Casting a wide net
- Updated: May 9, 2015
[corner-ad id=2]UPDATED: White Plains teams on two different courses at state; Alexandria girls, Donoho boys also in field; local notes
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
White Plains golf coach Marcus Harrell’s hope that his two teams would be playing on opposite sides of the draw in the AHSAA golf championships that starts Monday didn’t quite turn out so well.
His boys team will make its third straight finals appearance on Magnolia Grove’s Falls course, which leaves the clubhouse and doesn’t return until 18, while the girls will be playing in the finals for the first time on the double-looped Crossings course.
The boys play Monday from 7:18 a.m. to 8:03 a.m., while the girls go with Alexandria from 9:51 to 10:27.
Donoho’s boys, meanwhile, will be playing the Crossings from 10:54 to 11:48 a.m. in their first finals appearance since 2008.
Harrell’s plan of attack is to send assistant coach Brock Harrell with the girls and Justin Mallicoat with the boys. He’ll watch the boys’ front nine, pick up the girls’ start, return to the boys, then follow the girls after the boys post.
He’s not alone in the quandary. UMS-Wright and Westbrook Christian also have boys and girls teams in the tournament.
“It definitely makes it more difficult,” Harrell said. “We’re going to test it out to make sure we have service or get us some radios or something.”
Harrell reported Saturday phone service on the course was just fine.
Here are the local players’ tee times for the opening round:
Class 4A Boys
Drennen Beam (WP) 7:18 a.m., Dylan Griggs (WP) 7:27, Trevor Lane (WP) 7:45, Layton Bussey (WP) 7:54, Dustin Travis (WP) 8:03.
Class 1A-2A Boys
John Hutto (D) 10:54 a.m., Robert Clausen (D) 11:12, Jack Svensen (D) 11:21, Ross Svensen (D) 11:30, Jacob Lecroy (D) 11:48.
Class 4A-5A Girls
Hannah Dyar (WP), Abby Stevens (Alex) 9:51 a.m.; Morgan Mayfield (Alex) 10:00; Morgan Prickett (WP) 10:09; Raegan Thompson (WP), Katie Roberts (Alex) 10:18; Layne Dyar (WP), Jordan Gregoria (Alex) 10:27.
ACE IN THE CROWD: Ken Boyd scored a hole-in-one at Pine Hill CC earlier this week. He aced the fourth hole from 158 yards with a 7-iron. Perry Bertram witnessed the shot.
It’s the sixth ace recorded at Pine Hill this season and 13th since East Alabama Sports Today has started cataloguing them from county courses in July.
SO CLOSE: Pine Hill pro Cory Etter finished tied for second in Dixie Section’s Golf Source/Cure Putters stroke-play event at Pine Tree CC Tuesday. He came up short in a three-way playoff won by Ned Martin of Decatur.
Etter, Martin and Jeff Jordan of Mountain Brook all shot 68. Etter had seven birdies – five in a six-hole stretch — and had it to 5-under before three-putting his 17th hole from 50 feet.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Defending champion Freeman Fite is among 65 players currently registered for next weekend’s Wilfred Galbraith ACC Invitational. A win in this year’s event will give him a record seven titles; Fite is currently tied with Chris Banister on the all-time list.
Entries are still being accepted for the event and to promote an incentivize the field pro Jake Spott has waived the $30 late registration fee until Tuesday. Spott reports new superintendent Lee Fillingim is doing “a great job” getting the course ready. Call the pro shop for registration details.
Entries also are being accepted for the next two Calhoun County Tour events – the Fort McClellan Credit Union/Cane Creek Pro-Invitational and the Silver Lakes Championship. Contact the two golf courses for details.
* Cherokee County CC is preparing for its Fore the Kids four-person scramble Saturday. Tournament players will be entertained by an exhibition by Kevin “The Bull” Bullard of the Callaway Long Drive Team. After the presentation Bullard will set up a long drive competition with each team on No. 6.
* Participating courses should be in the process of qualifying their teams for the first East Alabama Sports Today Calhoun County Cup match May 30 at Anniston CC. It’s a season-long interclub competition among ACC, Cider Ridge, Cane Creek and Silver Lakes.
JUNIOR GOLF: Registration for the Future Champions Junior Tour is now underway. This year, the tour is offering a sponsorship/scholarship incentive that will allow players to waive event entry fees. The schedule includes Pine Hill (June 8), Anniston CC (June 15), Cider Ridge (June 23), The Lion (June 29), Twin Bridges (July 16), Silver Lakes (July 20). Contact Marcus Harrell (499-4147 or fcjgt@yahoo.com) … Cider Ridge is holding junior clinics May 16 and 30, and camps June 16-18, 23-35 and July 21-23.
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