Donoho, Bussey lead boys county
- Updated: April 15, 2016
Donoho leads White Plains by 3 in team chase, Wildcats’ Bussey way out front individually
Donoho’s Jacob Lecroy (L) waits patiently as White Plains’ Layton Bussey chips over the greenside bunker on 18 for an eagle that gave him a 3-under-par 69 Friday.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
The short chip shot climbed over the bunker, landed softly on the green, disappeared into the hole for an eagle and the fist went in the air. Layton Bussey made his goal and an eight-shot lead.
The White Plains senior made two eagles Friday and played the final two holes in 3-under-par for a 69 that was running away with the Calhoun County Boys Golf Championship at Pine Hill Country Club.
“I closed it out good,” Bussey said. “I wanted to get in the 60s. I wanted to prove a point that I can get out here and get it done.”
Last year he had a share of the lead after the first round and four-shot lead at the turn on Saturday only to lose in a playoff to teammate Dustin Travis.
His closest pursuers today — teammate Nathan Griffin and Donoho teammates Jacob Lecroy and Jack Svenson — are much farther back.
Donoho shot 313 as a team and leads defending champion White Plains by three going into Saturday’s final round. In addition to Lecroy and Svenson, the Falcons counted a 78 from senior No. 4 player Robert Clausen and an 81 from Ross Svenson. After Bussey and Griffin, the Wildcats counted an 83 from Cameron McCareeth and an 87 from Coleman Hayes.
The Falcons were a distant second to White Plains after the first round last year and finished a disappointing third.
“It’s always good to have the lead, but there are 18 more holes of golf and three shots isn’t a lot,” Donoho coach Madison Williams said. “It’s a good feeling, but it’s also kind of nervous for everyone.”
White Plains made up a lot of ground on the back nine after what coach Marcus Harrell called a “nightmare start” to get that close. The Wildcats’ counters played 16, 17 and 18 in a combined 5-under; Bussey and Griffin both shot 1-under on the side.
“We’re actually happy to be down three; with about five or six holes left it looked like we were going to be down about 20,” Harrell said. “We played a lot better on the back. We needed a fourth (low) score today and we didn’t have one.”
Any demons Bussey may have carrying over from last year’s tournament are only ones Harrell said he allows there to be. He said the senior is playing better than he ever has and hopes it continues Saturday. There were places the round could have gotten away from him Friday, but he saved it and moved forward.
“I didn’t like pull a Spieth and back up to everybody,” Bussey said about last year, referring to the way Jordan Spieth struggled to start the back nine Sunday at this year’s Masters. “Dustin made some birdies coming in and I didn’t finish great.”
He certainly started great this year. He birdied 1 and eagled 6 to get to 3-under. He bogeyed 7, didn’t take advantage of 8 and then made a 40-foot downhill putt on 9 for a par he said “really saved the round for me.” He bogeyed 12, three-putted 16 for bogey to fall back to even, then birdie 17 with a legit eagle putt and eagled 18.
“I learned a lot from that,” he said. “It motivates me some, but I just realize I can win, I just have to be clutch, a little more confident. Coming into this everybody was like you’ve got this, you just shoot even-par you’ll be fine, but that was never my goal. I just want to prove a point that I can get out here and get it done. I hope I can play a good solid round tomorrow.”
On the cover: White Plains’ Layton Bussey (R) fist bumps with Donoho’s Jacob Lecroy after making eagle on the final hole Friday.
CALHOUN COUNTY BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
At Pine Hill CC
First-round scores
TEAM SCORES
Donoho 313
White Plains 316
Oxford 342
Alexandria 368
Pleasant Valley 373
Piedmont 373
Jacksonville 387
Wellborn 408
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
Layton Bussey, White Plains 34-35—69
Nathan Griffin, White Plains 42-35—77
Jacob Lecroy, Donoho 41-36—77
Jack Svensen, Donoho 39-38—77
Robert Clausen, Donoho 42-36—78
