SKCC Round 2 notebook
- Updated: July 11, 2015
[corner-ad id=2]Cole scores biggest ace on his 40th birthday; Beam asks participants to wear purple today
Ty Cole leans against what soon may be his former Ford truck after making a hole-in-one for $20,000 toward a new car Saturday in the Sunny King Charity Classic.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD — Best birthday ever.
Ty Cole turned 40 Saturday and celebrated with a present to himself — a hole-in-one worth $20,000 toward the purchase of a new car, courtesy of the Sunny King Charity Classic.
Cole, the current points leader on the Calhoun County Golf Tour, scored his fifth ace ever — and clearly the most lucrative — on Cider Ridge’ No. 3 from 178 yards with a 7-iron.
“We weren’t playing good; we were looking for something just to have a good time,” the Asbury glassworker said. “I hit the tee ball and about halfway there I just screamed ‘Get in the hole,’ and then all of a sudden – blam – it goes in on the fly, hits the flag in the back of the hole and stays in.”
It was the second big-money ace of the tournament. Jonathan Bennett won $20,000 at Silver Lakes on Friday.
“Usually, if I make one it costs me a bunch of money having to buy drinks,” Cole said, “but now all the drinks here (in the tournament) are free — and I get a car out of it.”
And he could use a new ride. He arrived at the tournament in a 2003 Ford “Danger Ranger” with 135,000 miles on it.
“It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” said first-round co-leader Chad Calvert, Cole’s regular ride to Calhoun County tournaments.
PUSHING PURPLE PRIDE: In Drennen Beam’s greatest Sunny King Classic dream, he’s coming down the 18th fairway at Anniston Country Club Sunday and sees the entire gallery awash in purple.
The former White Plains golfer asks the players and spectators at all three SKCC venues to wear purple on the tournament’s final day in honor of his late sister.
Keaten Beam died in a car accident a few hours after watching her brother and the White Plains boys golf team win the school’s first-ever Calhoun County championship. Purple was her favorite color.
“I just thought it’d be a great idea just because of Keaten, reminding me of everything when I come to golf and big tournaments,” he said. “I just thought it was a big thing in my life, so I thought maybe everyone could wear purple tomorrow for Keaten.”
The Birmingham Southern signee only mentioned the idea to handful of people Saturday, but hoped the word spreads through social media and other popular platforms. He said he had no idea how many people would comply.
Tournament leaders Jeremy McGatha and Brennan Clay said they would have done it had they not already been committed to their sponsor’s shirts. White Plains golf coach Marcus Harrell and his players in the field have pledged to wear purple. So has Calhoun County Schools superintendent Joe Dyar, who is playing with girls county champion daughter Layne.
Actually, it was through the Dyars that Beam got the idea.
“I saw Layne and her dad wore purple the first day and I thought that’d be a great idea if everyone in the Sunny King could,” he said.
Beam and partner Justin Mallicoat shot 4-under 68 Saturday at Cider Ridge and are currently even-par for the tournament. They are expected to finish Sunday right about the time the leaders get into their stretch run.
“I think it would be a pretty cool moment if Garrett (Burgess) and them are in the final group and there’s purple there and they could pull it out and win,” Mallicoat said. “I don’t know what kind of story that would be.”
An emotional one, for sure. Burgess is married to Keaten and Drennen’s mother. He and partner Cypress Hathorn are currently tied for fourth and occupy the next-to-last pairing Sunday.
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