Favorites lead at -17
- Updated: July 8, 2016
Cole, Wigington open two-shot lead on crowded Sunny King Charity Classic leaderboard
Defending champions Ott (R) and Dalton Chandler check the yardage on a potentially risky shot after missing the green on Mindbreaker 9 Friday. They pulled it off and made birdie to turn in 8-under on the way to a 59.
SKCC LEADERBOARD
Ty Cole-Gary Wigington 26-29—55
P.J. Shields-Jaylon Ellison 29-28—57
Charles Estes-Bruce Collins 30-28—58
Garrett Burgess-Cypress Hathorn 28-30—58
Kevin Daughtery-Brian Woodfin 28-30—58
Cory Etter-Caleb Bowen 29-29—58
Patrick Cushman-Hank Smith 29-30—59
Dalton Chandler-Ott Chandler 28-31—59
Andrew Brooks-Matt Rogers 30-29—59
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
SILVER LAKES — Ty Cole and Gary Wigington weren’t concerned with all the talk about being favorites. They just went out and did their thing.
Playing what Cole called “on golf mode from the first tee,” the top two players on the Calhoun County Golf Tour went out and put up a smooth 17-under-par 55 in the scramble format of the 38th annual Sunny King Charity Classic Friday.
The first-time Classic partners opened a two-shot lead over Jaylon Ellison and P.J. Shields. Four others were at 14-under 58.
Defending champions Ott and Dalton Chandler were among three teams at 13-under 59. Hank Smith and Patrick Cushman also were at 13-under and Matt Rogers and Andrew Brooks joined them after Brooks, the County Tour eagles leader, holed a pitching wedge from 145 yards for another one their final hole.
Even with several powerhouse teams in this year’s Classic field, most of the focus was on Cole and Wigington, who won a close fan poll on East Alabama Sports Today to pick the pre-tournament favorite, and they didn’t disappoint. They turned in 7-under, parring both par-3s on the Heartbreaker nine, then made eagle and eight straight birdies on the Mindbreaker side.
“The expectations are high, of course, but I don’t think about that at all,” Wigington said. “But once we get started we’re focused on the hole ahead of us.”
Wigington made 15- to 20-foot putts for eagle or birdie on each of the first four holes on Mindbreaker, then the team hit it within five feet on every hole thereafter. On their eagle at Mindbreaker 1 they hit a pitching wedge from 140 yards to 15 feet. It was so sharp, Cole left the course with a mulligan still in his pocked.
Cole, who isn’t easily impressed, said his partner’s round “was as good as I’d seen Twig hit it in a while – and it was fun to watch.
“I bet I didn’t putt five times today. It didn’t matter if it was five feet or 20 feet, he hit it right in the middle. It isn’t like we didn’t help each other, but when you’ve got a man hitting it right down the middle two feet from the edge of the fairway, why am I hitting it?
“For the way Twig had played so far this year, that’s as good as I’ve seen him hit the ball tee-to-green this year. I know he’s been struggling tee-to-green with his game this year and he hasn’t played up to his standard, but if he keeps this going and figures this out, we’re in trouble the rest of the year (on the Calhoun County Golf Tour).”
And maybe the rest of the weekend when they move into formats at Cider Ridge (modified scramble) and Anniston Country Club (best-ball) that suit them better.
Wigington agreed he hit his driver the best he had all year with the exception perhaps of his runner-up finish in the Wilfed Galbraith Invitational at Anniston CC. His play around the green got high marks, too.
“It was fun,” he said. “Definitely the gameis coming around and I’m just to continue.”
Shields and Ellison played in the final group of the day. They birdied their first seven holes and turned to the Mindbreaker side 8-under. They were 13-under after eagling Mindbreaker 5, but made only two birdies coming home.
“When we made the turn we heard everybody was pretty much 8-under through 9,” Shields said. “So, if we kept it going we’d still be around the ballpark with everybody.”
“We thought our 8-under on our first nine holes was really good; every hole we had wind to contend with,” said Ellison, who celebrates his 38th birthday on Championship Sunday of the 38th Classic. “Our two missteps were having sand wedge in to (Mindbreaker 1) and making birdie and then not getting up and down on 6, but other than that we played pretty well. … They’ll be tough to catch but I like our chances for the next 36 holes.”
Brennan Clay and Jeremy McGatha (R) try to help each other read a birdie putt on Mindbreaker 9 Friday. They made it to turn in 8-under.
All the 14-unders came in the morning wave before the wind picked up. Bruce Collins and Charles Estes, a couple 50-somethings playing in the first flight, got it started with a combination of good shots and good luck. Kevin Daugherty and Brian Woodfin were playing with 2013 champions Garrett Burgess and Cypress Hathorn and they both shot 58.
Daugherty got his team going by making 100 feet of putts through the first five holes before his partner ever putted once; they were 6-under through that stretch. “I told him why don’t you hit a putt or two so you’ve got a feel for it,” he said. Woodfin got his chance to contribute, making a 20-footer on 17 and hitting to three feet on 18.
The fourth team at 14, Caleb Bowen and Cory Etter, had a chance to go deeper. They made an eagle on each side and were 11-under through 13 holes, but parred each of the last two holes on each side they played. They won the Calhoun County Two-Man at Silver Lakes earlier this spring.
“That gives you confidence, for sure,” Bowen said. “The teams we’re playing against – Twig and Ty and Ott and Dalton – we ended up coming out on top then, it gives you confidence coming in. But it also shows you how many putts we made, because we shot the same score with no mulligans that day.”
Unaware of what Cole and Wigington were doing on the other side of the golf course, the Chandlers were doing their best to stay in front among the players on their side of it.
The Chandlers and Jeremy McGatha-Brennan Clay, playing in the group behind them, were 11-under through 12 holes. Both team slowed over the next two holes, but the Chandlers got back on track with birdies on Heartbreaker 6 and 7. In the meantime, Brooks and Rogers were climbing back into contention.
“We played good, better than it looks; it just didn’t go our way,” Dalton Chandler said. “Every one we missed was just right over the lip … but we’re liable to make everything tomorrow; you never know. We’re four back, that’s two shots (to make up) in two days. We’ll be there on Sunday, I think.”
Riding the confidence of their County Two-Man title here earlier this year, Cory Etter (L) and Caleb Bowen were among four teams that shot 58 Friday at Silver Lakes.
On the cover: Ty Cole (R) points out the line of a putt for partner Gary Wigington on Heartbreaker No. 8 during Friday’s first round of the Sunny King Charity Classic. The first-time Classic partners shot 17-under-par to open a two-shot lead.
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