Ross Svensen, Donoho 40-41—81
Will Bedwell, Piedmont 40-42—82
Jeremy Allen, Oxford 44-39—83
Cameron McCareeth, White Plains 41-42—83
Jacob Vaughn, Oxford 39-45—84
Trevor McCarley, Piedmont 42-42—84
Austin Smith, Alexandria 47-38—85
Will Turley, Oxford 42-43—85
Josh Davis, White Plains 41-45—86
Jake Moore, Jacksonville 43-44—87
Coleman Hayes, White Plains 48-39—87
Ethan Johnson, Pleasant Valley 48-39—87
P.J. Sotelo, White Plains 43-45—88
Andrew Miller, White Plains 47-42—89
Hunter Sanford, Jacksonville 47-42—89
Jake Munroe, Oxford 46-44—90
Hunter Watts, Alexandria 48-43—91
Harrison Hughston, Donoho 47-44—91
Buddy Ray, Donoho 46-46—92
Wesley Jenkins, White Plains 45-48—93
Gavin Burrage, White Plains 46-47—93
Zack Austin, Alexandria 49-44—93
Britton Proper, Pleasant Valley 48-45—93
Adam Pritchett, Pleasant Valley 46-47—93
Keaton Borrelli, Oxford 46-47—93
Gage Miller, White Plains 48-46—94
Ethan Floyd, Piedmont 49-46—95
Holden Abernathy, Donoho 46-51—97
Charlie Smith, Donoho 49-49—98
Jaxson Chaffin, Alexandria 52-47—99
Dalton Epps, Wellborn 47-52—99
Andrew Kilgore, Alexandria 51-49—100
Luke Waugh, Wellborn 52-48—100
Brooks Davis, Pleasant Valley 50-50—100
Noah Causey, Weaver 51-52–103
Spencer Screws, Wellborn 50-54—104
Braxton McFall, Jacksonville 53-52—105
Jake Thrasher, Wellborn 51-54—105
Zach Nichols, Alexandria 53-53—106
Cole Proper, Pleasant Valley 50-56—106
Casey Trull, Jacksonville 50-56—106
Chase Craven, Pleasant Valley 52-55—107
Logan Goble, Alexandria 50-57—107
Eddie Ferguson, Ohatchee 55-52—107
Will Bowden, Alexandria 51-59—110
Austin Hobbs, Saks 53-57—110
Colby Gaines, Pleasant Valley 59-52—111
Brett Akin, Piedmont 58-54—112
J.T. Barthel, Pleasant Valley 52-60—112
Chandler Cupp, Wellborn 57-56—113
Logan Mayne, Saks 57-57—114
Sage Snow, Alexandria 55-59—114
Jackson Fillingins, Oxford 58-57—115
Terence Sizemore, Anniston 56-59—115
Hunter Wert, Oxford 58-61—119
John Riley Miller, Sacred Heart 59-62—121
Gabe Tonagon, Weaver 61-62—123
Austin Goodwin, Jacksonville 62-61—123
Grayson Ingram, Piedmont 60-64—124
Brock McSheridan, PV 58-67—125
Lawrence Arenth, Saks 62-62—126
Logan Nelms, Alexandria 65-64—129
Will McFry, Ohatchee 70-61—131
Saturday’s Tee Assignments
(8 a.m. shotgun start)
Hole 1 — Layton Bussey (White Plains), Jacob Lecroy (Donoho), Jake Moore (Jacksonville), Austin Smith (Alexandria)
2 — Nathan Griffin (White Plains), Ross Svensen (Donoho), Hunter Sanford (Jacksonville), Hunter Watts (Alexandria)
3 — Cameron McCareeth (White Plains), Jack Svensen (Donoho), Zack Austin (Alexandria), Will Turley (Oxford)
4 — Colman Hayes (White Plains), Robert Clausen (Donoho), Jacob Vaughn (Oxford), Britton Proper (Pleasant Valley)
5 — P.J. Sotelo (White Plains), Jeremy Allen (Oxford), Jaxson Chaffin (Alexandria), Keaton Borrelli (Oxford)
6 — Josh Davis (White Plains), Ethan Johnson (Pleasant Valley), Trevor McCarley (Piedmont), Harrison Hughston (Donoho)
7 — Andrew Miller (White Plains), Charlie Smith (Donoho), Adam Pritchett (Pleasant Valley), Andrew Kilgore (Alexandria)
8 — Wesley Jenkins (White Plains), Brooks Davis (Pleasant Valley), Will Bowden (Alexandria), Braxton McFall (Jacksonville)
9 — Gavin Burrage (White Plains), Casey Trull (Jacksonville), Jake Munroe (Oxford), Holden Abernathy (Donoho)
10 — Jackson Fillingens (Oxford), Austin Goodwin (Jacksonville), Logan Goble (Alexandria), J.T. Barthel (Pleasant Valley)
11 — Gage Miller (White Plains), Hunter Wert (Oxford), Will Bedwell (Piedmont), Zach Nichols (Alexandria)
12 — Ethan Floyd (Piedmont), Sage Snow (Alexandria), Spencer Screws (Wellborn), Buddy Ray (Donoho)
13 — Dalton Epps (Wellborn), Cole Proper (Pleasant Valley), Logan Nelms (Alexandria), Noah Causey (Weaver)
14 — Chase Craven (Pleasant Valley), Jake Thrasher (Wellborn), Eddie Ferguson (Ohatchee), Logan Mayne (Saks)
15 — Chandler Cupp (Wellborn), Austin Hobbs (Saks), John Riley Miller (Sacred Heart)
16 — Colby Gaines (Pleasant Valley), Grayson Ingram (Piedmont), Luke Waugh (Wellborn)
17 — Will McFry (Ohatchee), Brock McSheridan (Pleasant Valley), Brett Akin (Piedmont)
18 — Terence Sizemore (Anniston), Lawrence Arenth (Saks), Gabe Tonogan (Weaver)
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