun Patel, Hardin Valley, Jr.: Patel snuck into the top 30 in Sevierville by shooting 148, good for a four-way tie at No. 28.
Hayden Weaver, Kingston, Sr.: Weaver comes back as the top returner for a Kingston team that placed seventh in Class A. He placed No. 27 at state and shot 159.
Ray ReBell, Maryville, So.: In his first trip to the state tournament, ReBell, as a freshman, shot 144 and tied for No. 12 in Class AA.
Nikhil Patel, Webb, Sr.: Patel qualified for state as an individual for Webb and shot 154, placing within the top 30 at No. 28.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Who are the Knoxville area's top TSSAA golfers returning for 2026 season?
