New face among leaders

By EASportsToday.com
- Tweet
Updated: April 25, 2015

[corner-ad id=1][corner-ad id=1]Goggans joins final group in Cider Ridge Invitational; includes full scores, flights, pairings

Jake Goggans put himself in Sunday’s final group with a 3-under-par 69. He had a share of the lead with four holes to play Saturday. (Photo by Al Muskewitz)

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD — A fast look at the Cider Ridge Invitational leaderboard reveals the usual cast of contenders that dominate the local golf landscape. But a new face has worked his way into the picture this weekend.

Jake Goggans, a relative newcomer to the game, wrangled a spot in Sunday’s final group after posting a 3-under-par 69 Saturday that’s one shot behind leader Ty Cole. He is among four players at 69.

“That’s the good thing about golf — you can get lucky, have a good day and sneak in there with those guys who are used to being there every day,” said Goggans, who has been playing only 3 1-2 years. “I’ve never played in a final group before.

“It’s neat to see your name up there, but that’s what you play for; that’s the goal. I’m not used seeing my name up there, for sure, but maybe you put a few lucky shots together and you start seeing it up there more often, who knows. Anybody can get lucky, that’s what gives me a good chance.”

Ott Chandler, Dalton Chandler and Gary Wigington posted the same score as the 29-year Oxford advertising salesman. Two other players are at 70 and five are at 72 to complete the championship flight.

Because 1.75 inches of overnight rain left the front side of the course unplayable early in the day, the field played the back nine twice and from a favorable set of tees that made the course a little over 5,800 yards. Tournament officials hope to allow the field to play the entire golf course Sunday.

Several players took advantage of the course playing short to take a run at the lead. Wigington was 6-under with seven birdies through 11 holes, but came back to the field with three bogeys coming home including both par-5s.

Ott Chandler was 5-under through 17 and playing “as good as I’ve played in a long time,” then double bogeyed 18 from 85 yards out. He hit all 14 fairways and 17 greens. Goggans had three birdies in a four-hole stretch to turn in 33.

“There are a lot of good players here (so) for somebody to go out there and get everything going and shoot good, there’s always a threat of that,” Wigington said. “It doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Cole, Wigington and Goggans all shared the lead at 4-under when Goggans came off the 15th green. Wigington lost his share with the bogey on 18 and Goggans fell out with a bogey on 16.

Cole led despite three-putting his first and last holes of the round. The first was for bogey and the second was for par on a par-5.

“Other than that I didn’t play bad,” Cole said. “I dinked and dunked it and made a few putts in the middle of the round. But I was chasing Twig all day.”

Wigington looked like he was going to run away with his second Calhoun County Golf Tour title in as many events as he birdied three of his first four holes, five of his first seven and seven of his first 11. But the three-time County Player of the Year bogeyed 12 from the greenside bunker, four-putted 15 and lost a ball on 18.

Ryan Huff won the day’s closest-to-the-pin prize on No. 17.

Cider Ridge Invitational
First-round scores

Championship flight
Ty Cole 68
Ott Chandler 69
Dalton Chandler 69
Gary Wigington 69
Jake Goggans 69
Chad Calvert 70
Jeremy McGatha 70
Chandler Wilborn 72
Kevin Daugherty 72
Caleb McKinney 72
Matt Rogers 72
Eric Cannington 72

First flight
Ted Saylors 73
Adrian Geeting 74
Dan Griffin 74
Clay Calkins 75
Billy Thompson 75
Daniel Black 76
Caleb Bowen 76
Ryan Huff 76
Benji Turley 76

Second flight
Luke Armstrong 77
Chase Hollingsworth 77
Chip Howell 77
Jonathan Pate 77
Brandon Roberts 77
Dustin Travis 77
Andrew Brooks 78
Dan McClellan 78
Kenny Wright 78
Justin Graveman 79
Eric Lett 79

Third flight
Erich Egui 80
Allen Hamlin 80
Rick Riley 80
Frank Toland 80
Nick Pollard 81
Matt Smith 81
Tim Steward 81
Layton Bussey 83
Maurice Dates 83
Kenneth Larkin 83
Al Muskewitz 83
John Tucker 83

Fourth flight
Chase Thomas 84
Austin Minter 85
Jimbo Phillips 85
Janson Wilborn 85
Doug East 86
Cole McNeal 86
Keith Raisanen 87
Timmy Woodard 87
Zach Hiett 88
Alex Turner 88
Kelly Rogers 98
Jonathan Sun 106
Jeff Borrelli WD
Graham Morrow WD

LEADERS SCORECARDS
(Back 9 played twice)

PLAYER 443 445 435 36 443 445 435 36 72
Cole 533 344 436 35 332 454 435 33 68
Goggans 353 434 425 33 442 445 535 36 69
Wigington 333 344 345 32 334 446 436 37 69
O. Chandler 443 444 335 34 433 344 437 35 69
D. Chandler 443 545 534 34 343 344 425 35 69
Calvert 433 344 446 35 533 435 435 35 70
McGatha 443 444 335 34 453 434 454 36 70

Chase Larkin watches his putt roll towards the cup during Saturday’s first round of the Cider Ridge Invitational. (Photo by B.J. Franklin)

Sunday’s tee times
9:20 a.m. – Alex Turner, Kelly Rogers, Jonathan Sun
9:30 – Zach Hiett, Timmy Woodard, Keith Raisanen
9:40 – Doug East, Cole McNeal, Janson Wilborn
9:50 – Jimbo Phillips, Austin Minter, Chase Thomas, Kenny Wright
10:00 – John Tucker, Al Muskewitz, Kenneth Larkin, Maurice Dates
10:10 – Layton Bussey, Tim Steward, Matt Smith, Nick Pollard
10:20 – Frank Toland, Rick Riley, Allen Hamlin, Erich Egui
10:30 – Eric Lett, Justin Graveman, Dan McClellan
10:40 – Andrew Brooks, Dustin Travis, Brandon Roberts
10:50 – Luke Armstrong, Chase Hollingsworth, Chip Howell
11:00 – Benji Turley, Caleb Bowen, Ryan Huff
11:10 – Daniel Black, Billy Thompson, Clay Calkins
11:20 – Dan Griffin, Ted Saylors, Adrian Geeting, Jonathan Pate
11:30 – Chandler Wilborn, Matt Rogers, Caleb McKinney, Kevin Daugherty
11:40 – Eric Cannington, Jeremy McGatha, Chad Calvert, Ott Chandler
11:50 – Jake Goggans, Dalton Chandler, Gary Wigington, Ty Cole