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Late charge lifts Ellison

Jaylon Ellison (R) returns the flagstick to the cup after winning the third hole in his match with Billy Thompson.

Jaylon Ellison (R) returns the flagstick to the cup after winning the third hole in his match with Billy Thompson.

Fifth seed wins first three holes coming back from The Hollow to put away Thompson, set up semifinal showdown with top seed

By East Alabama Sports Today

Jaylon Ellison won the first three holes coming back from The Hollow to take control of a tight match and hold off Billy Thompson 3 & 2 in the Calhoun County Match Play Championship Friday at Cane Creek Golf Course.

The victory sets up a much-anticipated semifinal match between the fifth-seeded Ellison and top-seeded three-time Player of the Year Gary Wigington. The date of that match has yet to be determined.

The match Friday was all square when the players came back across the street from the challenging four holes that open the back nine.

But Ellison won 14 with a birdie from the fringe, 15 with a 10-foot par save and 16 to close out the match.

“It was a fun match and Billy played well,” Ellison said. “I just hung in there and played well on the back nine.”

Ellison opened a 2-up lead as Thompson’s putter failed him early, but the County Tour’s best putter rediscovered his touch and won 7 and 8 with birdies to square the match.

“I played good for 13 holes, but golf is an 18-hole match and I just lost it,” Thompson said. I can’t complain with how I played; I just didn’t finish.

“He gave me opportunities early to stay in it and I was fortunate enough to do so except when it counted most. I feel like I beat myself, and I say that without taking anything away from Jaylon.”

Calhoun County Match Play Championship
(All matches at Cane Creek Golf Course)

First-round matches
Buddy Moore Bracket
No. 1 Gary Wigington def. No. 16 Jeff Borrelli, 6 & 5
No. 8 Matt Rogers def. No. 9 Scott Martin, 2 & 1
No. 13 Billy Thompson def. No. 4 Grant Hockman, 2 & 1
No. 5 Jaylon Ellison def. No. 12 Lance Evans, 2 & 1

Chris Banister Bracket
No. 15 Clay Calkins def. No. 2 Ty Cole, walkover
No. 7 Adrian Geeting vs. No. 10 Andrew Brooks, 1 up
No. 3 Jeremy McGatha def. No. 14 Nick Pollard, 5 & 4
No. 11 Daniel Black def. No. 6 Ott Chandler, 19 holes

Second-round matches
Wigington def. Rogers, 3 & 1
Ellison def. Thompson, 3 & 2
Calkins vs. Brooks
McGatha vs. Black

Semifinal matches
Wigington vs. Ellison
Calkins-Brooks winner vs. McGatha-Black winner

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