KINGSPORT, Tenn. – A pair of tournament rookies led the way Wednesday, October 28, as the Tri-Cities Media Team won the Seventh Annual Thunder Valley Cup, where the local journalists take on the Bristol Motor Speedway Employees in a 27-hole Ryder Cup-style golf tournament.

Team Media won all three hotly-contested sessions with some very close match results and defeated the Race Promoters with a final total of 15-9 at the beautiful and challenging Ridgefields Golf & Athletic Club, a Donald Ross-designed course. It was the first time the tournament had been played at the scenic 18-hole layout that winds through the South Fork of the Holston River beneath the towering Bays Mountain range.

The Media Team, dressed in its traditional red colors, pulled even in the all-time series with its second consecutive victory (also won last year 15-9 at Golf Club of Bristol) that now stands at 3-3-1 by taking the win over the royal blue outfitted BMS Team.

Former all-conference college golfer for the University of Lynchburg, Andrew Watson, who now works as a sports reporter for WCYB TV, led the way for the Tri-Cities Media Team by winning all three of his matches and claiming four individual awards, including winning one of two Long Drive Challenges and awards for posting the best scores in both the Stableford Four-Ball and Scramble sessions. He won his Singles match play session 5 and 4 over fellow tournament rookie from BMS, Ticketing’s Caroline McLaughlin.

Watson was one of three Media Team winners who claimed the prized “Unbeaten Linksman” Award, given to any player to win all three of his or her matches. His co-worker from WCYB TV Sports, fellow TVC rookie Josh Widman, also won all three of his matches. Media team co-captain Kenny Hawkins of WJHL Sports, was the other perfect 3-0-0 player for the squad of scribes.

The Media team won the Stableford Fourballers session 3.5 to 2.5 on Ridgefield’s demanding Front Nine. The pairing of Watson and fellow WCYB TV partner Rick Hensley also produced the best score of the session, a 42, using the modified stableford system that awards one point for a bogey, three points for a par and five points for a birdie with point increases on down the line. The duo defeated long-hitting Kelby Brock from BMS Operations and BMS Events’ Daniel Warren, who scored 29 in the session. Team BMS was led by Landon Owen of Ticketing and Drew Bedard of Marketing in the session who combined to score 32 to defeat the tandem of Six-Rivers Media’s Dave Ongie and WJHL TV’s Brody Wilson, who posted a strong, but losing 29.

The media team nearly swept the Scramble Scorchers session on Ridgefield’s tough Back Nine, in the stroke-play captain’s choice format that saw the pairing of Watson and Media Legend PJ Johnson card a 30 (-6) to defeat the Team BMS group of Jerry Caldwell from Administration and Warren, who posted a 33 (-3). Owen and partner Brandon Cross from Racing Administration gave BMS its only point in the Scramble session, beating Media Team players Ongie and McKenzie Kane of WJHL TV Sports by 1 stroke, 37-38. Owen was the only player from Team BMS to earn the Unbeaten Linksman award in the tournament.

The tournament moved back to the Front Nine with different tee positions and the Media Team claimed the Singles session 6.5 to 5.5, to get the five points they needed to close out BMS and officially win the Thunder Valley Cup.  Kane, Ongie and WCYB News Anchor Casey Goetz tossed in Singles wins to go along with the trio of Watson, Widman and Hawkins’ triumphs. Team BMS was led in singles by Owen, Brock, Tyler Belcher of Dragway/Race Operations, Keegan Lahr of BMS Marketing and Race Operations, Marty Denton of Finance and Bedard, who gained a half-point by tying ETSU Radio football analyst Mark Hutsell.

A few other individual awards were presented, including to Team BMS’ Belcher for winning the Long Drive Challenge with a booming 300-plus yard drive on the signature 14th hole. A pair of Closest to the Pin Challenges, were won by BMS’ Denton on the 145-yard 7th hole during the Stableford Fourball session and Team Media veteran Pat Kenney, who stuck a shot to two-feet to take the Closest to the Pin Challenge on the 120-yard 17th hole during the Scramble session.

