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Chad Calvert birdies three of the last four holes to win his first title as a member of the Calhoun County Golf Tour

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

When Chad Calvert won the Cider Ridge Invitational two years ago he was proud to claim a victory on what has evolved into a highly competitive amateur tour, but something about it just felt different.

He felt like an outsider, a carpetbagger who came in from Boaz and snuck out of town with somebody else’s trophy in tow.

He still comes down from Boaz to play, but as a full-fledged member of the Calhoun County Golf Tour his win Sunday in the Indian Oaks Championship felt a lot more satisfying.

Calvert bounced back from a frustrating day of putting to birdie three of his last four holes and hold off Gary Wigington to win the newest event on the Tour schedule by one shot.

Calvert carved out a frenetic final-round 68 for a two-day total of 6-under-par 138. Wigington shot a bogey-free 68 and held the lead going into one of the toughest closing stretches in the county, but his cart partner’s charge was just too much to overcome.

“I think it means more,” Calvert said. “A win’s a win. I’m happy that I won (then) because I wasn’t a Tour player, but I feel more accepted as a Tour player, not as a stranger coming into somebody’s golf course and winning.

“I feel like those guys want me to come play with them. I feel more welcomed, where before it was like he’s a stranger, he’s coming in playing in our tour and winning; that shouldn’t happen. That’s what I felt like they were thinking. Now I’m accepted as one of the guys in this Tour.”

Calvert described the second round he’s ever played at Indian Oaks Sunday as a “yo-yo,” ironically similar to the way his winning round at Cider Ridge in 2014 unfolded. He made eight birdies, but missed putts inside two feet on 1, 3, 10, 11 and 13 that had he made them would have reduced the drama down the stretch considerably.

The first four misfires produced bogeys. The one on 13 cost him a birdie and maintaining a share of the lead.

“I wanted to throw my putter so bad it wasn’t even funny,” he said.

As it turned out he wouldn’t have needed it the way his short irons set him up coming home.

He hit approach wedges to within inches on 15 and 16 — and made both putts with the demons of the earlier misses still in his head – to retake the lead, and then hit a 9-iron inside four feet on the par-3 17th. Each time, Wigington had a birdie putt curl around the edge of the hole.

“When we came into 15 on I thought I had as good a shot as anybody and then he rolls off three birdies in a row on three of the tougher holes out here,” Wigington said. “You’ve got to take your hat off to that. He got it done and I didn’t and that’s all it boils down to.”

TAP-INS: Dalton Chandler and Nick Pollard had the biggest turnarounds in the tournament – 11 shots. Chandler shot 69 after posting an opening-round 80 and won the First Flight. He hit 17 of 18 greens and made four birdies. Pollard shot 74 after an opening-round 85. He shot 33 on the front with an eagle at 2. … The leaders’ foursome combined for 17 birdies in the final round. The only holes somebody didn’t birdie on the back were 11 and 14. … Scott Martin and Casey Harmon certainly would’ve liked some of Pollard’s good fortune on 2. They both were putting for eagle on the par-5 and wound up taking 9s; that’s seven putts if you’re counting. … The next event on the Calhoun County Golf Tour schedule is the Oxford City Championship at Cider Ridge April 23-24. Entry fee is $135 before April 17.

Here are the final scores, Calhoun County Golf Tour points standings and Tour scoring leaders.

Indian Oaks Championship

Championship flight
Chad Calvert 70-68—138
Gary Wigington 71-68—139
Caleb McKinney 72-73—145
Jonathan Pate 74-72-146
Lance Evans 74-74—148
Adrian Geeting 76-72—148
Ty Cole 77-72—149
Clay Calkins 77-75—152
Chandler Wilborn 76-81—157
Tim Turner 74-85—159
Jeff Borrelli 76-WD

First Flight
Dalton Chandler 80-69—149
Jeremy McGatha 78-74—152
Andrew Brooks 79-74—153
Matt Rogers 78-76—154
Billy Thompson 80-75—155
Ott Chandler 80-76—156
Lewis Lecroy 80-76—156
Kyle Daugherty 80-79—159
John Tucker 78-82—160
Dan Griffin 78-84—162
Caleb Bowen 80-82—162
Kenny Wright 80-83—163

Second Flight
Scott Eaton 81-74—155
Brandon Roberts 82-76—158
Nick Pollard 85-74—159
Scott Martin 81-78—159
Allen Mangham 81-79—160
Jimbo Phillips 82-78—160
Jake Goggans 82-79—161
David Lawrence 84-80—164
Janson Wilborn 82-86—168
Jacob Lecroy 85-86—171

Third Flight
Austin Minter 91-83—174
Brad Hardin 88-86—174
Daily Thomas 89-85—174
Chad Reavis 87-88—175
Casey Harmon 94-85—179
Kelly Rogers 98-93—191

Calhoun County Golf Tour
Points Standings
(Thru Indian Oaks Championship)

Chad Calvert 300
Gary Wigington 250
Caleb McKinney 225
Jonathan Pate 200
Lance Evans 187.5
Adrian Geeting 187.5
Ty Cole 177.5
Dalton Chandler 177.5
Jeremy McGatha 167.5
Clay Calkins 167.5
Andrew Brooks 160
Matt Rogers 155
Billy Thompson 150
Ott Chandler 142.5
Lewis Lecroy 142.5
Brandon Roberts 135
Nick Pollard 125
Scott Martin 125
Kyle Daugherty 125
Jimbo Phillips 115
Dan Griffin 107.5
Caleb Bowen 107.5
Kenny Wright 100
David Lawrence 95
Janson Wilborn 90
Jacob Lecroy 85
Austin Minter 75
Brad Hardin 75
David Thomas 75
Chad Reavis 65
Casey Harmon 60
Kelly Rogers 55
Jeff Borrelli 50

SCORING AVG.
Chad Calvert 69.00
Gary Wigington 69.50
Caleb McKinney 72.50
Jonathan Pate 73.00
Lance Evans 74.00
Adrian Geeting 74.00
Ty Cole 74.50
Dalton Chandler 74.50
Jeremy McGatha 76.00
Clay Calkins 76.00
Jeff Borrelli 76.00
Andrew Brooks 76.50
Ott Chandler 77.00
Matt Rogers 77.00
Billy Thompson 77.50
Lewis Lecroy 78.00
Brandon Roberts 79.00
Nick Pollard 79.50
Kyle Daugherty 79.50
Scott Martin 79.50
Jimbo Phillips 80.00
Dan Griffin 81.00
Caleb Bowen 81.00
Kenny Wright 81.50
David Lawrence 82.00
Janson Wilborn 84.00
Jacob Lecroy 85.50
Austin Minter 87.00
Brad Hardin 87.00
Daily Thomas 87.00
Chad Reavis 87.50
Casey Harmon 89.50
Kelly Rogers 95.50

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