Kyes, Simpson Earn Golf Channel Preseason Honors
August 29, 2025 | Men's Golf
Kyes, who was rated as the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2025 by Junior Golf Scoreboard, enters his freshman campaign on Rocky Top.
A two-time AJGA Rolex All-American, the Birmingham, Alabama native recorded a second-place finish at the 2024 Western Junior Championship this summer and also advanced to the round of 64 at the 2024 U.S. Amateur.
On top of his performances on the amateur and junior golf circuits, Kyes owns three individual AHSA Class 7A state championship titles and became just the sixth golfer in AHSAA history to win at least three titles.
Simpson, who was also named a Golfweek Preseason All-American and to the Haskins Award Preseason Watchlist, is currently the No. 22 amateur in the world. The redshirt-senior also earned a No. 13 ranking on the PGA TOUR University preseason rankings.
During the 2024-2025 campaign, the Knoxville native earned Golfweek and GCAA All-America honors after leading the Vols with four top-10 showings and was UT's highest finisher at the NCAA Championships.
Simpson has had a busy summer, competing as one of 15 amateurs in the U.S Open field. Simpson also posted a dominant performance in the Trans-Mississippi Amateur with a 17-under total to win by four shots.
Returning for his final season, Simpson posted a career-high 24 rounds of par or lower last season, which marked the third-most in a single season in program history.
His best performances of the 2024-25 season came at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate and Fighting Irish Classic, where he was UT's top finisher after tying for third.
Simpson and the rest of the Vols are set to begin their season September 5th at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate in Loudon, Tennessee.
Players Mentioned
