White Plains golfers make history

Wildcats claim school’s first boys county championship in convincing fashion

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

The White Plains golf team made history in a big way Saturday, winning the Calhoun County Boys Golf Championship for the school’s first-ever boys county championship.

The favored Wildcats not only won it, they dominated.

They shot a final-round 305 at Pine Hill Country Club for a two-day total 619 to win by 35 shots over runner-up and longtime boys champion Oxford. Their second team would’ve finished second by 11 shots had it been eligible to place in the top two.

They finished 1-2-3 in the individual race and placed eight of the 10 players from their two teams on the all-county team — that’s half the group.

Dustin Travis won medalist, making birdie on the first extra hole to beat teammate Layton Bussey; both players shot 3-over-par 147 (74-73) in regulation. Shortly after signing his scorecard, Travis signed scholarship papers to play golf at Montevallo.

This was about as close as it comes to pitching a shutout in golf.

“It’s a great day for the school and for the program,” Wildcats coach Marcus Harrell said. “Our whole entire discussion today before we teed off was putting an exclamation point on the tournament. We wanted to lead and put everything with an exclamation point.

“We’ve had the lead before and we’ve blown it. We didn’t want to have a conservative mindset. We wanted to put an exclamation point on the tournament and make a lot of birdies.”

The medalist win represented a lifetime climb for Travis. He finished fourth as a ninth-grader, third as a sophomore and second last year as a junior.

“This is a huge deal to me especially because it’s my senior year and I’m not going to get the chance again,” he said. “Earlier this year I told my dad my one main goal was to win County and after that it was to the state tournament. The huge deal to me was County. I’ve worked for it for four years trying to win it, climbing the ladder, and finally I win it.”

Travis wanted a battle for the crown to sharpen his edge going forward and he got one. He was three shots behind his teammate four holes into the final round. He cut the gap to two with back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 and knew he had to make something happen.

Instead, he bogeyed 13 after driving it into the trees and missed a short birdie putt on 17 that would’ve given him a share of the lead. Still, he stayed in contention because Bussey was having trouble with his driver and getting his wedge shots close.

Bussey bogeyed No. 1 to drop into a tie and had to make a three-footer for par on 2 to force the playoff.

“When you have to get up and down seven out of nine holes you’re going to make bogeys,” Bussey said. “When you’re hitting the ball as bad as I hit it this weekend and you put nerves on top of it good shots just don’t come out of that.”

In the playoff he found the fairway off the tee while Bussey was on the second hole side of the right tree line. Travis hit a low screamer that left him about 100 yards out and Bussey hit the big oak that defines the hole.

Travis hit the green with his third shot, while Bussey’s third was short and right of the green. Bussey pitched over the bunker and managed to hold the green and his par putt rolled over the hole. He tapped in to clear the way for Travis, who sank his birdie putt for the win.

“The thing about Dustin winning it, he’s come close so many times in this tournament,” Harrell said. “It was a heartbreaking loss for him last year as a team and individually. Dustin has come a long way as a golfer and as a person. He’s definitely a person who deserves a championship, for sure.”

Trevor Lane, the first-round leader disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard, returned to shoot 78 and help the White Plains team total. His two-day total with or without the error would have placed third, giving the Wildcats the top four spots in the individual standings.

The Wildcats also counted Drennen Beam’s 81 in their team score Saturday.

Oxford passed Donoho for second place behind a pair of 76s from Tyler Putnam and Joey Solano.

Calhoun County Boys Golf Championship

Team scores
White Plains 314-305–619
x-White Plains B 324-319–643
Oxford 335-319–654
Donoho 333-327–660
Alexandria 352-336–688
Piedmont 385-373–758
Jacksonville 373-399–772
Saks 418-378–796
Pleasant Valley 398-401–799
x-Inelgible to finish first or second

Individual scores
(x-won playoff for first, y-won playoff for third)
x-Dustin Travis, WP 74-73—147
Layton Bussey, WP 74-73—147
y-Dylan Griggs, WP-B 76-77—153
Tyler Putnam, Ox 77-76—153
Jacob Lecroy, Don 78-79—157
Ross Svensen, Don 82-78—160
Trevor McCarley, Pied 82-79—161
Joey Salonia, Ox 85-76—161
Cole Burnett, Alex 86-75—161
P.J. Sotello, WP-B 83-79—162
Jake Moore, Jax 84-78—162
Nathan Gilbert, WP 80-83—163
Coleman Hayes, WP-B 84-81—165
Drennen Beam, WP 86-81—167
Jack Svensen, Don 83-85—168
Cameron McCareeth, WP-B 86-82—168
Britton Proper, PV 80-89—169
Nathan Griffin, WP-B 81-89—170
Austin Smith, Alex 86-85—171
Will Turley, Ox 88-83—171
Nick McCain, Alex 93-81—174
John Hutto, Don 90-85—175
Charlie Smith, Don 88-88—176
Jeremy Allen, Ox 88-88—176
Trevin Ray, Saks 91-85—176
Jacob Vaughn, Ox 85-92—177
Ethan Johnson, PV 89-92—181
Clayton Esty, Ox 97-84—181
Hunter Watts, Alex 87-95—182
Jamey Ott, SH 92-93—185
Will Bedwell, Pied 96-91—187
Robert Clausen, Don 99-88—187
Tyler Sutherlin, Saks 100-87—187
Braxton McFall, Jax 90-98—188
Harrison Hughston, Don 103-89—192
Jeremiah Screvan, Pied 97-97—194
Chase Denham, Saks 99-96—195
Sam Garner, Don 109-92—201
Andrew Miller, Jax 109-101—210
Jason Howard, Alex 108-104—212
J.T. Barthel, PV 109-105—214
Colby Gaines, PV 119-105—214
Andrew Richter, SH 105-110—215
Ethan Floyd, Pied 110-106—216
Tanner Jumper, Jax 106-111—217
Thomas Conley, Don 110-109—219
Matthew Webb, PV 109-111—220
Colton Harris, PV 113-113—226
Brooks Davis, PV 116-110—226
Jaxon Chaffin, Alex 117-109—226
Holden Abernathy, Don 105-123—230
Eddie Ferguson, Ohat 118-113—231
Thomas Emery, PV 121-110—231
Austin Goodwin, Jax 125-112—237
Jhuan Buchanan, Saks 128-110—238
Chase Adderhold, Pied 126-114—240
Chris Collison, Saks 129-126—255
Coley Birchfield, PV 127-132—259
Carter Landers, Jax 133-131—264
Trevor Lane, WP DQ-78
Terrence Sizemore, Ann 136-WD
Dast Sturkie, Ann 131-WD
Noah Causey, Weav 120-WD
Torrien Sizemore, Ann 114-WD
Zach Casey, Jax 93-WD
Nathienal Pannel, Weav 104-WD
Brock McSheridan, PV 119-NS

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