Centre of attention
- Updated: July 17, 2016
Ty Cole keeps the run going, wins his fourth straight individual title
Ty Cole says making putts has been the key to his run of tournament wins. (Photo by Shannon Fagan)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
CENTRE — At the rate he’s going, Ty Cole will have a complete set of new irons by the end of the month.
Cole won another golf tournament Sunday, putting the final touches on the Dub Ellis Invitational at Cherokee County Country Club. He shot a final-round 66 to post a tournament-record 15-under-par 127 for the championship.
He won this one by 11 shots over defending champion Chad Calvert, who shot 69 for the second day in a row and made his first hole-in-one in 27 years on No. 12. Corey Ray was third and Dawson Garrett was fourth.
It was Cole’s fourth straight individual tournament title. Since the end of May he won the Fort McClellan Credit Union Pro-Invitational, the Gadsden Country Club Invitational and the Silver Lakes Championship. This year he also has won last week’s Sunny King Charity Classic, the Calhoun County Four-Ball and the Cherokee County CC Two-Man – all with Gary Wigington.
The only time he doesn’t win anymore is when he doesn’t play. He has been using his winnings to replace the two-year-old AP2 irons in his bag one or two sticks at a time.
“We all go out and play these tournaments and try to win, but the run I’m on right now … it’s kind of getting a little silly,” Cole said. “You go out there and try like hell to win, but you don’t just expect to win four in a row or whatever. At some point you have to be realistic about it. It’s just fun. I’m just enjoying it.”
Cole went into the final round with a three-shot lead after shooting 61 Saturday. He turned Sunday in 2-under and was 5-under for the day after making eagle at 15 for the second day in a row. He credits being “a lot more consistent” with the driver and putting “as good as I’ve ever putted” for fueling the season-long run.
“We’re just going to ride it until it’s over,” he said.
Calvert aced the par-3 12th from 202 yards with a 6-iron. It was his third; the other two came a week apart in 1989 on the same New Orleans-area course, the same hole and with the same club when he was a junior in high school.
The Boaz CC superintendent put himself in position to challenge Cole early in the round, but couldn’t make up any ground. He had six birdie putts on the front inside 15 feet and another of 25 feet, but couldn’t get any to fall.
“If I had made any of those I might have scared him or given him a run for his money, but I didn’t make one,” Calvert said. “I’m telling you, the only person who’s going to stop that train ride is him. This is the best I’ve seen him play in a long, long time. All you can do is take your hat off to him. I go out there and shoot 69-69 and I’m not even close. You have to take your hat off to him.”
DUB ELLIS INVITATIONAL
At Cherokee County CC, Centre
Final scores
Championship flight
Ty Cole 61-66—127
Chad Calvert 69-69—138
Corey Ray 70-69—139
Dawson Garrett 64-76—140
Grant Hockman 68-76—144
Brennan Clay 70-74—144
Robson Copenhaver 71-73—144
Jeremy Willis 71-77—148
Byron Reed 71-77—148
Skylar Dennis 71-79—150
Steve Horne 71-79—150
Matt Rogers 70-84—154
David Garrett 71-WD
Mike Granato Sr. 71-WD
First flight
John Henderson 73-66—139
Clay Stephenson 72-70—142
Caleb McKinney 73-70—143
Jeremy McGatha 75-68—143
Clint Whiteside 75-70—145
Mark Still 72-73—145
Cole Skaggs 73-72—145
Derrick Nicholson 74-71—145
Bobby Locklear 77-69—146
Jake Minnix 72-75—147
Brady Garrett 72-76—148
Lee Morgan 74-75—149
Daily Thomas 74-75—149
Scott Hays 73-77—150
Robin Wood 74-76—150
Sid Garrett 73-78—151
Jordan Bethune 74-78—152
Tim Trammell 75-78—153
Seth Dodd 72-83—155
Kent Colvin 75-82—157
Morton Hodgens 75-83-158
Second flight
Clayton Chandler 79-72—151
Dustin Underwood 78-75—153
Tim Hill 80-75—155
Mike Googe 77-79—156
Rocky Chapman 78-78—156
Brian Johnson 78-78—156
Adam Weaver 79-77—156
Scott McFry 77-80—157
Larry Guffey 77-80—157
Russell Chambers 80-77—157
Jeff Woodall 84-74—158
Chad Gray 79-82—161
Phillip Hicks 80-81—161
Jordan White 80-81—161
Bill Gilchrist 80-81—161
Dalton Casey 81-81—162
Scott Grimes 80-84—164
Todd Brock 81-85—166
Johnny Willis 81-86—167
Fred Barhorst 80-88—168
Terry Tallent 79-WD
Third flight
T.J. McGatha 86-75—161
John Reeves 82-81—163
Trai West 89-75—164
Mark Reeves 83-83—166
C.J. Murphy 85-81—166
Caden Garrett 82-85—167
Carson Garrett 85-83—168
Paul Gentry 84-86—170
Kurt Duryea 84-87—171
Kelly Rogers 82-92—174
Tim Smith 87-87—174
Ray Amberson 83-92—175
Mike Bradberry 85-91—176
Clay Allen 87-90-177
Tony King 89-92—181
Justin Bell 88-94—182
Larry Stone 91-98—189
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