Work hard, play hard
- Updated: July 31, 2015
[corner-ad id=2]Cider Ridge’s Russell wins Honours Intern Invitational; Cherokee County CC club championship, Jackson Memorial pairings
Cider Ridge intern John-Michael Russell displays the framed pin flag that commemorates his Honours Golf Intern Invitational victory. On the cover, Russell attends to daily business in the pro shop.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
The summer intern program at Honours Golf, like all programs of its kind, is designed to give its participants a quick hands-on look at the business they hope to someday enter into as a career.
At the same time they’re expected to be able to play a little golf at a reasonably high level.
To that end, the Birmingham-based management company held its annual intern championships earlier this week and John-Michael Russell of Cider Ridge was the best of Honours’ best and brightest.
Russell, a Muscle Shoals native who came to Cider Ridge in May through the Mississippi State PGM program, shot rounds of 74-69 for 76 points in the modified Stableford scoring format and won the Honours Golf Intern Invitational by one point over fellow MSU PGM students Michael Brown (Craft Farms) and Will Heirtzler (Reunion).
Russell was eight points back to start the final round at Highland Park Golf Course and made a big move with an eagle on the eighth hole. He also made two birdies.
“It was a great feeling to come back and beat two great players,” he said. “Being eight points back I had to be patient and kind of point my way around the golf course shot-by-shot.”
Internships aren’t permanent jobs although they can sometimes lead to them. Russell, 21, will be leaving Cider Ridge in two weeks to return to school for his junior year, but Friday he accepted an internship for next May at Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club in Gulf Shores. His career goal is to become a director of golf in the Honours system.
“I will stay with Honours through my three internships because I love the way that Honours does their business,” Russell said. “It is a young company and it’s almost like a fraternity of golf professionals, that’s what I consider it as. I think Honours is phenomenal.”
CLOSE TO A WINNER: The Cherokee County CC club championship has reached the semifinals with defending champion Jake Minnix facing No. 5 seed Brian Johnson, and No. 3 Lee Morgan facing six-time champion David Garrett.
Minnix defeated No. 9 Nick Sawyer 4&2, Johnson defeated No. 4 Sid Garrett 2&1, No. 2 Garrett defeated No. 7 Tim Hill 5&4 and Morgan defeated two-time champion Adam Weaver 1 up in 19 holes in a match that ended under the glow of a blue moon.
On the first extra hole Morgan bombed 325-yard drive and then hit a short wedge to six feet. He had the match conceded to him after Weaver lipped out a 15-footer for par.
“I didn’t have a clue where it went, I just knew it felt good,” Morgan said of his clutch wedge. “If we had to go any further we would have had to use the night-glow balls to (see).”
JAMES E. JACKSON MEMORIAL SCRAMBLE
Saturday’s pairings
At Cherokee County CC, Centre
7:30 a.m. – Justin Austin-Partner
8:00 – Corey Tanner-John Stanley; Ernie Brabner-Levi Nix.
8:10 – Bo Abney-Pat Abney; Shawn Weldon-Partner.
8:30 – Scott Hays-Jake Minnix; Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers.
8:40 – Dawson Day-Ben Huggin; Daryl Wise-Kenrick King.
8:50 – Scotty Grimes-T.J. McGatha; Kevin Bedwell-Will Bedwell.
9:00 – Johnny Bentley-Tim Gamble; Rodney Van Pelt-Jeff Woodall.
9:10 – Scotty McFry-Jeremy Braizer.
9:20 – Sid Garrett-Terry Tallent; Wayne Garrett0Dawson Garrett.
10:00 – Allen Keen-Stephen Keen; Steve Baker-Phillip Hicks.
10:10 – Josh Jackson-P.J. Shields; A. Jackson-C. Jackson.
11:30 – Keith Atkinson-Tim Trammell; Scott Farrar-Tommy Collins.
12:30 p.m. – Kenny Fulmer-Blake Fulmer.
x-Sunday’s second round at LaFayette (Ga.) Golf Course
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