 

SEVENTH ANNUAL THUNDER VALLEY CUP RESULTS
Team Media 15 def. Team BMS 9
Ridgefields Golf & Athletic Club, Kingsport, Tenn.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Singles Match Play Session, Ridgefields Front Nine

Media – 6.5 – BMS 5.5

Kenny Hawkins, Media, WJHL TV Sports DEF. Josiah Carrier, BMS Tickets, 3 and 2

Josh Widman, Media, WCYB TV Sports DEF. Anthony Vestal, BMS Communications, 2 and 1

McKenzie Kane, Media, WJHL TV Sports, DEF. Mark Dickenson, BMS Finance, 2 Up

Marty Denton, BMS Finance DEF. Brody Wilson, Media, WJHL TV, 1 Up

Landon Owen, BMS Tickets DEF. Jay Sandos, Media ETSU Radio Network, 2 and 1

Dave Ongie, Media, Six Rivers Media Group DEF. Cross, BMS Racing Administration, 1 Up

Tyler Belcher, BMS Race Operations/Dragway DEF. PJ Johnson, Media Legend, 4 and 3

Drew Bedard, BMS Marketing vs. Mark Hutsell, Media ETSU Radio Network, Halved

Keegan Lahr, BMS Marketing and Race Operations DEF. Pat Kenney, Media Legend, 4 and 3

Casey Goetz, Media, WCYB TV News Anchor DEF. Daniel Warren, BMS Events, 3 and 2

Kelby Brock, BMS Operations, DEF. Rick Hensley, Media, WCYB TV Sales, 3 and 2

Andrew Watson, Media, WCYB TV Sports DEF. Caroline McLaughlin, BMS Tickets (sub for Jerry Caldwell, BMS Administration), 5 and 4

 

Scramble Scorchers Session, Ridgefields Back Nine

Media 5 – BMS 1

Watson- Johnson, 30 DEF. Jerry Caldwell-Daniel Warren, 33

Rick Hensley- Mark Hutsell, 34 DEF. Kelby Brock- Drew Bedard, 36

Casey Goetz- Pat Kenney, 32 DEF. Keegan Lahr- Tyler Belcher, 34

Landon Owen- Brandon Cross, 37 DEF. Dave Ongie-McKenzie Kane, 38

Jay Sandos- Kenny Hawkins, 35 DEF. Mark Dickenson- Marty Denton, 37

Brody Wilson-Josh Widman, 40 DEF. Anthony Vestal-Josiah Carrier, 44

 

Stableford Fourballers Session, Ridgefields Front Nine

Media 3.5 – BMS 2.5

Pat Hensley- Andrew Watson, Media, 42 DEF. Kelby Brock and Daniel Warren, BMS, 29

Mark Hutsell-Pat Kenney, Media HALVED Jerry Caldwell-Keegan Lahr, BMS

Brandon Cross-Tyler Belcher, BMS, 24 DEF. Casey Goetz-PJ Johnson, Media, 19

Landon Owen-Drew Bedard, BMS, 32 DEF. Dave Ongie-Brody Wilson, Media, 29

Jay Sandos-Josh Widman, BMS, 18 DEF. Marty Denton-Anthony Vestal, BMS, 17

Kenny Hawkins-McKenzie Kane, Media, 21 DEF. Mark Dickenson-Josiah Carrier, BMS, 19

 

2026 THUNDER VALLEY CUP INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Stableford Fourballers – Andrew Watson-Rick Hensley, Media, 42 points

 

Scramble Scorchers – Andrew Watson-PJ Johnson, Media, 30 (-6)

 

Unbeaten Linksman -- Andrew Watson, Media 3-0-0
                                                  Josh Widman, Media 3-0-0
                                                  Kenny Hawkins, Media 3-0-0
                                                  Landon Owen, BMS 3-0-0

 

Long Drive Challenge, Hole No. 6 – Andrew Watson, Media (330 yards)

 

Long Drive Challenge, Hole No. 14 – Tyler Belcher, BMS (315 yds)

 

Closest to the Pin, Hole No. 7, 145 yards – Marty Denton, BMS (8 feet)

 

Closest to the Pin, Hole No. 17, 120 yards – Pat Kenney, Media (2 feet)



THUNDER VALLEY CUP SERIES OVERALL RECORD
The TVC Series is now Tied at 3-3-1

2026 – Ridgefields Golf & Athletic Club, TEAM MEDIA 15 def. TEAM BMS 9

2025 – The Country Club of Bristol, TEAM MEDIA 15 def. TEAM BMS 9

2024 – Crockett Ridge Golf Club, TEAM BMS 13 def. TEAM MEDIA 9

2023 – Graysburg Hills Golf Club, TEAM BMS 11 def. TEAM MEDIA 9

2022 – Graysburg Hills Golf Club, TEAM MEDIA 12 ties TEAM BMS 12

2021 – The Country Club of Bristol, TEAM MEDIA 12.5 def. TEAM BMS 7.5

2020 – No tournament due to pandemic

2019 – Johnson City Country Club, TEAM BMS 8.5 def. TEAM MEDIA 7.5